Anyone else use caffeine just to feel normal”?

Yes, this is extremely common. Many people with ADHD don’t use caffeine to feel energized, but to feel baseline functional. Instead of causing jitters, caffeine can quiet mental noise, improve focus, and reduce that restless, foggy feeling. It’s essentially acting as a mild stimulant that nudges dopamine and norepinephrine closer to where your brain needs them. That’s why people often say coffee makes them feel calm or steady rather than hyped. Needing caffeine to feel “like yourself” isn’t laziness or dependence by default. It’s often a clue about how your brain regulates stimulation. On its own it doesn’t diagnose ADHD, but it’s a pattern clinicians take seriously when seen alongside other symptoms.