Reported to be the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance on earth, 90% of Americans report using caffeine on a daily basis1. We are in love with the mental boost it gives and habitually take it, usually without much thought. The Coffee Statistics Report2 for 2010 reports more than 400 billion cups are consumed worldwide every year. Outside the U.S., tea, with about half as much caffeine is popular.
While coffee drinking accounts for the majority of caffeine intake (75%) in the U.S., caffeine is found in many other foodstuffs (tea, chocolate, cola and other beverages) as well as over the counter medications.
Addictive properties
One of the difficulties with caffeine addiction is that most people don’t think of caffeine as a drug, at least not like they think of nicotine or alcohol. But the morning coffee that “gets us going” is having the same effect that any drug has – the overnight lack of caffeine is creating withdrawal symptoms. It should be obvious that after a good night’s sleep, the last thing someone ought to need is a wake up.
In fact, caffeine consumption causes the lack of mental alertness the habitual drinker is prone to. It is far from normal to have the peaks and sags of attention and energy that is the hallmark of a caffeine addict. Without repeated administration of caffeine, energy drops and mental sharpness flags. Just like other addictive drugs, caffeine creates its own problems, and just like other drugs, the “cure” for those problems is more of the drug.
Good news
The best news is that caffeine and coffee/tea addiction is easily remedied for most people. Reducing daily intake below recommended levels may be as simple as drinking decaffeinated coffee and switching to a non-caffeinated cola. After just a few days, the need for the caffeine boost diminishes and goes away. The most serious effects of withdrawal are relatively minor, with headache and a depressed mood topping the list.
The withdrawal symptoms that do appear are manageable for those who understand them to be the result of caffeine addiction. By observing the hold the drug has on you, you can harness a bit of useful anger – and this can carry you through the few days it takes to get the drug out of your system.
Perhaps the real reason coffee and caffeine addiction is so prevalent is because society accepts it. In a sense, caffeine slips under our radar. The remedy is education. More than any other addictive substance, knowledge is power.
References
- New Scientist, Sept 2005
- Coffee Statistics Report
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