How easy is it to get addicted to caffeine?

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ThisAdamGuy
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22 Apr 2017, 11:49 am

I've been given a new shift at work so that I start at 3pm and end at midnight. That means that I have all my down time in the mornings instead of the evenings. I've never been a morning person, though, so I've started drinking a cup of coffee every morning to help me wake up and get stuff done when I'd otherwise be too drowsy. I'll usually have a second cup around 8pm at the office when I start to get tired then too. I'm beginning to worry about getting addicted to the caffeine, though. Like, this morning I sat down to work on one of my books without drinking coffee, and I just couldn't do it. So, how hard is it to get addicted to caffeine? Is two cups a day enough to worry about?


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DeepHour
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22 Apr 2017, 10:51 pm

I wouldn't worry about two cups of coffee. I've been drinking at least 5 or 6 cups of coffee per day for over 30 years (it was closer to 10 in the 1990s) and I'm still here....Most of the studies related to coffee/caffeiene which I've read tend to stress its beneficial aspects, amongst them apparently protection against liver disease, various cancers, diabetes and dementia. Also I don't think caffeine is 'addictive' to anything like the degree that applies to the likes of nicotine, heroin etc.



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24 Apr 2017, 2:31 am

I agree with the previous poster, I don't think there's any evidence showing that caffeine is particularly bad for you. I try however, to limit myself to 3 cups a day or less.



VIDEODROME
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24 Apr 2017, 5:00 pm

Keep it basic and do not start on Lattes or Cappuccinos. The combined Caffeine / Sugar bump can be habit forming.

More importantly, I recommend avoiding all Energy Drinks. I quickly became addicted to Venom and Monster Energy when I had a long driving job. I haven't had one in years, but I still crave them when I see them in stores and can still taste Venom Energy in my mind when I see it on the shelf and want it. Just writing this I picture the bottle and wanting it. It's ridiculous, but I still partly feel like an addict and if I did have one now it would be followed by more.



Deathbox
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25 Apr 2017, 11:16 am

I drink about a cup or two each day and consider myself highly addicted.

If you ever need to know if you're addicted, go 48 hours without it. You'll know by the trademark headache if you're dependent or not!

VIDEODROME wrote:

More importantly, I recommend avoiding all Energy Drinks. I quickly became addicted to Venom and Monster Energy when I had a long driving job. I haven't had one in years, but I still crave them when I see them in stores and can still taste Venom Energy in my mind when I see it on the shelf and want it. Just writing this I picture the bottle and wanting it. It's ridiculous, but I still partly feel like an addict and if I did have one now it would be followed by more.


The horror stories surrounding energy drinks aren't unfounded at all, so this is very wise.



Sweetleaf
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25 Apr 2017, 1:20 pm

Deathbox wrote:
I drink about a cup or two each day and consider myself highly addicted.

If you ever need to know if you're addicted, go 48 hours without it. You'll know by the trademark headache if you're dependent or not!

VIDEODROME wrote:

More importantly, I recommend avoiding all Energy Drinks. I quickly became addicted to Venom and Monster Energy when I had a long driving job. I haven't had one in years, but I still crave them when I see them in stores and can still taste Venom Energy in my mind when I see it on the shelf and want it. Just writing this I picture the bottle and wanting it. It's ridiculous, but I still partly feel like an addict and if I did have one now it would be followed by more.


The horror stories surrounding energy drinks aren't unfounded at all, so this is very wise.


lol I certainly get the headache when I go without caffeine...I mix it up between black or green tea, coffee and yes energy drinks. Of course I do not drink multiple energy drinks in a day so I limit my intake and I try to go for the ones without high fructose corn syrup or ones with more natural ingredients.

IDK I think in moderation energy drinks are ok.


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ThisAdamGuy
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25 Apr 2017, 1:24 pm

Does the type of coffee matter? I can't stand the taste of "regular" coffee even if it's been flavored, but I love mochas. That's pretty much the only kind of coffee I'll drink.


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Deathbox
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25 Apr 2017, 3:01 pm

You can usually find the caffeine content of whatever you're drinking online. What is it specifically? Caffeine Informer is a really legit site which breaks down the sugar and caffeine content for lots of different brands and types.

And if caffeine doesn't give you anxiety or insomnia, you'll probably be less likely to have any sort of problems from it, so you can thank your good genes for that :D



renaeden
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30 Apr 2017, 1:59 am

Deathbox wrote:
If you ever need to know if you're addicted, go 48 hours without it. You'll know by the trademark headache if you're dependent or not!
This exactly. Except it's an even shorter time for me. I'm addicted to Coke Zero and I often don't drink much else although I try to.