Peta

Hi guys

I'm 5 months sober tomorrow

Am in AA and have just finished the 12th step with my sponsor - working my way through my ammends list before doing a vision for you etc

Just a question

I think i'm addicted to caffeine

want to know how you've all dealt with this issue?

My sponsor said I should go slow (realised i was addicted about step 7) and deal with the booze first..

Yesterday went without coffee for much of the day and developed all these feverish type symptoms - woke up feeling like i was hungover.. had a coffee and felt much better!!! Bad hey? Shows how dependant my body is on the stuff.

I've heard other people in meeting sharind that they dont want to be 'dependant' on any substance (pills, booze, cigarettes) and that doing their spiritual program is contradicted by a dependance on some other substance even if its not booze..

What do you all think? where do I start?

This weeked is a long weekend so I could stay in bed and just recover from the caffeine withdrawals??

Advice appreciated

Mark75

Coffee doesn't get me in trouble, I like it and I drink it...

Reset

I told my shrink that I was now becoming compulsive about forums, including this one.

He said that I should go right ahead, with this one especially.

MsCooterBrown

True story Liquor and Mark...who cares. YOU ARE NOT DRINKING!!!

rws177

I have like 5 cups of coffee a day but as long as I am not drinking I don't care. I'm all for kicking smoking and other things that might kill you but coffee or soda is not the end of the world, at least not littearly like it would be with booze!

LaFemme

Leave my caffeine addiction alone! I've given caffeine up in the past and yes I was sick...but I was drinking about 10 caffeine units a day at least...now I moderate and I'm fine with that.

I get the "not wanting to be dependent on anything in a way" but where do we draw the line? I'm dependant on air after all

least

Don't take my coffee away from me!! I love coffee and as long as I'm not drinking alcohol I'm alright.

Peta

Thanks guys

You've given me some food (or coffee) for thought

I thought you were all going to say "you are powerless - hand it over"

but you raise a good point... i am dependant on air, food, water, shelter

although these things arent addictive

i'm only having like 3 cups a day max so i guess its not that bad

coffee doesnt make me want to cheat on my husband, not go to work (it helps me work!)

Peter G

My current addiction is Nestle Quick lol!!! Never got the coffee thing really. And my wife was a Starbucks district manager for 7 years! Go figure.

No2

Since I started quitting drinking I can't stop eating ice cream and candy. Fruit can substitute too but I just want ice cream for some reason and eat a lot more. Only a few days so far though.

Fandy

I drink 6 large cups of High Octane jet fuel every AM....starting with straight up and finishing with flavored creamer....I get up at 5:15AM for work...

sometimes i use a sugar-free Red Bull chaser.....i need to move quickly.

after i get to work it is strictly de-caf.

i use Super-Smile to scrub off the coffee stains on my pearlie-whites.

CarolD

I've never been a coffee drinker....don't care for the taste.
I drink Ice tea all day long and it's not hindered my
recovery from alcoholism.
.

Well done on your recovery....

oak

Caffeine interferes with my sleep. When I drink it, I wake up tired. When I stay away from it for a while, I wake refreshed and happier.

That said, I have had a lot of caffeine this past week.

But more often than not, I don't drink it.

reggiewayne

Hi Peta. Congrats on 5 months. That is awesome. My advice is to be careful. You didn't go to AA to quit drinking coffee. You went there to quit drinking and it appears you've done an excellent job. I do not have as much sober time as you but I have tried to cut down on certain habits. What I expierienced was it put me in a bad mood. When I am in a bad mood I am much more likely to take it upon myself to change that. For 15 years I have changed that by drinking. I am all for anyone making positive changes but don't do it at the expense of your sobriety.

I wish you the best. Who knows, maybe you can quit and be just fine. I just think we should all stay mindful of the miracle simply not drinking is. Everything else is just gravy!

soberbythesea

I don't drink coffee -- it's always made me feel crazily wired, and I hate that feeling. I do drink caffeinated soda, though -- usually 1-2 a day at work. I'd like to cut that out but find it really hard to get through the work day without them.

pinkfirefly

yea. well, coffee is a drug itself. so be careful with it. i know what you mean. i also, like my caffeine. i'm trying to stop drinking, but i still love popping my caffeine pills, like the slight high it gives me. but i know its not good for my body and i should stop that as well. i guess, the caffeine is better than drinking for you. one thing at a time. but maybe try to decrease the amount you consume per day. good luck.

BP44

I never went to jail or lost a job for drinking coffee or smoking and don't think I will anytime soon. My last cup on any given day is at the evening meeting. And decaf makes as much sense as NA beer. Oh, and I always get excited when Breyer's ice cream goes on sale. So, coffee, smokes and ice cream along with a more robust diet than I had when drinking has never hindered this alcoholic. I'll probably smoke until I can't, but I don't ever forsee me giving up coffee or ice cream.

TheEnd

Too much caffeine is not good for you. I hear what people are saying, well at least you are not drinking, and caffeine doesn't make you do crazy things, but abusing it is not healthy either.

gratefulgirl09

I absolutely love the taste of coffee, and look forward to that first sip in the morning. Like most alcoholics, however, the things I like, I like A LOT! At one point, I was drinking 10-12 cups of coffee, and was able to realize that that was a bit much.

I don't feel I need to deny myself everything that might be potentially bad for me in one way or another. I'm not going to give up coffee or caffeine altogether, but I am willing to enjoy it in moderation. Same thing with desserts: I'm not going to sit at home and eat a whole carton of ice cream each night, but a sliver of chocolate cake never hurt anyone

invisigoth

We just bought a Keurig coffee maker and now I'm drinking more coffe then ever. There's one flavor called Jet Fuel that's got me bouncing off the walls.