I am battling addictions to caffeine and I thought it might be helpful to have a support group for anyone who is trying to get off of sugar or caffeine and just needs that extra encouragement and tips on how to do it.
I keep trying to ween myself off of caffeine. Sometimes I manage for a few days without caffeine, but then once I have that one cup of tea or coffee, it's hard for me to stop again. I haven't gotten off of it yet and I need help and support in doing that. Any support or suggestions would be great.
I was just thinking, it might help motivate me to quit caffeine if I am doing it with one other person. For instance, maybe there is someone else that wants to get off of caffeine or sugar and needs help doing it. we could do a deal, like "I won't have any caffeine as long as you don't have any sugar" I don't know, it's just a thought, it might help me. or maybe there's other ideas that someone else can come up with.
I need to get off of caffeine as soon as possible, it's really affecting my mood.
- Michelle

Hi,
I can say that my mother and sister need to get off the sugar/caffeine. It completely affects their mood. But I love my sugar and caffeine. I do just fine when I have it. Maybe I will suggest them to reply to you.

Best of luck

Hi Michelle,
Sugar is my worst, I have found some coffee's that do not have caffine. you can look them up on the web. I received my roasted soy bean coffee this weekend. They are pretty good. not that much in cost about 7.00 a lb. now I am looking at ordering chicory I have had chicory and coffee and I liked it very much. however I have not found (until today) pure chicory. I have been reading up on the benifits of chicory. Man it sounded like it was good for every part of your body. It's cost was even less. I want my cup of joe with no caffine in the mornings.

Now, if some one can tell me how to control thoughts when it comes to sweets. I can crave sweets. It's like my hunger is roaring at me. eat sweets, eat sweets. and I can not think of any thing else I would rather do. Some times I just eat sweets to have something to do. and avoid all the things I should be doing like avoiding sweets. I feel so much better after I load myself down with sweets, no other food gives me that feeling.
Pat

Hi Mkat,

It has been my experience and the advice of my Doctors to drink "WATER" ONLY for about six months purified water or distill water which is best. Totally eliminate drinking juices, soda coffee, tea and energy drinks.

And if your trying to quit smoking. You will find it easier to quit because caffeine is an inhibitor to nicotine. With no physical inhibitor motivating you; all thats left for you too confront is your mentally. It is amazing the effects that drinking water has on our digested system and nerves. Water totally flushes your system.
Try it. Be encouraged.

Pumpkin

Hi mkat,

It took me a year to get off of real coffee. That was about 1986. It was also hard for me to give up real Coca-Cola. As an accountant, I "learned" to drink coffee all day long in the colder months of the year and it became a habit. I started out only a couple or three cups a day and being young, didn't think it would hurt me [invincible]. As stress on the job was added I think I upped the amount I drank. Then I didn't pay attention to how much, I just refilled when I felt like it. I can remember getting nauseaus one day at lunch with company personnel, it was due to drinking coffee all morning. I didn't think anything about it and kept up the habit.

I cut back gradually, began slowly diluting real coffee with some decaf. Maybe 3/4 cup real coffee and 1/4 cuf decaf for a week or two, then 1/2 cup real with decaf for the same time period, then 1/4 cup real with 3/4 cup decaf. It took me a long time to get used to the taste of decaf. It doesn't taste as good, but at least it is something to replace caffeine which was very bad for my depression/anxiety. Being freed from the effects of caffeine was well worth the change. You can do it, just take it slowly at your own pace and don't beat yourself up if you have a slip now and then. Keep committed and you'll make it.

Pat you and I share the sweet problem. As much as I try I cannot fight the craving for baked goods. My husband makes a good guard for me - I am diabetic and sugar is the enemy - but there is just something about the texture of baked goods that cannot be recreated with artificial sweeteners. A can of Pringles only has 5 grams of sugar and I also use Lay's french onion dip and Mission white corn tortillas for snacks but the texture is not there. A cookie or muffin is so much more of a comfort than something crunchy.
I did kick caffeine Don's way and I don't add white sugar to anything but I have yet to get sugar free all the way. I am in for any type of support group we want to set up. Not to add something to this but how about smoking? I am in the process of quitting and I think that may have a lot to do with my cravings for comfort food.

Oh man is it hard to stay away from caffeine. I woke this morning and I had a cup of black tea. Still, I feel tired, fatigued, depressed,...
I don't know why I drink it. I know it makes things worse. I sometimes go a few days without caffeine, but then I give up, because I'm not feeling any better, but that's probably 'cause I have to give it more time. The caffeine is still affecting me even when I'm off of it for a few days. What is it about addictions. It's like I just feel powerless over it. the cup of coffee just won't leave my mind and I feel that I have to have it. then I say, "Tomorrow, I won't have any" Then, I inevitably have it.
Rene, good for you for trying to quit smoking. It's never easy to quit sugar, caffeine, cigarettes, or anything that someone can be addicted to.

Thanks for the support mkat. You know they say cigarettes are the hardest to kick but I disagree, they are all hard to quit. I think the trick we all have here is to not replace one addiction with another, or at least with a healthy addiction. Have you ever heard the saying about AA helping people trade addiction to alcohol for an addiction to coffee? I believe that to be true. Especially for us as we need comfort in our lives because of our anxiety. I for one have replaced 3 cups of regular coffee a day with 3 pots of decaf - better yes but still an addiction.
So since I am brilliant enough to figure out we need to be careful of replacing one addiction with another (jk) I have no clue how we are going to do that. Any ideas?

Hi Rene':
I, too, am diabetic and have yet to give up sweets. It is very hard. I crave sweets.
I did quit smoking 10 years ago.
I'm glad for that as I probably wouldn't be here today if I hadn't. I was a very heavy smoker.
Now I am overweight.
It seems there is always a battle to fight.
Good luck to all.
I'm in process of reducing caffeine.
Mary Jane

I'm struggling today (anxiety, depression, mood swings, addictions). Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Mkat
I keep reading from different places that sugar is bad for our brain/memory & know caffiene from any source can make us jittery / cranky.
I am a total chocoholic which contains both!
I agree that drinking only water is good for the body. & excersise would be a good addiction alternative, but I'm not there yet, & fake sugars give me migraines. The buddy system is probably our best bet.
as of now I haven't had any caffiene & my only sugar was what came in the Cheerios i had for brea

I need a support buddy/sponsor asap. I feel very weak in my addictions to sugar and caffeine. I really badly need help.

hi mkat,
i have just stopped drinking diet coke after using it for along long time . its been a huge addiction for me. i am on my fourth day. i made a promise to myself and my son to not drink it any more.it has been seriously affecting my mind! if i drink it only sometimes...the sometimes ends up being more sometimes and then i am suddenly back to drinking anywhere up to 5 or 6 cans a day. I find that having something else in my hand that i can drink or eat a help. like bottles of cold water. when i drive i am use to having that can there. so i have cold bottled water instead. or an apple. ( i have found i am hungrier though.)maybe you could buy yourself somethin g or do something you like after being caffiene free for 'x' amount of days. i think reading and sleeping and excercise will help too....exercise will give u a rush of good feelings, similar to the buzz of caffiene.sleep is a relief sometimes when we are feeling bad mentally or physically and reading helps take our minds off stuff. do you have anyone you can make a promise to? if not then try to maybe promise yourself. i reassure myself.. that i wasnt doing me or my child any favours by drinking all that bad stuff and then worrying about leaving my little boy, as i fear dying. i Made no sense whatso ever!!!...good luck and i hope this helps some. God Bless You

Star, that is very good advice. I'm scared about that day one. I had caffeine today. I really want to stop, but I know I won't feel good tomorrow if I just stop, but I really want to get over this already. Do you know how many days the withdrawal and headaches last? I just want to stop cold turkey, because when I try to wean myself off, I always seem to go back to it. the only thing that stops me from quitting caffeine is worrying about the withdrawal headaches, but if I tell myself "it's only for x amount of days and then I'll be feeling better" then that might help me for those first few days, which is the hardest. I'm wanting to start tomorrow/right now with not having any caffeine (later on I'll exclude sugar from my diet too). I'm already worrying, but that doesn't help. Please support me on my journey to breaking free from addictions to caffeine.

mkat,
i was in the store the other day and thought about gum. so i bought some and was gona tell you about it. so try chewing gum. have lots of them around so you wont find yourself suddenly without any.its cheap and as you say....suger reduction can come later. sugar makes me trippie. like ive taken some wierd drug. i am now bak on medication after trying my best to do this thing totally clean. i feel better too, apart from the dizziness. headaches and other withdrawl symptoms of suddenly stopping aint half as bad as the crap we go through mentally after having caffiene. It starts off as being an occassional nicety...and can turn into a huge neccessity.then the niceness fades as we struggle with its nasty clingy effects. basically 'it sucks!' Something i did was drink and drink and drink it can after can...until i felt soooooooooooo bad that i didnt even wait until 'tomorrow' to stop(like i have always done ) i decided there and then that the stuff was seriously damaging my body and i poured about 9 unopened cans down the sink with the great support of my guy. i tell you doing that really was hard. cos as much as i wanted to stop and knew it was harming me both physically and mentally i was reluctant to care about myself. i even cried after because i really felt like i was now taking care of me, finally. i hope this advice and sharing helps in some way. oh, just thought of another idea....write down all the things you have managed to do (positives) in your life and even maybe other things youve managed to give up....then think about how strong a person you were to do that.Now all those achievements you did successfully.. compared to giving up a few cups of coffee?? it really is nothing hardly. go buy a good book....keep sooooooo busy....n keep all the things you can in your hand or eat/ chew them. YOU CAN DO THIS!! make yourself the promise to stop hurting you and start caring for you RIGHT NOW.......YOU ARE WORTH IT TO YOU