Triggering (Substance Abuse) - Caffiene?

[PrincessVegeta_x]

This may sound stupid...

I've had coca-cola to drink every day since I was 13. It was okay to begin with... I was only drinking a glass or two a day, at dinner. In recent years (since I was 16 really), I've upped the dose of caffeine and I now take too much every day, roughly eight Pro Plus tablets and five or six glasses of coca-cola a day. I normally have three or four cups of tea too.

Basically, if I go for even a day with less caffeine than usual, I get terrible withdrawal symptoms. It's usually along the lines of vomiting, fainting etc... I get horrible headaches too. My doctor and my therapist want me to stop taking caffeine but I don't know how I'm going to do it. They say that it will make my anxiety worse. I have Social Anxiety Disorder, and I know it's not good to be drinking this much caffeine every day.

So... how do I stop? It's not like there is a group like AA, is there? I used to be alcohol dependant too but I managed to kick that habit. The truth is, if I stop having caffiene, I'm going to get worse... as in, all my problems are going to get worse. I'm dependant on it and I can't stop...

Sorry if this sounds stupid...

[Wonderland.]

Hey sweetie, I'm glad your doctor and therapist know your having too much caffine, they can help you through this. Do they know why about your fears of your other problems getting worse? Try and gradually take away the caffine bit by bit rather than all at once as that way you will hopefully get less withdrawal symptoms. Also you could try not buying as much coke and tablets that way if you do slip up your not going to have loads of caffine to like 'binge' on.

Take care.
Amy x

[rockaroni]

Sometimes you have to get worse before getting better. If you start slowly, like by reducing one pp pill per day for a few days, then take aawy a cup of tea etc. etc. and keep reducing it so your intake is limited. This should hopefully minimize the withdrawal symptoms, and help you sleep better (and less coke willb e better for your teeth!). Your anxiety may go up form the withdrawal, but after you cut down on your intake, I imagine it would get better. Maybe your doc/therapist can help come up with a plan/schedule for lower your intake?

[Kuwairo]

You managed to kick your alcohol addiction - how did you manage to do that? I mean, could you implement the same strategies for giving up caffeine?

[roiben]

Caffeine is best reduced slowly. Cut out one of the pro plus for a week, after which your withdrawal should have subsided, then reduce by another. Then do the same with the cups of tea and the cola. It wont be something you can stop immediately without medical intervention.

I would talk to your therapist about your fears. It is clear you are using the caffeine as a crutch, and are addicted to it... is it something you became more addicted to as a replacement for the alcohol? Sometimes we need to look at what we are trying to cope with by taking such substances. So, your social anxiety may well be a trigger and you feel more confident with coffee in your system, for example...

However, having less coffee will in the long run help with your anxiety levels as it is a stimulant that increases jitters and anxiety over time.

[Smophy]

I kind of face the same problem. About 4 years ago i bean drinking a red bull type drink everyday. I eventually ended up in hospitatl with a dodgy ticker lol. I stopped drinking the energy drink and swaped it for coke. Since then i have drank 4 liters plus a day. If i don't have any i get serious headaches and i am soooooo moody. I just don't know how to come of it...i know it should be gradual but i dunno....just doesn't seem to work lol. Especially with your fears of it causing your other problems to get worse i would deffinately take it slow. Like really slow. Cut out a few of the tablets first...then a few of the drinks. Do so slow that you get no withdrawel symptoms. But honestly...the state my heart was in before made me realise that your heart aint magical....it does get stressed and it isn't a nice feeling when it does.

Hahahaha supose that aint stoped me though so dunno why i should think it would stop you......sorry was kind of a pointless post. Wish you the best of luck x x x

[PrincessVegeta_x]

Thanks guys. I'll try cutting down bit by bit.

I think I replaced alcohol with caffeine, to be honest with you. I always need something to make me feel better!

[youngmanstride]

energy drinks have a concentrated dose of caffeine. plus vitamins and other health spices. i'd recommend a couple of those a day to wing yourself off. but avoid monster, red bull, the popular ones. there's alot of energy drinks that have health benefits.

as for me, i drink at least four cokes, and literally fill my coffee cup halfway, add milk (no water) and a handful of sugar. now what that does is, warm milk has a sedation effect, and no tolerance can be found which synergizes with the huge amount of caffeine. it's sorta like tea but more stimulating and relaxing. i do this daily with my prozac. and smoke like a chimney on top of it, or mix benzos.. it's nice but is a problem.

doesn't help my insomnia one bit though, and gives me horrible anxiety and panic attacks when in crowds. but it's still manageable.

good luck.