Caffeine is one of the most commonly overlooked addictions in the world. Most people do not think twice about how many cups of coffee they drink, or how much caffeine they consume on a daily basis. Caffeine has the potential to cause your entire life to turn upside down if you are not careful. The health risks are clearly defined, and the addiction is as tough as smoking to overcome for many.
The biggest reason to break the caffeine habit is your health. Caffeine causes stress hormones to be released into your system, and that can lead to all kinds of problems. Some of the many problems the caffeine addict may have medically include shaking hands, heart problems, loss of proper movement, dizziness, mood swings, and horrible headaches. These are only some of the medical symptoms that have been connected to excessive caffeine addiction, not to mention the effects it has on your nutrition.
The first step to overcoming caffeine addiction is to accept that you have a problem in the first place. Many people think that five cups of coffee and a few glasses of iced tea is perfectly normal. While it might be normal, it is not healthy. It is also an addiction when it is on a daily basis. The generally accepted guideline for caffeine addiction is if you consume more than 100mg per day, you are addicted.
The next step for you to overcome the caffeine addiction is to remove all caffeine from your home. This includes teas that are not decaf, coffees, and especially those energy drinks like Red Bull. These things are absolutely horrible for your health and should never have been allowed on the market. Whatever the case, if you do not have it to grab on a whim, your chances of success increase dramatically.
Once you have emptied your home of the caffeine, then you need to inform your family and friends and ask for their help. You can not beat this monster alone, and it helps to ask others to help out. Also, it gives you some form of monitoring other than your own conscience. Many people will need the extra push from a trusted friend to say no to that extra cup of coffee. Ask your friends to call you out when you break the rules.
Finally, you need to accept the fact that you will slip and fail now and then. This is bound to happen in one way or the other, but you need to know that starting back immediately after is still a huge boost to your health. When you slip and have a coffee, but then go right back to quitting for three more days in a row, then you have severely limited the amount of caffeine that you ingested overall.
Caffeine addiction is a tough thing to deal with, but with some help from friends and family, as well as your own determination, you can overcome it for good.
