Coffee
 

I wonder why so many sober people drink the hell out of coffee? I know I do. When I drank alcohol, I was a "casual" coffee drinker. Now that I'm not drinking booze (Day 16), I drink coffee and caffeinated green tea all day, every day. And still feel sleepy. I think it might be the meds I'm taking - Campral, Prozac, and Wellbutrin. No matter how much coffee and tea I drink, I never get edgy, and I never seem to get enough. Weird.

Wow, another coffee drinker, I love coffee!! I drink coffee all day too, I'm not on any meds, but I think sometimes too much of a good thing brings us down, too much caffeine and we crash from it, lol. I'm having coffee as I type this, lol. My favorite is hazelnut, and I like to add different flavors, those flavored creamers work well, but occasionally I drink it black, and it's still great.

Much better than booze today!!

Gotta grab another cup.

Hahaha... great point, Firestorm - it's DEFINITELY better than booze. I drink it black all the time. I can never seem to get enough!

I believe caffeine stimulates the same dopamine reward pathway which was WAYYY overstimulated during the substance abuse addiction process...

That is why coffee is not recommended for those in the PAWS phase as the brain needs time to return to producing dopamine and heal the receptors without the artificial stimulation of the pathway caused by caffeine.

In sobriety,
gonezo...lol

I love coffee cream sweets but can't drink it - gives me headaches but I love green tea :)

What is the PAWS phase?

post acute withdrawal syndrome....I'm sure someone has a link.

Oh, thanks. I think I'm over that stage. The meds are supposed to help normalize my brain chemistry, too, by delaying the reuptake of serotonin.

I actually quit coffee before I tried to quit drinking. I drink 2-3 L of water a day, but I was also drinking booze all night and drinking caffeine all day long. I was severely physically addicted to caffeine and had never been able to quit...made many attempts. I went through withdrawal and haven't had any coffee since September 27. I think quitting coffee gave me the courage to confront my alcohol dependency. I haven't had alcohol in 7 days and actually I'm starting to feel really good - I have nothing to dehydrate me and send me on highs and lows anymore.

I refer to this situation as a switchdiction...as someone with multiple addictions, who knows for a darn sure fact WHAT I use isn't the issue, THAT I use is...I have to be very careful about switchdictions.

My motto...'don't go there'

I speak of no one but my own, relationship with substance...but for me if I let myself fall into using switchdictions...I may die slower, but I'm really just kidding myself.

Yes, of course it's better than alcohol, meth, etc...but some of us are quite good at fooling ourselves that if we are clean from one thing, we are clean.

For some this maybe a great and healthy step...for me it's a blind alley

Love coffee too.

PAWS sounds so soft and furry. Post acute withdrawal syndrome sounds so harsh.

Think I'll have PAWS :-)

I stopped drinking coffee about 4 years ago. Have a cup of decaf once in a great while, but that's about it. Now its diet pepsi and water all day (don't know if the pepsi is much better).

Nothing like a good cuppa joe to keep the motor running! :wink:

I was recently in Greece, it's hard to find a good cup of coffee there. But they drink Nescafe Frappe's, so that's my newest addiction. Hey, I've been addicted to worse things!

The frappé (Φραπέ) is Greece's favorite summer drink. During hot weather Athenians lounge at street cafes, slowly sip a frappé and watch the people go by.

Makes 1 glass
Instant coffee (preferably Nescafé®) -- 1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons
Cold water -- 2/3 cup
Sugar (optional) -- 2-3 teaspoons
Milk (optional) -- 1/4 cup
Ice cubes (optional) -- 2-3 each




Method
Add desired amount of coffee, sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the water to a cocktail shaker or blender. Shake or blend until the mixture forms a thick and frothy foam.
Pour the foam into a tall glass and stir in the remaining water and the sugar, milk and ice cubes if desired. Drink with a straw.
Variations
Skétos: no sugar added.
Métrios: medium-sweet (about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar).
Glykós: sweet (2 to 3 teaspoons sugar).
Horis Gala: without milk.
Notes
The European version of Nescafé's instant coffee is made in a way that encourages the formation of foam. The instant coffee produced in the United States is often made by a different process. So a frappé made with American instant coffee might not be as frothy.

I drink tons of water and decaf green tea. Decaf green tea is great because it still has all of the benefits of regular green tea, but no caffeine. I also like fruity teas...apple cinnamon, raspberry, orange spice, etc. I find tea to be really soothing and it helps me get through cravings.

Once in a while I will get a chai tea latte or a decaf from Starbucks if I want a treat.

I love coffee and tea. I really think having something to sip on throughout the day besides water has helped me a lot. I used to only drink alcohol and water, so having all of these fun new nonalcoholic options has kept me from being bored.

LOL NightStalker, I'm having a Dr. Pepper right now. Of course I had my usual coffee this morning. Love my coffee!!! :e025: :23:

great thread, i started drinking coffee all day after i quit from alchohol. i need to tone the coffee down and i know that. one thing at a time though, after alchohol i had to get off the ice cream first. now that ive done that so coffiee is next on the list.

speaking for me only: a cup or two in the morning is probably fine, all day is probably excessive.

I did the same thing - never much of a coffee lover, I now drink it obsessively. With that sweet flavored cream, too. Candy was a problem for the first 6 mos. also. I have that under control. Now if I could just quit the ice cream. Always something.

PAWS has claws!! That sometimes unexpectedly come out from their sheaths and irritate me; but it sure as heck beats being in jail. Caffeine and nicotine are my current Docs and an indespensible aspect of my recovery at this stage of the game. Any one have caffeine w drawals?