I need it. I have to have it. I can’t function without it.When you hear words like this a true addict comes to mind.
And when you think about addicts and their addictions generally marijuana, crack and even sex come to mind.
But the addiction I speak of is caffeine. The technical name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine.
It is a drug that almost 90 percent of adults and children in the United States habitually consume, according to caffeinedependence.org.
Caffeine speeds up and stimulates your central nervous system.
And in today’s fast paced world many people find themselves needing that extra boost in the morning or even at night to keep them awake to study for a morning test.
While others love the taste of that drug they don’t know it is a drug.
Found in chocolate, coffee, soda, tea and many other commonly consumed products, caffeine is hard to miss.
But to shed some light on caffeine addiction, the body’s dependence on caffeine can start in as little as 3 days according to overcaffeinated.org.
Like any other addiction once you start it’s kind of hard to stop.
Before you even know you are consuming the drug on a daily basis and you are already an addict.
And just like many addicts to other drugs,
people don’t believe they are just addicts.
Do you have the need to quench your thirst by drinking a cold bubbly Pepsi like, every day?
Does your day not start until you take that first sip of coffee; hold the sugar.
Maybe even you see your self-making various trips to the union for a cappuccino from Starbucks.
Other very common ways to consume caffeine and a lot of it at one time would be to take a shot of those well-known energy drinks.
So, if you do any of the above then let me be the first to let you know that you are probably an addict, and your addiction is caffeine.
However, there is no direct way you can tell if you are actually addicted to caffeine until you stop using it.
And when you do stop, if addicted it causes withdrawal symptoms after a sudden discontinuation of consumption.
Research has shown that these symptoms may vary in their extent, which usually depends
upon the state of dependency and addiction.
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal may include headache, fatigue or drowsiness according to nodependence.com.
Some commonly consumed drinks with the highest dosage of this drug can be found in green tea, Starbucks grande coffee, McDonald’s sweet tea, and the extreme six-hour energy drinks, according to energyfiend.com.
Research has also shown that some of the health problems caused by the drug include anxiety, lack of sleep, irritable personality, high blood pressure and an increased heart rate, which could possibly lead to heart disease.
So, do you still think that caffeine is not a drug because it is legal?
Better yet, are you an addict?
If so, the next time you decide not to start your day until you get your fix of caffeine, remember how that short term boost can have a long-term effect.