Before you jump to conclusions, it's not my Hive birthday, that was in
January. Today it's been three years since I quit drinking coffee! Today I suddenly remembered, which is a miracle as searching for my old posts confirmed it was exactly three years ago, on 6th September 2018!
This is a screenshot of the post I did three years ago. I remember those days very well, can't get them out of my head. It was a very big decision, that needed to be done and don't regret it.
Now looking back, what a journey it has been! I've learned a lot about addiction.
Quitting was easier than I would have imagined. The first few days were quite rough, I had all the withdrawal syndromes. How do I know that? I've never been a drug or alcohol addict and I want to keep it that way, but have read about withdrawal syndromes and once I started experiencing them, I know how serious the situation was.
I knew it would be tough to quit, so I thought it would be clever to start on Saturday. If you're a coffee drinker or a smoker, you know what the first coffee or cigarette means in the morning. I woke up and had a glass of water instead of having my usual morning coffee. My body was sending me signals, trying to tell me something is missing. First I got a headache which got worse during the day. Then at about 3 or 4 pm I felt sleepy, nausea, started yawning and felt that my strength is gone, there's nothing left in me, I can't do anything. I felt sick, literally! By dinner time my headache got worse, it was killing me, I was dizzy, cold, shivering, so went to bad early hoping the next day would be better or at least easier.
And the next day was a bit better but still had the withdrawal symptoms which were torturing me for another couple of days, then stopped. My life got easier and managed to stay away from coffee for two months. source
This is how I felt when I first wanted to quit drinking coffee. It lasted a few months, after which I went back to my old habits. At first it was just one coffee, to prove myself I can have one and stay away from it, then another one and you know the rest.
This time I knew I need to do it differently, otherwise I would be just kidding myself again, so I stopped for good. The symptoms were the ones above mentioned. Weakness, headaches, shivering, the whole package. I was literally sick, but knew it would last a few days and then I would be free.
I'm glad to report that I resisted temptation and have not had a coffee ever since. At first I was craving for a cup of coffee, but the craving started to weaken after a week and then totally disappeared. Now I'm at the point at which I don't even like the smell of it.
I mean I still have great respect for coffee and when I'm at a coffee shop, I look at the variety they are offering, look at the coffee cups and admire everything, take deep breath, enjoy the smell for a little, but then it starts to bother me. My family and friends are still shocked though, as they knew how addicted I've been to coffee and not many would have thought I would succeed.
The funny thing about it is when I am visiting or meeting people I hardly know and I'm offered coffee. I say thank you and let them know I don't drink coffee. Many are surprised as the majority of adults usually drink coffee. I'm often asked if I like coffee, to which my reply always is I love coffee. Then comes the question Why don't you drink it then? To which I'm always replying: Because I'm an addict! Imagine the shock on their face 😁
It's a bit confusing, but even though I quit, I still consider myself an addict. I know once I have a cup, I would be back to my old habits in no time. One can always find justification why they would need it and that's the slippery road to hell.
Since then, I had time to analyze why I got to the point where I had no choice but to quit and how it has been like without coffee. Now I understand addicts (not that I approve addiction) and know how to avoid getting addicted to something.
Sometimes I'm in trouble because I have low blood pressure, which is making my life difficult at times. This is why my doctor has recommended drinking 2 cups of coffee per day which led to drinking coffee strong espresso 24/7.
Sometimes, when I need sharp mind and I'm feeling literally sick due to low blood pressure, I have an energy drink (most of the time only half as it's enough), which is just as bad as coffee. The good thing about this is that these are extreme situations and rare, I only have max 2 energy drinks per year, not more, which is not that bad.
When someone is telling me they need coffee because they have low blood pressure, I am usually just smiling 🙂
Looking back, I can't believe it's been 3 years already. I'm proud of what I have achieved and hope this experience can help me avoid getting addicted again. Addiction is not good, whatever you are addicted to, it takes your freedom away.
