Kicking my Caffeine Addiction
Disclaimer - Getting Rid of a coFFEE ADDICTION
If you’re addicted to anything and quitting, you should consider medical advice. Real, professional advice, from an expert.
This article is not advice. It’s my personal experience. I use the second person (you)… because that’s my writing style, like you and I are sitting to have a conversation.
Got it? My experience, not advice, speak to your own professionals.
How caffeine works to keep you awake
When you drink coffee, the caffeine in the drink blocks the action of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep. Spefically, caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors in the brain, which normally bind with adenosine to promote sleep. When caffeine binds to these receptors, it blocks the action of adenosine, therefore making us feel more awake and alert.
In addition to blocking the action of adenosine, caffeine also stimulates the release of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which can further enhance alertness and brain function.
Fun fact - if your heart is going a bit crazy, the Doctors or Paramedics may inject you with adenosine. A nice big dose, followed by special water to push the adenosine towards your heart faster. You know how sometimes you just need to turn your computer off and on again when it’s working too hard? That’s basically what the adenosine will do. Crazy isn’t it? Okay, back to the point - coffee.
Might you be caffeine-dependent?
If you find that you need to consume caffeine on a daily basis in order to function normally, or if you experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop consuming caffeine, you might be caffeine dependent. Some common symptoms of caffeine dependence include feeling irritable, anxious, or depressed without caffeine, experiencing difficulty concentrating or staying awake without caffeine, and having a headache or feeling fatigued when you stop consuming caffeine.
There are also several warning signs that you might be becoming caffeine dependent. If you find that you need to consume more caffeine in order to feel the same effects, or if you are consuming caffeine late in the day and having difficulty sleeping as a result, these could be signs that you are becoming dependent on caffeine. Additionally, if you are experiencing negative side effects such as nervousness, irritability, or stomach issues as a result of your caffeine consumption, this could also be a sign of dependency.
It's important to be aware of these symptoms and warning signs, as caffeine dependence can lead to negative consequences such as difficulty sleeping, disrupted digestion, and impaired cognitive function. If you are concerned that you might be becoming caffeine dependent, it may be helpful to try cutting back on your caffeine consumption or seeking the advice of a healthcare professional.
Let’s see if you’re caffeine dependent but denying it:
How many days a week do you not drink coffee at all?
If you’re on holiday - i.e. sleeping well without the usual stresses of work or school - do you still drink coffee when you wake up in the morning? Even though you don’t need to rush out to work, you’re consuming?
How often do you drink coffee to get rid of a headache or take tablets that contain caffeine together with painkillers to get rid of a headache?
Do you feel that you can’t fully function or think clearly in the morning if you haven’t yet had a coffee? Let’s say you get to work and didn’t drink a coffee yet, which you usually do - is your brain as clear as usual, or do you have a sort of fuzzy headache that makes it a little bit harder?
If you had to fast for 24 hours - i.e. not drink or eat at all, including coffee - would the lack of coffee make it more difficult?
Be honest. If you gave the “wrong” answers there - you, like me, may be addicted to coffee. I had all of these signs. I drank coffee every single day, no matter what I was doing. It was the first thing I’d drink when waking up usually and on most days I’d drink more than one. It didn’t matter what I was doing during the day, I needed coffee - on busy days at work I could easily hit six coffees. Sometimes, particularly later in the day, I’d have strong headaches. Water, rest and painkillers wouldn’t help unless I drank coffee too. In the mornings if I didn’t drink my coffee, I wasn’t fully functional. Worse - sometimes I’d drink the first coffee but would feel that it hadn’t kicked in. So I’d drink a second and only then be able to start working properly. And when I fasted, twice a year - the lack of coffee was a serious problem.
Tea as an alternative to coffee?
Tea is a popular alternative to coffee that is known for its lower caffeine content and its wide range of flavors and health benefits. The main difference between these types of tea is how they are processed: Black and oolong teas are fully fermented, while green and white teas are partially fermented or unfermented. The amount of caffeine in tea can vary widely, depending on the type of tea and the brewing method, but in general, tea contains about half the caffeine of coffee. For example, a cup of black tea typically contains around 25-48 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of coffee can contain anywhere from 70-140 milligrams.
In addition to its lower caffeine content, tea has a number of other potential health benefits. Some studies have suggested that tea, particularly green tea, may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Tea is also a good source of antioxidants, which can help to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
While tea may not provide the same level of caffeine-fueled energy as coffee, it can still help to boost alertness and brain function, and it can be enjoyed throughout the day with a reduced risk of negative side effects. Many people find it’s a good alternative when looking for a hot drink.
Personally, I’ve made an effort to engage with different flavoured teas - including many caffeine free - for when I’m looking to warm up in the morning. It can satisfy the need for a hot drink in your hands, pushing off the desire for coffee by another couple of hours. But tea alone didn’t do it for me - keep reading for the main techniques I used to get rid of my caffeine dependence.
How I dealt with being caffeine dependent
These aren’t meant to be chronological steps to follow in order - mix and match as works for you.
1) Delay Coffee Intake
If usually you wake up and straight away drink coffee, delay that coffee as much as possible. You can even break it down into steps:
First coffee to-go during your commute instead of as you roll out of bed.
We love coffee as we wake up but it starts the day dependent - when I was 15, I bought a kettle from Argos and every night I would fill it with cold water and prepare a mug with coffee and sugar. In the morning, barely opening my eyes, I boiled the water and had my first cup ready in bed. Talk about addiction. Looking back I realise that if it were a bottle of whisky next to my bed we would have been worried but coffee is so socially acceptable that no one said anything.
Instead of a kettle, buy a travel mug and take that first coffee with you on the bus or train.
When you’re ready, delay the first coffee to after a couple of hours at work. Say, 10am. Get used to functioning without the adenosine-crushing chemicals in your blood.
You managing 10am? You can managing waiting until lunch or even better, until that mid-afternoon tiredness wave hits.
If you’re managing to push your coffee until mid afternoon, you’re killing it! You’re probably also consuming a lot less than you were, because we tend to top up on caffeine when the effects wear off. Don’t push it any later though - you can get through the rest of the day without. Your first week with no coffee, having been delaying until the afternoon, you might find the evenings are difficult. That’s ok - go to bed! Your body will thank you.
2) Link Coffee to water & drink more water overall
Most of us are dehydrated. That’s a fact.
Many of the symptoms of dehydration we feel get mixed together with the symptoms of tiredness, stress and anxiety and we turn to a magic medicine to treat it all - coffee.
The headaches, the fatigue, the weakness - coffee.
But in many cases, we can treat it better by being hydrated enough. We all know that we’re meant to drink 2 litres of water a day - more in hot conditions and in high exertion.
So I set myself a rule - before drinking any coffee, I drink 2 cups of water.
Wake up in the morning and want your coffee? Drink two cups of water. Quench your thirst with that natural goodness that we’re so lucky to have on tap. Mid afternoon feeling apathetic and planning on treating it with coffee? Drink water. Help your body look after homeostasis instead of pumping another dose of coffee.
By linking your coffee consumption to drinking water, you’ll not only start to feel better and healthier, but you’ll also have less room for drinking coffee. Trust me, after downing two cups of water, drinking a large coffee is more difficult!
3) Drink smaller coffees for the same taste
Your mug is 250ml, let’s say. The way you like your coffee is two teaspoons - heaped - of instant coffee, fill with water and add 30 ml of milk.
The same when you’re ordering a medium or large coffee in a shop - you don’t want it to taste of milk, rather coffee, so you have a strong coffee which means 2 or 3 espresso shots.
Now let’s imagine you drink from a cup half the size - like the Italians drink their cappuccino, rather than the Americans. Instead of 220ml water, you have 110. If you put the same two heaped teaspoons in, you’ll be drinking a super strong coffee that you may not even like. Instead, you put one heaped teaspoon in - you’re halving your caffeine intake.
Now let’s talk practical - when I was at the peak of my addiction, if I had drunk half a coffee in the morning, within half an hour I’d be ready for another. But the other sort of coffees - social coffees, top up coffees, coffees because you enjoy the taste - can be smaller.
In my experience, drinking coffee out of a smaller cup feels classier too.
4) mIGRATE TO DECAF
You, like me, like drinking coffee for the coffee and not just for tiredness.
It’s warm, it’s tasty, it’s comforting, it’s social.
On those occasions, why not go for decaf?
Sometimes, when I’m making a larger cup of coffee at home and want some of the effect of caffeine, I’ll even do half-half using instant coffee.
