runningcircles

So what day are you on now?

DG0409

Well, I had 10 days and then I slipped and a cup of tea one day, so I reset the count and this is day 3 after that.

This morning I'm enjoying a nice hot cup of herbal tea as it's raining out and a nice day for something hot to drink.

jdooner

Interesting you quit cigarettes before the booze. I am 18 days sober and going on a 2 1/2 week trip around the World. I am going to use this travel time as an opportunity to quit cigarettes. I smoke maybe a pack a week but I have been feeling it in my lungs in the pool (I swim 100m splits for 800m 3 days a week with my coach) and I am concerned about the effect on my blood vessels (constriction) form both nicotine and caffeine. I will see how it goes. Thanks for the post.

DG0409

jdooner- way to go on deciding to quit the smokes. They're evil. Cigarettes were the addiction I hated the most which is why I quit them first.

Day 4 no caffeine and feeling good.

SoberHappyHour

Sipping' on some coffee as we speak. Man, this is by far the toughest quit for me ..

DG0409

Day 6 no caffeine.

Feeling rather down in the dumps, but who knows what that is from. Anyway, onward.

ImperfectlyMe

Hey DG I always see this thread scared to enter clutching my over filled cup of coffee. I know I need to loose the caffiene but just love love live coffee so much. Did you wean down or quit cold turkey?

DG0409

Imperfect- I was drinking an insane amount of coffee when I was drinking alcohol and even more after I quit the alcohol. I kind of slowly cut back to about 3-5 cups a day before starting this thread. Then I cut back to a cup a day for a week and then quit entirely after that (minus 1 slip).

ImperfectlyMe

I drink a scary amount like I get up at 5 am and by the time everyone else in the house it up round 730 in through about 6 cups BLACK. Sobriety is great scared to mess with my head. Tomorrow instead if brewing 8 cups in going to brew 6-7 ughhhhhh

Do we still have the same sober date BTW?

ImperfectlyMe

Oh yeah we do just saw it on your sig

ImperfectlyMe

Btw off topic every time I see your avatar I can hear Eddie Vedder say, "it's evolution... Baby"

TucTee

DG, nice job with your efforts to quit all of those addictive substances. Me personally, I'd struggle to stop drinking caffeine entirely. I don't smoke so caffeine's the only drug I use. Since it has fewer downsides, I'm less motivated to omit it.

One question: do you think you'll eventually get "hooked" on herbal tea or other substitutes? If so, how do you feel about that?

83mama0f2

I've found I can drink caffeine as long as I drink it early in the day, and limit myself to two cups. I used to drink too much to the point if being jittery but not anymore. Something clicked one day and now own joy it first thing in the morning and then I'm done.

DG0409

I had to Google this, lol.

soberjim

DG....I am reading your thread on this...please no....not my caffeine! lol..

I have to cut back....but I need to deal with being sober first.....rest assured I am reading your thread with great interest....wishing you the best in that journey as well..

Jim

DG0409

Thanks Jim.

I didn't tackle everything at once, either. Only so many changes we can make at a time.

DG0409

TucTee- No, I am not worried about getting hooked on herbal tea. First off, it doesn't contain any addictive substances so it wouldn't really affect my mood or anything else if I drink too much or quit it entirely. Secondly, there is nothing bad about it. Herbal tea causes no negative consequences whatsoever so even if I were to drink a ton of it every day I'd be fine with that. The other substitutes I've chosen are milk, water, and an occasional glass of juice (but fruit juice has a ton of sugar in it, so I don't drink it very often and then only one glass). These are things that are part of a healthy lifestyle/diet. I just couldn't see saying that I'm 'hooked' on water, even though I DO need it to survive, I drink it every day, and I'd feel like crap if I quit it.

DrunkTx

DG - I have been sober going on 2 yrs. I'm an avid runner, and up until recently, running has kept my anxiety in check. During my run this AM with my wife - it clicked. My recent anxiousness of the last 3-4 weeks is due to my recent uptake of caffeine - maybe 10 drinks a day (coffee, green tea, soda) - water just got so boring. But my heart has been racing non stop for weeks. I get it now, I'm going to taper down to one a day. Then maybe none.

TucTee

Given the amount you consume now, maybe a more incremental reduction of caffeine would be less painful. I have friends who get serious withdrawal after even 4-6 hours without. You could set yourself up for some serious headaches without a slower pace.

sandgirl

Good luck-I love camomile tea:-). Being as caffeine will not kill you-or hurt anyone else if you stay addicted I really don't think it matters! So make sure you don't beat yourself up needlessly and end up on something much worse!