Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Summer 2019 Drug of Choice: An Exploration of Coping with Caffeine Kaleigh E. Caldwell Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Caldwell, Kaleigh E., "Drug of Choice: An Exploration of Coping with Caffeine" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1985. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1985 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. DRUG OF CHOICE: AN EXPLORATION OF COPING WITH CAFFEINE by KALEIGH E. CALDWELL (Under the Direction of Jessica Brooks) ABSTRACT Introduction: Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world. It is deemed socially acceptable and is associated with many benefits; however, some research suggests that caffeine can cause significant impairments in functioning if consumed in excess. Caffeine-related disorders are now included in the Substance Use Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), though not much is known about the negative effects of caffeine, as substance abuse theories and coping models have not been applied to caffeine. Purpose: This study seeks to provide knowledge about the abuse of caffeine and to explore any similar properties it shares with illicit substance abuse disorders, specifically, if it is used as a coping mechanism in the same way other drugs are used.