Normally I don't bring this up but since we're on the topic...
I quit drinking caffeine 2 years ago and my life has changed dramatically.
I started drinking coffee at the age of 13 and never ever missed a day. I never felt particularly energized from it, which is why when I finally quit 33 years later I didn't expect to feel such a dramatic shift. After all, if you're not getting any "up" then surely you won't come "crashing down", right? WRONG! For the greater part of a month I felt tired as hell, my motivation was in the toilet. It was all I could do to get through the day. I realized then that I was far more addicted than I ever knew. I had to see this through.
But after that went away I felt better than I ever had in my life. Most notably was I felt a LOT less anxiety than before. I used to assume all that background anxiety and rumination was normal until I quit drinking caffeine. I'm not talking about being stressed out over big things- I'm talking about things like someone cuts you off in traffic and you stew over it for the next 5 hours, trying desperately to get it out of your head because you know it's so stupid. Or you said something really dumb and now you're thinking about it all day. That sort of thing has dropped by like 90% !!!
Plus, with decaf coffee you don't even have to give up your morning ritual. So I will never ever go back and highly recommend people try it. Personally I've never understood the appeal, save for the morning ritual- and turning it into a sugary creamy desert- but that's another story.
It honestly makes me wonder what decisions I would have made over the 30+ years without caffeine. Where would I be today? Little decisions every day that wouldn't have been influenced by the drug. I'll never know- but judging by how I conduct my life now as compared to then? Probably better off.
And by the way it's been one year no sugar and that's awesome too, although in different ways!
But lest I sound too preachy, I'm only about 3 months into no booze. But this time I really feel different- and FreeOwl I can definitely relate to your post. I'm trying to have no regrets myself but it's difficult not to think about the amount of time I spent drinking. I don't obsess over the thoughts but I do want to learn from it.
Thanks for your post.