| My anecdotal contribution: Weaning myself completely off caffeine with a "descending dose" regiment of coffee to green tea to decaf tea to herbal tea has done wonders for my ability to focus. I've been caffeine free for over 7 months and the health improvements make a good sized list: • Better digestion due to the lack of caffeine induced peristalsis • Insomnia completely gone • No feeling "hung over" every morning prior to consuming caffeine • No swings in energy level during the day except those traceable to hunger or physical fatigue • Complete disappearance of mood swings, both hypo-manic and depressive • Increased productivity due to a better ability to focus for long periods of time The one complaint that I have is that my creativity has dramatically decreased during this same period. Gone are the racing thoughts and flights of invention that had me continually coming up with new ideas. Still working on a controlled, non-chemical way of getting back to that creative state... Of course, YMMV, but if you suffer from depression or any form of bipolar or seasonal affective disorder I highly recommend getting off of everybody's favorite drug. It may be affecting your life far more than you realize. |