Well I have to tell you this got my attention. I never realize how DEPENDENT a person could become on caffeine. I am not a coffee person but I see my husband and his mom having their daily intake. This actually has me wondering if they might be able to do without it or whether they too have become dependent. I can't speak about the matter with any real authority but the little I started to read suggest that there is more the likelihood of becoming dependent on it as opposed to addictive. I don't know if this link can provide any help and I really wish that 003 gets some relief. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=43492
Do not attempt to stop right away from coffee. That will be too drastic and your body will definitely feel some withdrawal symptoms. It would be good to start reducing your coffee intake by about 10% daily, until it's almost zero. Also, you may want to look for decaffeinated coffee first. This way, your body will think it is still ingesting coffee, when it's actually not. Anything too drastic will not be effective and will only force you to keep yearning for coffee.
I agree with that wander, I think we should reduce gradually because cutting abruptly will just get you the withdraw symptoms and will make you go back to it.
I really sympathize with your situation and though am no expert on this, i have a few recommendations. Try to get complete rest to recover from the fatigue of the past weeks. Focus on maintaining your previous schedule before you began missing sleep. Try and wean off from your coffee by taking fewer amounts and drinking plenty of water to flush out those chemicals from your body.If you find it hard to do all of the above,then maybe it's a good idea to see a shrink.All the best.
The body needs to reset after quitting it so it's normal that we experience side effects for one month at least, but after that painful period is gone we will have a better life.
Wow, as I read your story right now I felt like you were talking about me. I am also addicted to caffeine, it used to be as bad as yours to the point where I actually couldn't just drink it anymore. I had to have the granules as they where and chew them all throughout the day. It's not going to be easy letting go of coffee, I am still in that long process. I agree with most of the posters that you should gradually cut down your intake and when you crave for it rather drink water. That worked for me, hope it will for you too. I am down to 2-3 cups a day and that is a huge milestone for me. Wishing you all the best.
I had a friend who drank 17-18 cups per day and it's not like your weak American coffee, it's strong coffee, his system was totally messed up.
Good that you're releasing the problem, you should search for help and get support from the people that you trust like your family members, or your best friend?
The issue is that coffee sometimes it's not seen as a serious addiction because there are far worse drugs, but support is always good.
I'd suggest reducing the amount of caffeine you take everyday in a gradual manner. Slowly keep decreasing the amount and you can also try alternates like black tea etc. Slowly and steadily you can stop this addiction.
Caffine addiction is a real thing and I have like 8 cups a day. When I go with no caffine I get bad migraine headaches. Just like with many other drugs, you probably need to wean yourself off of it by decreasing by 1 cup a day. I live in the coffee capital of the world and there are literally espresso stands on just about every corner...the temptation is everywhere.
I also need coffee to stay up, but I'm certainly not addicted to it. I don't even crave for it. And it doesn't make me stay up as it used to. I think in your case, since you're addicted to coffee, why not switch to energy drinks instead? They still do the job to make you stay up, since they have caffeine. But since you don't need to stay up anymore, I suggest to drink other drinks to replace it, or minimize your coffee intake to lesser amounts.
The problem with switching to energy drinks is that the issue is not eliminated. There is more caffeine in energy drinks, and they are generally more unhealthy. Switching to them will only increase tolerance. Then, it will be even more difficult to quit.
You need to quit. Remember that is possible at an earlier stage. If you persist and continue using caffeine, you might not do without. Any addiction is bad since you can not do anything minus taking the addicted substance. It will cost you time looking for it instead of doing something else constructive. Ask for advice from previous addicts to know the disadvantages in depth. Do not shy asking help from your family members because they will understand your situation and help you out. Friends also can be encouraging in such a situation, talk to them and be open to describe your problem. But first you must not be idle at anytime, since being idle will lead you to thinking about caffeine again.
You should take this turn gradually. Don't accelerate into it. What I mean by that is slowly remove 6 oz of coffee from each day until you're left with one mug (hopefully not at night). If you miss the drink itself or the taste try supplementing a decaf in place of where you would normally drink a regular coffee.
I think you should try and get enough sleep and not try to stay up late at nights very often. I also suggest that you drink plenty of water and fruit juices. If you still have the constant desire for caffeine then you may want to seek some professional help. Maybe it is all in your head and you just think that you are addicted.
Caffeine is a tough addiction to get a hold on. Mostly because there's nothing illegal about it so the normal "halts" aren't there for it. But my mother used to mix orange juice and seltzer water to lessen her needs for normal sodas or coffee.
I see. Well from your post it seems that you are addicted to only coffee and you can't stop taking it, that's why I suggested taking energy drinks instead. But since your problem is you can't stop taking coffee per se, then you need to find a way to deprive yourself of coffee by replacing it with something else.
The best way to fix a caffeine addiction is to lower it slowly. Something I learned to personal experience, is that trying to stop it all at once is just too hard. What I liked doing was making sure I drank less and less everyday, and making sure I never drank more than the day before. Eventually you drop down to an amount you are satisfied with or just get rid of it completely.
That might be a solution trueknowledge, but it might also depend on the person. For some that might work, while for others the best solution is to simply quit.