So you’re addicted to caffeine and want to quit?

Or at the very least think you may be addicted?

Caffeine is by far the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug.  More than 90% of us are habitual users.  The drug occurs naturally in coffee and tea and can be found in many soft drinks e.g. cola.  Taken in sufficiently large quantities it can induce a psychosis or an overdose.  Caffeine evolved in the plant kingdom as a natural pesticide to protect the plant from being damaged by insects and other parasites.

Caffeine acts on the central nervous system and stimulates the adrenal glands located on the kidneys to produce adrenalin.  Since caffeine can take up to 24 hours to be completely metabolised, it’s possible for the user’s body to continually be in fight or flight mode from adrenalin and other stress hormone levels being artificially elevated.

All of this comes at a price.  The ever present stress hormones age you prematurely, keep you awake when you should be asleep, disturb your sleeping patterns when youareasleep and interfere with normal endocrine/glandular function.  Women who use caffeine are more likely to suffer a miscarriage and to develop breast cancer.  The breasts after all are glands.

So with all of these facts considered why drink caffeine?

Because it is extremely addictive.

Don’t think you’re addicted?  Try to stop.  Try going an entire day without tea , coffee or soda pop if you drink one or more of them every day.  Do you experience any headaches?  Do you feel a little tired, or find yourself useless without that first cup?  Then you’re addicted.  If you find yourself making excuses to reach for it, experiencing headaches, feeling listless, lethargic, anxious etc. (which you will), then you are addicted to caffeine.

I will share with you how I successfully kicked my caffeine habit.  It is not for the faint of heart.  Expect to be miserable for a period of time.  Expect to be short tempered, lethargic and feeling like you want to curl up and go to sleep at around 2pm.  You’ll be mentally whacked out, possibly indecisive over the most trifling of things.  This is textbookcaffeine withdrawal.  So what?  It is absolutely worth it as you will see and it doesn’t last.

I recommend quitting cold turkey.  Trying to “cut back” or to “wean yourself off it” is simply deceiving yourself.  “Cutting back” keeps the addiction alive and it’s that which you need to break.  Days 1 and 2 of no caffeine need to be at the weekend or when you are not at work.  Get as organised as possible beforehand to minimise the need to mentally and physically exert yourself.  Enlist your family members as allies.  Make a note of when you crave caffeine the most and have a caffeine free replacement at hand.  In my case it was peppermint tea.  You might choose sparkling apple juice, lemon water or orange juice.  It can be anything as long as it’s healthy and caffeine free. 

After 7-9 days you can expect the caffeine withdrawal to have lifted.  Your mood will lighten and you’ll begin to feel normal again.  

These are some of the greatest differences I’ve noticed after being without caffeine for a month:

• Stable and even energy levels throughout the day – no 3pm crash
• Peaceful and restful sleep each night.  I wake up feeling energised and ready to take on th day
• More money.  My three espresso per day habit cost $6 each day.  I have saved around $172 per month –that’s over $2000 each year, the cost of a return flight from Australia to Europe.  I would need to earn over $3000before taxto fund my caffeine habit.  For some families that’s one month’s pay.
• Mental clarity and decisiveness
• Sharply decreased anxiety and worrying
• Feeling still, centred and unflappable nearly all of the time
• Pride for having kicked the habit.

Human nature and the law of probability being what it is, most of you reading this willnotquit caffeine this year or next.  You will read this thinking “sure, I’ll do that…just not now” or “I’ll quit when I’m not so stressed, when there’s not so much going on”.  You’re deluding yourself completely.  There will always be both stressful and wonderful times in this life.  Addictions cause our minds to play tricks on us, to deceive us and to rationalise the irrational.  I know, I am a recovering caffeine addict.  To the few reading this who will print this article and use it to support you through 7-9 days withdrawal, you have my utmost respect.  Hang in there and you will emerge on the other side victorious.   It’s worth it!