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You may not realize it, but you or someone you love is addicted to drugs. No one acknowledges it as a problem. In fact, society praises it, and I can no longer keep quiet: it is time to stop the glorification of addiction.
There are many addictions present in our society that are accepted, or even encouraged: porn, sugar, and caffeine are just a few. While porn is considered “normal” by many, but it is typically kept behind closed doors. Most people acknowledge that sugar is bad for you, even though it is the focal point of many gatherings. But caffeine?
My Addiction is Better than Yours
“What do you mean you’ve never had coffee?”
“I couldn’t have survived college without coffee.”
“No one talk to me until I’ve had a cup of coffee!”
“Thank GOD coffee is paleo!”
“Would you rather give up coffee or chocolate?” “Chocolate! Don’t ever take my coffee!” “I could never give up coffee!”
“I need the coffee. Without the coffee I stop doing the walking.”
I was going to post a coffee addict meme, but I couldn’t pick which one infuriated me the most, so I’ll just leave this entire Pinterest page.
Why are we so excited about this addiction to coffee? Is it because the caffeine gives you so much energy that you are too hyper and excited to think rationally (yes…I have actually seen this, although it’s more common that the addiction is so strong that the person cannot think rationally without caffeine)? Why do we encourage children and teenagers, who are still growing and developing, to become addicted to this drug rather than teach them the value of time management and enough sleep? Why is it expected that all students, professionals, and moms need caffeine to function? Why do we force ourselves to drink something that doesn’t even taste good to many, preferring to add large amounts of sugar and dairy over developing a lifestyle free of addiction?
Health Concerns of Caffeine
I don’t care if this study or that showed that coffee will cause you to live forever. Red wine is also touted to have many health benefits, but society still recognizes that alcoholism is a problem. Abuse of a drug such as caffeine or alcohol causes much more damage than any health benefits potentially received.
The Paleo Mom addresses the good and the bad of drinking coffee, and in her discussion on chronic stress and hormone imbalance, she mentions the importance of giving up coffee in order to heal. I highly recommend these posts if you are interested in the health impact of coffee and caffeine.
But any health benefits or detriments (because coffee does tax your adrenals and can cause GI damage!) are meaningless in the face of addiction. If you cannot function without your substance of choice, you are addicted. If you are constantly thinking about it, you are addicted. If you will disrupt your day to get more, you are addicted.
This is not a good thing. This is not something to be proud of. This is not something to proclaim to the world. How would you Facebook friends respond if you posted a status saying, “I can’t start my day without at least 3 beers to get me going.” Or “Nobody better talk to me until I have a glass of wine in me.”
It’s the same thing. Yes, alcohol is not the same as coffee, but whatever the substance is, it is still addiction. You can’t go a few days without coffee and you post every “coffee addict” meme you see. Why are you proud of this?
STOP the Glorification of Addiction!
It’s time to take back you life. Whether you are addicted to caffeine or anything else, take control. It’s time to stop the glorification of addiction. Don’t encourage children and teenagers to drink coffee (my younger siblings started before they were 16). If you are the face of a diet that focuses on real food and healing the body, don’t glorify your addiction as if it is a good part of a healing diet. Read Whole 9’s Coffee Manifesto and learn to identify an unhealthy relationship with caffeine. Learn how to cut back your caffeine intake from The Sprouting Seed and fight withdrawal symptoms with Good Food Eating’s tips.
If you truly love the taste of coffee, switch to decaf, drink unsweetened hot chocolate (it’s really good, especially if you like the bitter taste of coffee, although it does have a small amount of caffeine), or try these herbal coffees from Delicious Obsessions. If you still want a cup of regular once in awhile and you can handle it, that’s fine. But it is time to stop glorifying the consumption of such an addictive beverage.
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I am so, so behind this! I will share wide and far. So happy you’ve said it.
I also want to add that chocolate is another addiction!
Thank you so much, Sandrine! That is great to hear and I really appreciate it.
I subscribe to many things health related and I’ve been quietly following your blog for a little while now. I enjoy a variety of information from many different sources. I clicked this link because I agree that caffeine is an addiction that causes more harm than any potential good benefits because of its overuse. However, after I read – “Is it because the caffeine gives you so much energy that you are too hyper and excited to think rationally?” – I stopped reading, skimmed a bit, and then stopped reading completely. I have kicked the caffeine habit too but in the past there have been many mornings when I needed the coffee kick just to feel awake and alert enough to drive to school or work safely. I NEVER felt like I couldn’t ‘think rationally’ because I had 2 cups of coffee each morning. For someone who drinks coffee everyday, it does not make you feel “hyper or unable to think rationally.” In fact probably most of them think that they need the coffee to be able to think rationally. If you never had a coffee addiction then that’s great for you, but disdaining or dismissing, someone else’s addiction, because its not your ‘cup of tea,’ is not going to help them get healthier.
This post was definitely offensive, in many ways. Coffee doesn’t cause people to become irrational, seriously. Many people like the taste of coffee, black, just like other foods and vegetables with strong and unique flavors…arugula, kale, dandelion greens etc, etc.
Alcohol impairs judgement, caffeine does not…whether you care if a study supports this finding or not.
I understand the effects on health, but your approach is so incredibly offensive that you are likely to alienate your readers, not align them with your message.
We often have to weigh the benefits vs. the cost of our food choices and actions. For instance, tea has several well documented health benefits. However, tea also is naturally high in aluminum (whether caffeinated or decaffeinated), a toxin to our bodies. But, people shouldn’t stop drinking tea, rather they should ensure they are fueling their bodies with all the variety of nutrients it needs to do its job…fight free radicals and the damage they cause (among other things).
Finally, there are so many other “drugs” to be committed to helping our communities fight and educating people about, like prescription drugs, heroin, meth. If your passion is to educate people about their health and drugs, I recommend not marginalizing the majority of the population.
I appreciate your view point, however I still stand by what I said. Some of it is intentionally hyperbole, and I’m not going to take that back as that is my writing style for this type of post. I understand that it will not speak to many people and may offend some, but I wanted to express my opinion.
I am not a coffee drinker, I stopped drinking it over 15 years ago. Caffeine is an interesting thing, it’s in so many things … green tea, chocolate, etc. I do love chocolate, but I don’t eat it for a caffeine boost. I love that Delicious Obsessions is making her own herbal “coffee” … so cool!
I drink neither coffee not wine and I can’t tell you how many times people asked me how I got through my days raising kids without it. I was never bold enough to say it but many times I thought “maybe it’s a problem if you can’t get through your day without it”. Looking back on that exhausting time I’m not even sure how I did it!
Right?! I got the same thing all through college.
You make some interesting points and I’m glad you shared to make people aware of addiction issues.They for sure are not limited to drugs and alcohol.
Thank you! That’s my goal.
I guess I’ll be the honest one here and say I love coffee and it very honestly isn’t for the caffeine/addiction as mentioned in the post. I really enjoy the culinary aspect of a quality coffee bean and it properly roasted and steeped. It brings me joy to drink just as a plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes does and I don’t see a problem with enjoying it. I have and can go days without it. I have tried numerous herbal coffees and just don’t enjoy them (believe me have tried) – and I am supposed to be receiving the Delicious Obsessions herbal coffees to sample as well 🙂 I am looking forward to it and will be using them as and herbal liver support more than a replacement for coffee as like I said I truly don’t see a problem with enjoying a cup here and there.
That’s great to hear. I also don’t see a problem with people drinking coffee because they actually like it, or with having a cup here and there. In a case like you described it is like any other occasional indulgence! It’s when people can’t function during the day without it that I take issue.
Wow, didn’t realize this kicked up such the controversy. But as a former “I cannot live or make it throughout my day without coffee” addict who discovered she had severe adrenal fatigue and THAT is why I couldn’t live without coffee, it really opened my eyes to how we are addicted to the substance. I now hear SO many people say to me “I don’t know how you do Autoimmune Paleo or live without coffee, there is no way I could”. It really is so pervasive throughout society. Now it makes me stop and ask “why? why can’t you make it through your day without it?” because I don’t want my friends and family to wind up in the deep hole I was in with my health. I feel like coffee addiction is a symptom of a worse problem. Go ahead and enjoy a cup every so often or even every day if you can go without it some days, but if you NEED it, you need to take a step back and look and your life because you might be heading towards some serious health ramifications in the future. Trust me, you DON’T want to go there. Adrenal fatigue is not at all fun and takes freakin forever to climb back out of. Great article!
Thanks for sharing your experience. It is great to hear from someone who has experienced this.
I hear your point. People are proud of this addiction and enjoy relating to one another about it. It’s a little cult click happening by the coffee pot each morning. And some folks aren’t polite until they’ve had their morning cup; and they’re fine with this. It’s okay and quite excusable in our culture. I love that many can appreciate coffee’s finer points and in moderation this works for some. I enjoy one cup a week of decaf. because it gives me pleasure and has no ill effect how I make it. I’m so glad my husband switched to decaf bc regular was making him grumpy; and he saw that and didn’t like it either. People love crutches and coffee is a crutch. Life is hard and coffee helps in the short run. Thanks for preachin’. What you said is good.
Exactly! And you added some great points, too. I love that you mentioned it being okay to be rude if you haven’t had coffee yet.
I definitely don’t *need* coffee but I do enjoy drinking it when I have my quiet time in the morning. That being said, I do believe people need to realize what their bodies are telling them and not use coffee as a crutch.
I’m not a coffee drinker — can’t stand the taste or smell — but you’ve put glorifying addictions into perspective. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you!
Very interesting points here! I do agree with Renee that I particularly appreciate the culinary aspect of coffee and enjoy a cup almost every day 🙂 However, I think it’s never good to be “ruled” by some substance or activity… Regardless of whether it is coffee, alcohol, chocolate, or something else more taboo… you are absolutely right that there is a sort of general acceptance of certain addictions over others, when they can be damaging in many ways.
Thanks so much for this. I looked up how much caffeine in coffee is bad and every study was swearing up and down 4 cups a day is perfectly healthy caffeine wise (about 400mg). So I then looked up how much caffeine is too much in general, and everything said 100mg or more a day causes addiction, health side effects, and withdrawals without it. I once did a study for a skin cream and 1 thing was you couldn’t have caffeine 24 hours before or during the study. Most people were very irritable, 1 girl begged the nurses to let her in the room they were brewing theirs so she could smell it, another actually got sick and started puking, yet you couldn’t go more than a few minutes without people saying the first thing they are doing after this is going to Starbucks (these are all symptoms I’ve seen friends and family have when they tried to quit smoking). When I asked they all said they weren’t addicted, only had a cup or two a day. People always ask me how I function without it and I just think because my body functions correctly. Don’t get me wrong I have my addictions, but I admit they are bad. I don’t like when something is encouraged as healthy behavior when it’s not. I also don’t think everyone who drinks it is addicted, like you said you should be able to go a few days without it.