Caffeine addiction? How to break the habit

We've got ideas for how you can wean yourself off the daily caffeine fix.

By

Judd Handler

Fri, Aug 26 2011 at 3:18 PM

Related Topics:

Healthy Eating

Photo: vmiramontes/Flickr

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) earlier this month released a new definition of addiction. This applies to cup o’ Joe addicts as well. Got caffeine addiction? Here’s how to break the habit…

The ASAM now defines addiction as a chronic brain disorder. Whether it’s caffeine or illicit drugs or gambling or sex, addiction’s roots are not a behavioral, psychological or emotional problem; it’s a problem with your noggin’s wiring.

If you’re addicted to several cups of coffee per day or other caffeinated drinks, in non-scientific terms, what you’re doing is feeding the brain’s reward circuitry. Constantly feeding your caffeine addiction is like giving your brain reward circuitry, or so-called neuronal ‘pleasure centers,’ a constant workout.

But the reality is, when you’re drinking, say, 10 cups of coffee per day, you’re not providing your pleasure centers of the brain with actual pleasure; you’re merely feeding your brain’s “wanting or motivation to obtain the stimulation,” according to a study by psychologists at the University of Michigan.

Why should you try to break the caffeine addiction? Excessive caffeine intake can lead to several health problems, including:

Severe adrenal stress
Anxiety
Cardiovascular disorders
Insomnia
Irritability or mood disorders

The first step in breaking the caffeine habit is to respect the ritual

Do you habitually fork over $5 for that venti caramel frappuccino with whipped cream on top? Would you feel off your rocker if you didn’t pop in the local coffee shop today? If you want to break the caffeine habit, you should continue to visit your favorite coffee house. You can simultaneously feed your brain’s motivation to obtain the stimulation and slowly wean yourself off of coffee.

If your caffeine addiction has you dropping in to the Starbucks more than once a day, opt for herbal tea in the afternoon, or, to wean yourself off coffee more carefully, opt for green tea instead, as green tea has less caffeine than regular coffee.

If part of your caffeine ritual involves sipping out of your favorite coffee mug, by all means, continue your nightly ritual, but do try to replace your coffee with a relaxing tea like chamomile. If you have problems shutting your mind off at night and falling asleep, switching to an herbal beverage may help you relax and enjoy a more restful night sleep.

Should I quit cold turkey?

You may not want to quit your caffeine consumption cold turkey. This could lead to nasty withdrawal symptoms, including strong headaches. If you experience strong headaches, try weaning yourself off of caffeine over a week or two-week period by diluting your caffeinated beverage with water. Many people, though, can quit cold turkey without experiencing any side effects.

Acupuncture can help with withdrawal symptoms. But in the end, do try to limit yourself to one to two cups of coffee maximum per day.

Too much caffeine is poisonous for the body. Here’s how to detox.

If you haven’t exercised lately, consider getting back into it. Even a 30-minute brisk walk can reward the brain’s pleasure center in other ways, possibly suppressing its desire to be rewarded with caffeine. Exercise and drinking plenty of water can help flush out toxins from the body.

Excessive caffeine can acidify blood pH balance. You’ll want to alkalize by eating lots of vegetables, especially green, leafy ones.

Supplements, especially Vitamin C, can restore depleted nutrients and may help with withdrawal symptoms.

Trace mineral supplementation is also highly encouraged and will help to naturally restore your cells’ energy supply.

Eat at least three meals and one snack every day, containing all-natural foods with all three macronutrients (protein; low-starch carbs and vegetables; natural fat), spaced at four-hour intervals (8 a.m.; noon; 4 p.m.; 8 p.m.) to keep energy levels rock-steady throughout the day.

Got other solutions to break caffeine addiction? Write a comment below.

Related on MNN: Caffeine withdrawal symptoms

Judd Handler is a health writer and lifestyle coach in Encintias, California.

You might also like:

Join the conversation

Comments: 18

effie enn Dec 20 2012 at 12:12 AM

Having quit coffee more times than most people think of doing so, I will say that the keys are *substituting* rituals, as a long-term replacement ... but in the short term, your body knows when it's had caffeine, and how much ... and when to expect a hit. The first stage does not involve (necessarily) cutting down ... but changing the time your body expects. Start early. Hold off. Keep it guessing. After a few days of that, start cutting the coffee with de-caff, or grain substitute, or

.... More

whatever. Soon, start drinking something else (hot carob milk) instead of one of those reduced-caffeine imbibations. You can quit in a week this way, with no headaches, no grumpies. My downfall is hitting the coffeepot whenever there's a mega stress in my life. Last time was when a parent passed on. Time to quit again.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

anonymouse Sep 26 2012 at 10:30 PM

Caffeine can be a real addiction.. I can't go a day without drinking at least 5 cups of strong coffee, and once I start I can't find a reason to stop. I don't even get the energy from caffeine anymore or any of the positive original reasons I drank it, I just become very cranky and get a fatigue that feels similar to low-blood sugar, then insomnia until 5 AM. When I feel that caffeine crash I end up eating a whole bunch of sugar to try and get out of it or I start craving alcohol for some reason,

.... More

and so I've gained a lot of weight from this habit as well and picked up an even worse one. Hmmm, I think caffeine addiction can be rather detrimental to somebody who is more sensitive to it's negative effects. Yet It's so difficult to stop, simply because it's something to look forward to once I wake up.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Sheryl Sep 25 2012 at 3:27 PM

I am a recovering alcoholic/addict. I have tried for many years to quit drinking caffeine without much success. In my opinion, I am addicted to caffeine because it mirrors my behavior with alcohol. Of course, it is not as detremental to my life as drinking alcohol, but I have been off & on it for as long as I can remember & the bottom line is that I feel much better when I don't drink it. Then I start thinking I can have just one cup - lying to myself like I did when I drank & told

.... More

myself I would just have one drink.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Renee Aug 07 2012 at 3:37 PM

I admit I am a caffeine addict. I can not get through my day without at least one LARGE cup of coffee. Don't try to trip me up and give me that decaf stuff. No I like it strong and black. If I dont have a cup of coffee I am cranky and tired and have a headache that feels like mack trucks are crashing into each other over and over again inside my head. Everyone is different and everyone might react the same to caffeine. But for me it is addictive.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

solarpowered Sep 01 2011 at 8:01 AM

I drink Caffeine to help with my migraines.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

SF Greenista Aug 30 2011 at 12:30 PM

I love coffee, but have been substituting daily cups with healthy Puerh tea from Numi, which quells any intense craving. I wrote about my experience here - http://aprojectcalledlife.com/2011/04/13/are-you-a-coffee-addict-get-rea...

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Allen Jones Aug 29 2011 at 12:29 PM

I'm not addicted, I can stop any time I want to.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Rumpy Aug 29 2011 at 8:49 AM

I have tried to get Jen to give up her coffee for awhile now. The times that she did not consume caffeine she felt better. This is not the first time I've heard about the brain circuitry impacting addiction. Perhaps this will give her ammo to try again. Thanks!

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

kanan Aug 29 2011 at 12:02 AM

ginger in any form is a good detox agent. not everyone would like to eat ginger. it may be a good idea to buy dry ginger from an Asian grocery store and drop a piece in a nice big cup or a jar of hot water and drink it slowly all day long.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Bennett Alan We... Aug 28 2011 at 10:18 PM

Inaccurate and very poor article! Addiction is defined as engaging in conduct that is destroying your life but which you do not have the power to stop. So, for example, caffeine is NOT addictive. No one ever lost his house, his job, or his wife because of caffeine. Caffeine does create a metabolic tolerance, but so do many, many other non-addictive drugs like Prozac. If you want to find out the fact about caffeine, both good and bad, check out the web site WorldofCaffeine.com, which was created

.... More

by the authors of the world's leading trade, academic, and self-help book about caffeine!

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Guest May 26 2012 at 4:06 AM

You are misinformed, that is your definition of an addiction. This definition is including the phonological addictions including pornography, marijuana,..etc. You are assuming the addiction we are talking about is one more similar to heroin.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Guest May 08 2012 at 11:04 AM

You don't have to lose a job, wife or family member to be addicted. If one NEEDS a cup of coffee or even one beer to get through the day, it is addiction. One can be addicted to unhealthy relationships, or any chemical, food, or habit. It only needs to be harmful. There are addictions that cause catastrophic life styles and tear apart our lives but believe me there are simple addicitons that are HARMFUL to our body mind and spirit and if one wants to clean up their life by conquering these addictions,

.... More

any advice is appreciated. We need to quit relying on websites and advertisers to tell us how to feel and check in with our own bodies.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

Guest Oct 11 2011 at 11:03 AM

Whether caffeine is or is not addictive depends on the person. Your opinion is different from everyone else's. I assure you studies have shown that caffeine affects everyone differently therefore no one can say 100% whether caffeine is truly addictive or not.

Log in or register to post comments
Report This Post

James Aug 28 2011 at 9:48 PM

150 to 200 milligrams per kilogram of body mass is the "toxic" level of Caffeine according to wikipedia. So, for a 100 kg person, that is roughly the caffeine from 100 cups of coffee in your body all at the same time. This article is extremely misleading because it suggests "detoxing", yet the toxic level for caffeine is so high it would be nearly impossible to achieve it simply by drinking caffeinated beverages. Obviously there can be negative effects at much lower doses but these are not "toxic"

.... More

effects and there have been many studies reporting positive benefits from habitual high doses as well. This article fails to mention any of the possible positive effects of caffeine, overblown the possible negative effects, and dishonestly implies that someone might have to "detox" from caffeine despite the fact that achieving a toxic level of caffeine in the blood is nearly impossible unless you are taking caffeine in a purified form (I imagine water toxicity would be just as big of a problem as caffeine toxicity if someone were drinking 100 cups of coffee a day).