Kicking Caffeine

Like most people I know I have been addicted to caffeine for a while to where I will get a back headache if I don't have it.  This article offers a generally insightful take on the matter stating that we're a culture obsessed with feel-good food and drinks and use caffeine to feed our overly busy lifestyle, although it does offer some slightly whacko solutions at the end, like rubbing your chest, clapping your hands above your head, and even talking to yourself with nonsensical selfish affirmation (Stuart Smalley-esque).  I've for the most part weened myself down to about half a coke in the morning and I'm fine the rest of the day.  Hopefully I can eventually stop drinking them every day and only enjoy them every once and a while.

Just how did we manage to get addicted to caffeine? There are numerous reasons as caffeine often seems like a harmless quick-fix when we are not getting enough sleep and not making the time in our busy lives to fulfill our emotional and physical needs. Addiction also includes our over-identifying with products and images that are socially accepted and encouraged. It has become noble to always be on the run. "Busy" has come to be seen as important, secure and fulfilled, but is it really? Perhaps the biggest hook of all is that we have bought into the myth ourselves that we need caffeine to wake us up and to keep us going, and have thus become slaves of habit.