It is only 8 AM, but you are already about to make the biggest decision of your day: do I order an all-day coffee from the Cage or do I take the risk? (Which in reality is not much of a risk; if you didn’t know, you can upgrade to an all-day whenever you want…should I have told you that?) This weekend I experienced this dilemma and by 6 PM (yes, I was still drinking coffee at 6 PM) came to the unfortunate realization that I had already refilled my limp, leaking, debilitated all-day cup so many times I was on the radar of (and nearly cut off by) the Cage worker that had only been there since the afternoon. The look she gave me, a sort of trepidation combined with hints of sympathy, was my wakeup call: I had to figure out how addicted to this sweet, yet sly and conniving substance I really was.
Coffee is a trickster. She sneaks into our lives without warning, slowly increasing her presence by the day. It all starts with one small mug in the morning, then the next week it will be an additional afternoon pick-me-up, soon becoming a daily habit. When finals week rolls around, you don’t know any better than to turn to your energizing sidekick who has your back all day long if you so choose. So we do so choose. And we do become addicted. And we do deny it for as long as possible. Until Coffee ceases to give you those shots of energy that you have come to rely on. Coffee starts to give you headaches if you don’t abide by Her schedule. And Coffee begins to drain your Flex Dollars, Starbucks Gold Card reserves, and your bank account.
Thus realizing my dire state of affairs, I decided to go coffee free for a week to see how addicted I was and in order to recalibrate my Coffee meters.
Here are the symptoms I experienced (mental health daily):
– Cravings
– Grogginess
– Irritability
– Lethargy
– Lack of motivation
– Sluggishness
– Sleepiness
– Hot Flashes
– Poor concentration
– Flu-like symptoms
Normal people will look at a list of symptoms and pick out a few applicable to themselves, but I had all of these symptoms. Every single one of them. To the severe level. This week has felt like one terribly long hangover. Someone at a nearby table in the library would open the lid to their Cage Coffee and my mouth would water. I was convinced that I was coming down with the flu, despite just getting over an illness (how sad is it that I can’t distinguish between the flu and coffee withdrawals?). I pity my friends who have had to put up with my constant complaints and lousy mood.
Each day I had moments of weakness where I considered giving up, especially as the migraines worsened by the hour. But I knew deep down that I had no choice but to power through; the alternative was knowing that Coffee has control of me; I am addicted and I can’t quit. If you have noticed your coffee dosage subtly increasing by the espresso shot and are curious about how much you really rely on Coffee, you could try going cold turkey like I did. Or, you could take a more gradual approach and slowly decrease your daily dosage to lessen the effects of withdrawals. Dandelion blend is a great coffee substitute and can be ingested as either tea or as a latte. You can also wean off of it by drinking herbal tea or decaf. Whether you plan on returning to a lower coffee dosage like me, or decide that it’s just not for you, quitting coffee for a week might be a great way to see where you stand.
Sources:
Photo Sources:
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Woman-Holding-a-Huge-Cup-of-Coffee-Posters_i9518694_.htm
http://www.sateless-suitcase.com/2015/08/best-coffee-hamburg/