Overly Caffeinated Student: Some of my peers hosted an impromptu intervention and divulged that my caffeine intake is concerning and bordering on an addiction. I suffer from withdrawal headaches if I don’t have caffeine early enough in the morning and I typically require two to three caffeinated beverages to get through my day. Caffeine also no longer provides me with a burst of energy and I can drink caffeine late into the evening without impacting my sleep. However, I love caffeine. It is a needed constant and joy in my life. I go to bed looking forward to the coffee I will drink in the morning. … I am simply unwilling to remove it from my day-to-day routine, although my peers urge that I wean myself off of caffeine and switch to herbal tea. Do you think I should quit caffeine for good or continue to feed my necessary, empowering addiction?
Dear Overly Caffeinated Student,
First, thank you for being so vulnerable in your request for help. Coming from a lengthy lineage of caffeine consumers myself, I too have suffered the harrowing straits of caffeine addiction and undergone the disastrous effects of an inevitable withdrawal. Having adopted this dangerous habit several years ago, I know how daunting it can be to confront this reality posed by your friends.
I will concede that your friends are admittedly well-intentioned and likely only have your well-being at heart. Not surprisingly, it might well benefit you to heed their advice and reconsider your relationship with this ubiquitous stimulant.
The side effects posed by withdrawal can pose a major inconvenience and turn downright treacherous when compounded with early morning fatigue. I can recall many mornings when, deprived of my typical 12 ounces of coffee for whatever reason, I’ve had to stumble across campus in a decaffeinated haze in search of my first class and, once there, fight a battle of the psyche to remain awake.
Though this problem is solved with relative ease — simply wean off coffee and switch to a decaffeinated beverage — it has plagued my mornings and late afternoons since the day I picked up my first mug. It persists even today, much to my annoyance. Only adding insult to injury, my wallet has never felt worse during my most intense stints.
I approached my brother, considered a coffee connoisseur, several years ago with this same question. For context, he keeps detailed notes on every ounce of coffee he’s ever extracted with the help of a French press or espresso machine, and he now disguises his addiction under the guise of a “hobby.”
So what was his advice for dealing with caffeine addiction?
Just make sure you never run out of coffee.
It took me a long time to wrestle with this idea. How can I justify the constant need for caffeine while the positives of quitting glare up at me from the reflection of every cup? Even perhaps a little irrational, I, like you, enjoy the routinely bitter yet sweet taste of coffee too much to sacrifice it for the numerous benefits of avoiding the intoxicating drug. And I think that’s okay.
Instead of sacrificing caffeine outright, I instead suggest you carefully structure your consumption in order to minimize its impact on your day. Instead of rushing to the kitchen at first light, wait an hour before indulging in a cup of coffee or tea — a recommended method of eliminating a crash and the subsequent need for more caffeine. Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon, and hold yourself to this rule as you acclimate to your new routine (unless, of course, you have a newspaper to lay out until 3 a.m.). Above all else, ask yourself if you really need a fix to get through your homework while allowing some leeway to enjoy an extra cup here and there.
I hope my advice — albeit enabling — can bring you some solace in your caffeinated journey.
Sincerely,
Matthew Sage
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