Coffee is harder to quit than Alcohol

NickatNight wrote:

I've done both and coffee is 10X harder to quit. The withdrawals are unreal. Also, alcohol is generally consumed in the evenings, coffee is around from the time you wake up.

How much did/do you drink? I've quit a handful of times. Usually only sticks for a month or two. Once I made almost to a year. But my black and sometimes creamy (but never sweet) mistress always pulls me back into her comforting morning hug. Never had any headaches or other effects when I quit. I average about two 12oz cups a day. Always before noon or it messes with my sleep.

Get real! I was a full on alcoholic and quitting just about killed me. Never seen anyone die from coffee withdrawal.

sdfasdfa wrote:

Good to know, but why quit drinking coffee? The benefits of coffee outweigh the harm (if there is any harm.) Unless your cardiologist told you to quit.

heart burn/acid reflux would be one reason

NickatNight wrote:

I've done both and coffee is 10X harder to quit. The withdrawals are unreal. Also, alcohol is generally consumed in the evenings, coffee is around from the time you wake up.

I definitely agree it's harder. No withdrawals from alcohol and though I don't get withdrawals from caffeine, I definitely notice the drop in energy.

I wish I never started drinking coffee so I could use it only when I really need it. Not a cheap habit and would make it even more effective before races.

I'll probably try to do this after finishing my season next week and while I'm in base building.

Breathing...breathing is the hardest to quit. #TakeMyBreathAway

zoo_manimal wrote:

wammr wrote:

Try black tea. There’s less caffeine in it. It sounds like a gradual approach to quitting would benefit you.

This is bad advice. Black tea is oxidized; therefore too much can be bad for the kidneys. Green tea has nearly as much caffeine--that is, plenty enough--without the oxalates.

Didn’t know that about black tea, so, thanks. I wasn’t advocating replacing coffee with black tea indefinitely. Just temporarily, in order to eventually ween himself off caffeine.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the recent law passed in CA that requires a cancer warning be placed on coffee, due to the possible carcinogenic effect of acrylamide, which is produced, among other times, when coffee beans are roasted. That’s one of the reasons I’m quitting.

Haze Craze wrote:

I wish I never started drinking coffee so I could use it only when I really need it. Not a cheap habit and would make it even more effective before races.

If it's "not cheap", you're doing it wrong. As John Utah said, get some good beans and brew your own. I prefer French pressed coffee. Per month, my coffee habits cost me less than $20.

I've abstained from both for long periods of time and have been able to do so at will. Alcohol really has no appeal to me at all anymore at age 29. Never did have much of appeal outside of enjoying a beer with a burger and friend or something. I really enjoy a hot morning brew each day, though I stick to decaf mostly.

Any time you notice yourself becoming addicted to something, whatever it is, you should drop it immediately. If it's not too unhealthy of a thing, reintroduce it in moderation after a period of abstinence, and keep it in check. I've seen things as seemingly innocuous as coffee slowly and silently become significant problems for people.

Jack M. wrote:

I've seen things as seemingly innocuous as coffee slowly and silently become significant problems for people.

Interesting observation. I knew a dentist who became diabetic from the sugar he would put in his 3-5 cups of daily coffee.

Which is ironic, since in general coffee consumption is associated with an inverse relationship with diabetes (the key factor likely being whether it is sweetened or unsweetened). The stimulant effect of the caffeine likely keeps the fat off, which decreases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

wammr wrote:

zoo_manimal wrote:

This is bad advice. Black tea is oxidized; therefore too much can be bad for the kidneys. Green tea has nearly as much caffeine--that is, plenty enough--without the oxalates.

Didn’t know that about black tea, so, thanks. I wasn’t advocating replacing coffee with black tea indefinitely. Just temporarily, in order to eventually ween himself off caffeine.

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the recent law passed in CA that requires a cancer warning be placed on coffee, due to the possible carcinogenic effect of acrylamide, which is produced, among other times, when coffee beans are roasted. That’s one of the reasons I’m quitting.

Cancer? Really? I read somewhere that it increases cancer risk .001% & California still had to put that cancer warning on. WebMD says the benefits of coffee outweigh whatever risk there may be to cancer.

It also found coffee to be linked to numerous health benefits for its drinkers, including:

17% lower chance of dying from any cause

19% lower chance of dying from heart disease

18% lower chance of cancer generally and less risk for many specific cancers, including prostate, melanoma and other skin cancers, leukemia, liver cancer, and more.

Runners need to relax a little sometime & enjoy life.

Relaxed and enjoying life, thanks.

galenruppisgod wrote:

Milk is harder than quit than both coffee and alcohol.

I second this.

NickatNight wrote:

I've done both and coffee is 10X harder to quit. The withdrawals are unreal. Also, alcohol is generally consumed in the evenings, coffee is around from the time you wake up.

0/10, despite the replies as your troll post is just so lame. It's also pretty insensitive to a large number of people whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol and alcoholism. People don't go to prison, lose jobs, die etc. over an addiction to coffee, but alcoholism a serious issue. To try and compare your tough time quitting coffee to the realities of how difficult it is for people to quite alcohol is just azzhole post. You are comparing actual suffering to your being too weak to quit coffee and suffer some headaches.

NickatNight wrote:

RE: Coffee is harder to quit than Alcohol.

And letsrun is harder to quit than coffee.

Gmacindoe wrote:

Get real! I was a full on alcoholic and quitting just about killed me. Never seen anyone die from coffee withdrawal.

+1. We've never admitted someone to the hospital because of caffeine withdrawal. Alcohol on the other hand . . .

How does everyone like their coffee? I roast my own beans and use a French press. Then, I add a teaspoon of coconut oil. No sugar. No cream. When I'm out with friends, I'll add cream, but no sugar. I avoid Starbucks because there are better coffee houses around me.

belittle others wrote:

NickatNight wrote:

I've done both and coffee is 10X harder to quit. The withdrawals are unreal. Also, alcohol is generally consumed in the evenings, coffee is around from the time you wake up.

0/10, despite the replies as your troll post is just so lame. It's also pretty insensitive to a large number of people whose lives have been destroyed by alcohol and alcoholism. People don't go to prison, lose jobs, die etc. over an addiction to coffee, but alcoholism a serious issue. To try and compare your tough time quitting coffee to the realities of how difficult it is for people to quite alcohol is just azzhole post. You are comparing actual suffering to your being too weak to quit coffee and suffer some headaches.

just because alchohol has more adverse effects doesn't mean it's more addicting.

the bolded items have to do with the adverse effects of alchohol, not its addictiveness.

fisky wrote:

How does everyone like their coffee? I roast my own beans and use a French press. Then, I add a teaspoon of coconut oil. No sugar. No cream. When I'm out with friends, I'll add cream, but no sugar. I avoid Starbucks because there are better coffee houses around me.

buh that's xtra if it got caffeine init I'm guucci.