Sunday, December 28, 2008

Confessions of a Caffeine Addict


Hi, my name is Diana and I’m addicted to caffeine. I’m utterly powerless against the ability to completely refrain from consuming all items that contain caffeine. They say that the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Now I’m not denying my addiction, but in all honesty I have been in denial about my ability to stay off the stuff. I suspect that in this Starbucks generation there are a lot of people that are in the same boat as me but just not willing to admit it or do anything about it.

What is it about caffeine that people don’t take you seriously when you tell them you’re an addict? Is it because it’s considered cool to meet friends for a coffee date? Or is it that it’s readily accessible to anyone for consumption because most beverages, not to mention chocolate, contain caffeine?

When I tell people that I’m addicted to caffeine their first question is how much to you drink each day? When I tell them one just one cup of coffee they usually chuckle and then ask me why I think that’s a problem. Well gee, if it were just one beer, cigarette, candy bar, crack pipe or whatever a day, would you think it was a problem? The fact that I have to have it or I’ll go through massive withdrawal headaches because it affects my blood chemistry should be enough reason. I don’t like things that have control over me and I resent having to pop an Excedrin or make a special trip to the store to get a caffeinated beverage to avoid the withdrawal pain.

I’m not really sure when my problem with caffeine began, but I’d venture to guess that it started sometime during the college years when my recreational use of some type of stimulant was a daily occurrence. I’m sure most alcoholics or drug addicts started out as recreational users because it made them feel good. Coffee makes me feel good. I enjoy the aroma, taste and added energy boost it gives me. Besides it’s socially acceptable to drink coffee and I can quit using whenever I want, right?

Well see, that’s the problem. I can quit, but staying off it is the challenge. I have quit countless times only to re-addict myself time and time again. You’d think the withdrawal pain would be enough incentive to keep me off it forever, but it’s not. It would be much easier if there were some social stigma associated with it that would shame me into staying clean.

Personally, I think Starbucks is secretly creating a generation of addicts as a way controlling our consumer behavior and raking in the profits. We mindlessly start each morning with a trip to the drive thru to give us the jump start we think we need each day. They’ve got us all fooled, ha ha. They’re just like the department stores that fooled us into thinking that Christmas is about Santa and Easter about the Easter Bunny. They’ve deceived us into spending our hard earned money on gift buying and entertaining rather than spending quiet time with our loved ones and focusing on what the holiday is really about.

Do you like the way I didn’t take responsibility for my own addiction and blamed it on Starbucks? I obviously haven’t gotten to the step in my recovery process where you take personal responsibility for your actions. I guess that’s probably why I’m still drinking coffee.

4 comments:

Gigi said...

Caffeine is one of my many vices too. Starsucks is my supplier. you know I stopped drinking "specialty" drinks not because of their ginourmous calorie count, but rather because of their miniscule caffeine content. For example, a Venti Espresso Truffle from Starsucks only contains 170mg's caffeine versus a Venti Black Coffee(my personal favorite-no room for cream)has 415mg's. Yay!

Diana said...

Dude, you're hard core. Where do you find the caffeine content? My biggest complaint is not knowing how much is in each drink for when I try to ween myself off it

Kimmie said...

Okay Diana, you will get no help for me...I am a fellow addict and quite happy about it.

My Papa could never pass a coffee shop without testing it out, I inherited my love for the coffee bean from him.

My knight bought me a coffee maker that you can make a cup of coffee anytime you want...in seconds. All you need is these cute little K-cups...love it!

I have given it up for years at a time, thinking it would help my fertility, but alas, it did not, so I happily hold that cup to the coffee maker and say make mine a latte!

Dark, dark french roast...is my favorite. I hear Ethiopia is all about coffee houses...hook a sista' up!

Sorry, there is no support in this comment for your obvious desire to step away from the java...

sorry...I refuse to give it up...well...for now anyway. I'm pretty sure it courses through my veins ;-)

Kimmie
mama to 6
one homemade and 5 adopted

Diana said...

ROFL