--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many nights, I would begin the evening…" description: "\"Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine and nicotine, which I needed to propel me out of torpor and hopelessness - only to overshoot ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg" --- # Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine… ![“Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine and nicotine, which I needed to propel me out of torpor and hopelessness - only to overshoot into quaking, quivering anxiety.” quote by Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg) > “Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine and nicotine, which I needed to propel me out of torpor and hopelessness - only to overshoot into quaking, quivering anxiety.” [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Caffeine and nicotine can lift mood but may trigger anxiety if overused. **In simple terms:** Stimulants help, but can cause jittery anxiety. Key Takeaway Use stimulants responsibly. Themes addiction mental health self‑care Mood reflective cautious Type self‑help health When to use this quote - morning routine - study sessions - creative work - stress management Key Concepts neurochemistry stress response Questions to Reflect On - What healthier habits could replace stimulants? - How can one recognize when a boost becomes harmful? A Different Perspective Reliance on substances can mask underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Caffeine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caffeine/) [Evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) [Fueled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fueled/) [Hopelessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopelessness/) [Nights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nights/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“They stamp the slush off their boots with autopilot eyes and answering-machine voices while they wait for their drug of choice—caffeine or nicotine or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/they-stamp-the-slush-off-their-boots-with-autopilot-eyes-and/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [From the 1920s into the 1940s, Britain's standard of living was supported by oil from Iran. British cars, trucks, and buses ran on cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/from-the-1920s-into-the-1940s-britain-s-standard-of-living-was/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“Spiderman. Batman. Superman. Ironman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg-2/spiderman-batman-superman-ironman/) [K.Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg-2/) > [“I haven't event started yet Wood! I need time to process... it's not every day hell falls below zero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg-2/i-haven-t-event-started-yet-wood-i-need-time-to-process-it-s-not/) [K.Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg-2/) > [I love KIND bars. My favorites are coconut and almond and the dark chocolate and sea salt because staying fueled helps keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/i-love-kind-bars-my-favorites-are-coconut-and-almond-and-the-dark/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [“But most are fueled by hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-wolf/but-most-are-fueled-by-hope/) [Allan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-wolf/) > [“What fueled this hatred? Society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-a-thompson/what-fueled-this-hatred-society/) [Shannon A. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-a-thompson/) > [Internet companies created the social-media tools that fueled the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street insurgencies, and that have helped political candidates rally grass-roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/internet-companies-created-the-social-media-tools-that-fueled-the-tea/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [The institutions of college athletics exist primarily as unreality fueled by deceit. The unreality is that universities should be in the business of providing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pierce/the-institutions-of-college-athletics-exist-primarily-as-unreality/) [Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pierce/) > [What you look like is not who you are. It's an extension of you that should be fueled by a soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-cook/what-you-look-like-is-not-who-you-are-it-s-an-extension-of-you-that/) [Stephanie Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-cook/) > [“Your vehicle of leadership is fueled by your willingness to learn. You can't lead if you can't learn!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/your-vehicle-of-leadership-is-fueled-by-your-willingness-to-learn-you/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Everyone has read about or knows someone who has gone through fertility treatments. It is an emotional nightmare, fueled by false hope and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-hood/everyone-has-read-about-or-knows-someone-who-has-gone-through/) [Ann Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-hood/) > [Indeed, bull markets are fueled by successive waves of prior skeptics finally capitulating as their fears fade. Eventually, fear turns to euphoria, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/indeed-bull-markets-are-fueled-by-successive-waves-of-prior-skeptics/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [The 2011 riots in England, which left five dead and caused more than $300 million in property damage, were fueled by a generation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/the-2011-riots-in-england-which-left-five-dead-and-caused-more-than/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [The first record we put out on Fueled by Ramon, 'The Papercut Chronicles,' we had no idea what the term 'producer' meant. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travie-mccoy/the-first-record-we-put-out-on-fueled-by-ramon-the-papercut/) [Travie McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travie-mccoy/) ## More by Scott Stossel > [“According to recent epidemiological data, the “lifetime incidence” of anxiety disorder is more than 25 percent—which, if true, means that one in four of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/according-to-recent-epidemiological-data-the-lifetime-incidence-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I wanted to put a human face on anxiety disorders. I thought people who suffer from anxiety might recognize themselves and gain some comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-wanted-to-put-a-human-face-on-anxiety-disorders-i-thought-people/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Barbra Streisand developed overwhelming performance anxiety at the height of her career; for 27 years she refused to perform for the general public, appearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/barbra-streisand-developed-overwhelming-performance-anxiety-at-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [All the textbooks talk about avoidance as a classic hallmark of anxiety disorder. So you need a therapist who is sympathetic and understanding but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/all-the-textbooks-talk-about-avoidance-as-a-classic-hallmark-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [During high school, I would purposely lose tennis and squash matches to escape the agony of anxiety that competitive situations would provoke in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/during-high-school-i-would-purposely-lose-tennis-and-squash-matches/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“The truth is that anxiety is at once a function of biology and philosophy, body and mind, instinct and reason, personality and culture. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/the-truth-is-that-anxiety-is-at-once-a-function-of-biology-and/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [It's possible that I would have been better suited to being a penguin keeper. Starting out, I thought being a writer would enable me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/it-s-possible-that-i-would-have-been-better-suited-to-being-a-penguin/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [Generally speaking, the anxiety will pass, which is easy for me to say when I'm not in the middle of an anxiety attack. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/generally-speaking-the-anxiety-will-pass-which-is-easy-for-me-to-say/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I have, since the age of about 2, been a twitchy bundle of phobias, fears, and neuroses. And I have, since the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-have-since-the-age-of-about-2-been-a-twitchy-bundle-of-phobias/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [When I was 5 and my sister was 3, we went on a family trip, and she ate cheese off the floor at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/when-i-was-5-and-my-sister-was-3-we-went-on-a-family-trip-and-she-ate/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [People who suffer from anxiety are very good at hiding it. That can often be a contributor to the anxiety because the gap between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/people-who-suffer-from-anxiety-are-very-good-at-hiding-it-that-can/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Studies of the DSM-II found that when two psychiatrists consulted the same patient, they gave the same DSM diagnosis only between 32 and 42…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/studies-of-the-dsm-ii-found-that-when-two-psychiatrists-consulted-the/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [An astonishing portion of my life is built around trying to evade vomiting and preparing for the eventuality that I might.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/an-astonishing-portion-of-my-life-is-built-around-trying-to-evade/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [“Hippocrates, the ancient Greek doctor, concluded in the fourth century B.C. that pathological anxiety was a straightforward biological and medical problem. “If you cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/hippocrates-the-ancient-greek-doctor-concluded-in-the-fourth-century/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I am living on the razor's edge between success and failure, adulation and humiliation - between justifying my existence and revealing my unworthiness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/i-am-living-on-the-razor-s-edge-between-success-and-failure-adulation/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) [Explore all 56 Scott Stossel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine and nicotine, which I needed to propel me out of torpor and hopelessness - only to overshoot into quaking, quivering anxiety.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Stossel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fueled-by-caffeine-and-nicotine/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fueled-by-caffeine-and-nicotine/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49f/scott-stossel-12031_anxiety_many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fu_1262082.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many nights, I would begin the evening fueled by caffeine and nicotine, which I needed to propel me out of…” — Scott Stossel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scott Stossel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Many nights, I would begin the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fueled-by-caffeine-and-nicotine/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/many-nights-i-would-begin-the-evening-fueled-by-caffeine-and-nicotine/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```