I’m a Coffee Addict and I Survived Seven Days Without It

I confess that I am a coffee addict.

I confess that I am a coffee addict.

I live, breathe and drink coffee. I love coffee. No scratch that, I love coffee so much. No scratch that I AM A CERTIFIED COFFEE ADDICT. I’m a writer, right? So that gives me the license to drink coffee, right? But coffee is making me jumpy, so I decided to… quit drinking coffee. (Heavy sigh here).

I recently decided to stop drinking coffee for a bit and get rid of my coffee addiction. I did not know that coffee was making me really anxious. Let me share with you the ups and downs of my journey in quitting coffee.

Effects of Coffee

Well coffee and I have had a very long and beautiful love-hate relationship. We have been seeing each other since I was like seven or eight. I got hooked on coffee when I was nine. Well not really hooked like lots-of-coffee hooked because I was still a kid back then. But having coffee every afternoon was my version of afternoon tea with biscuits.

I grew up in a house hold that loves coffee and that drinks coffee for all nighters. Coffee helped me in high-school and college. It has helped me withstand grave yard shifts in my previous office job. Coffee has really helped me survive the toughest times in my life.

Coffee is a wonderful and legal stimulant that makes my brain go on hyper drive. I can think better, focus more and write really well on coffee. I also get more energetic because of coffee. It even helps me to get sexually aroused. Coffee is really good. But coffee can also be really, really bad.

About nine years ago I had severe Urinary Tract Infection due to downing too much coffee. I also suffered from acid reflux at times because the combination of lack of sleep and having too much coffee caused my tummy to produce too much acid. I have a severe sore throats because of coffee too. Fast forward acid reflux is now gone, but coffee has now been making me anxious.

Time for Change

It was time to give up my coffee addiction.

It was time to give up my coffee addiction.

Now since coffee is part of my daily routine, I did not realize how jumpy and anxious I have been getting recently.

Recently I saw a meme on Facebook showing a brain and heart talking about anxiety and coffee. The brain said “We can lower our body’s anxiety, just reducing the amount of coffee we drink!”. And then the heart replied “Then there is nothing really we can’t do!!”. It was really funny but it really hit the spot. I was anxious because of coffee.

At that same time by the way, I started to learn how to swim. Swimming requires total relaxation and to release control. I could not float upwards or downwards at first. Then I reduced the coffee so I did the downward float! This was the sign — I SHOULD QUIT COFFEE

Quitting Coffee

From giant mugs of coffee to giant mugs of tea.

From giant mugs of coffee to giant mugs of tea.

I decided to reward my self for quitting coffee. If I can quit coffee for seven days, I can get a salon treatment afterwards! I have really wanted to update my do so I really got motivated to do it. I can’t drink even a sip of coffee, not even from soda.

Day 1. – Oh my god, I can’t explain how I have been feeling. My hands and my face were sweating. I can feel the urge to drink coffee. I felt really sleepy and I could not think well. Thank god that was a Sunday!

Day 2. Monday morning. This was rough. My mind felt mush. I wanted to stay in bed. I can’t think straight. But I felt my anxiety lowering. I had slept really well. I felt energetic though I felt weird.

Day 3. I went to swimming classes. This was my second class. I was able to float now! Oh my god! Quitting coffee works.

Day 4. Work, work work! I only wrote one article. I could not focus well. I felt sleepy and tired. I could not keep up doing the things I used to do without taking a nap. But I really did sleep like a baby at night.

Day 5. I went out for lunch. We went to a pizza place. They served free Coke. I got the service water. I feel peaceful. I had tea that night. I slept well

Day 6. It’s a weekend. I had a swimming class. Again I was able to swim now face down and not get scared. I think the coffee is working. My heart rate is also even and smooth.

Day 7. I went to the salon! Yey! I love it my hair looks awesome! I have gotten rid of anxiety. I don’t panic so much. The downside though is I can’t write as fast.

Today is Day 8. I decided to break the fast by drinking a half a cup of coffee. I wrote a lot today. I have learned so many things from quitting coffee. I learned that I don’t need it to function but it does help at times. I will continue not drinking coffee for another week again. I’ll try to do it for a month and see if I can hold up.

I know this journey is difficult and sometimes exhausting, but I want to have inner peace. And if coffee get’s in the way of that peace then I need to take it sparingly.

What I Have Learned?

First things first, I’m not going to forget or hate coffee. I still do love coffee. But now I won’t be hooked to it anymore. I know many people are also struggling with coffee and living an active life. I shared my story to inspire others in their own journey in quitting something. If you put your mind into it and you know the benefits you can do it. If you can’t do it alone, seek some help.

Coffee and me, we go way back. But I love me more than I love coffee. So for now, I say adios to coffee and hello to life!

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