Mind altering drugs are drugs are drugs are drugs. Yup, legal, illicit or otherwise. And as this man in the video points out this is not about being hard-core anti-drug or anti-coffee. It’s about taking care of ourselves and not becoming DEPENDENT on artificial substances to keep us going.
It took me two years to quit caffeine after a life-time addiction and I’m still recovering. I’d like to make a note that I did not drink coffee until I was sedated on psych meds. So it ended up being one more dependency that I had to get rid of along with the six psych meds. I was intensely addicted and I relapsed repeatedly, but finally I beat it. I’ve been mostly caffeine free for about 1 and a 1/2 years. I rarely have a cup of green tea when I need to perform really well. And that in general is no more than once a month.
Once after gettting “clean” I bought a cup of decaf and a health food store and they gave me a cup of real coffee. It was UGLY. It was like I had shot up methamphetamine. Of course I’ve gotten chemically sensitive to everything. I do have adrenal fatigue like this guy talks about among my many health problems. I am eating and supplementing to heal that.
Here is a professional who understands the nature of stimulants and here talks about the most popular and celebrated stimulant, caffeine.
I highly recommend anyone who is on psych meds and drinks coffee in an addictive fashion watch this video, because we are even more likely to suffer from the negative effects of caffeine than other people.
Hey, Gianna,
Such a coffee lover here, and lived in Seattle for 13 years. Coffee huts are so all over the place in Seattle you would not believe it. Even our in rural areas that I lived out in, if you had an intersection, you usually had anywhere from 1 – 4 coffee places. Also, businesses and Universities had latte stands inside of them, with espresso machines. So, I came to drink a tremendous amount of coffee per day like everyone else.
Then moved to Minnesota, where it’s literally too cold to have a hut, so no more drive through lattes, unless it’s a building with a window towards the outside, but a rarity.
Now, I’m down to one good cup of coffee, and I mean, really good, hand ground, gold filtered, spring water’ed coffee (not espresso). I do it because I enjoy it, and not because I need it. I have considered doing decaf just to see what would happen, or maybe half calf. Other than my one time in the morning, I do not take any more caffeine no matter how tired I might be.
Best,
Ari
well, good for you for quitting sloopy…I did the decaf thing for a while too…over here across the pond decaf doesn’t cost more…
but now I’ve switched over to barley/chicory beverages and herbal teas. I actually prefer them now and find them hydrating….
I still find decaf dehydrating even though the tiny amount of caffeine in it doesn’t bother even little ol’ sensitive me.
I will, of course, occasionally still have a cup of decaf, but I never order it out anymore…after getting regular coffee once by accident.
I was really irresponsible with coffee.. If I wanted a drink at 2am, it was invariably a really strong espresso, rather than some warm milk or a sensible camomile tea. It took me years to realise the harm this was doing to me mentally from lack of sleep.
When I quit coffee, I missed the ritual as much as I missed the drug. Every morning I used to relish the mechanical process of actually making an espresso. The bubbling and the hissing from the machine – it was therapeutic in itself! It somehow told me the day had dawned!
So when I decided to quit, I thought I would do a ‘half-way house’ and make de-caffeinated espressos.. And that’s what I do now.. and I feel loads better for it. The downside is the outrageous price of decaff ground coffee.. De-caff costs two or three times the price of normal ground coffee!
Taylor’s in the blue packet is the best de-caff and then Sainsbury’s own brand!
Hi all –
When I recently started my benzo withdrawal I quit caffeine. After all, it doesn’t do much good to complain about anxiety if I’m still using caffeine, right? And I was a very slight user – 1 cup coffee per day max and no other caffeine.
It kicked my butt!!!! I think the first couple of weeks of withdrawal symptoms were exacerbated by caffeine withdrawal too. Oh well, live and learn.
Peace and good health to all!
hey lablover,
I was a heavy user…it’s very hard to quit!! and you are a perfect example because though it was only one cup a day it was still a dependency and that is what makes it so hard.
and you make a very good point…if someone is complaining about anxiety and still drinking coffee they have something they seriously need to take a look at.
and boy do we run into denial on that one!!! I know I denied how messed up it made me…
do you know even in the throws of benzo withdrawal I DO NOT suffer from anxiety!! that is almost unheard of…