Are you addicted to coffee?

Do you drink coffee everyday? Do you depend on coffee to wake you up every morning? Do you get a headache when you don’t drink coffee? If you answered any of these questions yes, you are addicted to coffee. Some days your morning cup of coffee may be the only thing pushing you out of bed, out the door, and into your daily school/work life. The phenomenon is extremely common today and it is actually considered a real, medical mental disorder. This phenomenon of being addicted to caffeine is actually included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used by many medical professionals as a diagnostic tool amd classification.

A huge sign of addiction is when you get pounding headaches in the morning and the only thing you can think about is coffee. Your body is depending on the caffeine in coffee to wake you up and help you start your day. As your body waits for your daily caffeine intake your blood vessels will slowly dilate. The act of your blood vessels dilating causes irritation in nerve endings that will cause pain centers in your brain. Once pain centers develop in your brain your head will start pounding.  Maggie Moon, M.S., R.D.N. explains the development of headaches after not drinking coffee, “Headaches can attack 12 to 24 hours after your last cup of coffee, which explains why a morning cup is so enticing after the night’s abstinence.” When interviewing, Brian Phillips, he said, “Coffee is disgusting.”

Unreasonable caffeine consumption is not only unhealthy but can also dehydrate the body, leading to muscles spasms, in the calf,  thighs, and hamstrings. You can also experience restless leg syndrome, which results in discomfort in the legs, mostly at night. These sensations get worse at rest and will feel like “pins and needles.” Sadly, cutting out your coffee won’t necessarily solve the problem of your addiction. When withdrawing from coffee you will experience muscle cramps and you will feel like you need it to function just like any other drug. When interviewing, Aidan cuthbertson, “Coffee is for the people that can’t make good tea.”

Another sign that you might be dependent on the caffeine in coffee is if you can’t concentrate without caffeine. Caffeine is known to help us be focused and alert. Caffeine can boost our adrenaline. When without coffee we tend to lack concentration and work ethic.

If you can’t imagine lasting a month or even a day without coffee, you are addicted. This idea of not being able to bare a day without coffee means that your body is most likely dependent on the caffeine that exists in each cup of coffee you drink. An 8 fl oz cup of coffee has 95 mg of caffeine. Most people also drink a lot more than 8 fl oz of coffee per a day. When interviewing Eva Pukke, she said, “Yes, I’m addicted and it’s a problem.” I work in a coffee shop and I find myself serving regular customers everyday who come in multiple times a day. People often order multiple coffees just so they have backup once they finish their first. Coffee gets people through long work days, meetings and is often a savior for many working adults and students.

Things like coffee are good for you in moderation. If your addicted to coffee don’t worry, you are not alone.