# Goodbye Coffee!



## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Would anyone be interested in joining me as I try to give up coffee just to see what it's like? I have no idea if it contributes to my anxiety but over the years I have noticed that as my caffeine intake went up so did my anxiety. Probably coincidence but ya never know..

The goal right now is to have one in the morning and half a cup later on when the withdrawal kicks in. After that I'll try to go down to just one a day. After a couple weeks the goal is to be at zero cups a day. :boogie

I'm starting today. I had one BIG cup this morning and I'm having a cup now because my head feels like it could blow up!


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## Swagonite (Jun 24, 2014)

I take 1 scoop of my pre workout 400mg caffeine thats my only caffeine source. Ownage style


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Day 2 and I already want to quit and go back to three or more cups a day, lol. I stuck to my plan and had one in the morning and then drank another throughout the day to keep the withdrawal symptoms down. Addiction is a bad thing :serious:


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

I wish you all the best, lol. I love my coffee and will never give it up. Although there are some days when I have only one and there are days when I have three. Today will be one of the days I have three, haha. Thankfully, I haven't linked my anxiety to caffeine.


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## M0rbid (Jan 11, 2011)

I need my daily coffeee


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## VidaDuerme (May 28, 2011)

I would die.


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## The Crimson King (Jul 25, 2015)

I never got into drinking coffee but I did give up sodas back in march.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Jeez.. I need support here people, lol :roll

I have a funny feeling I won't be able to give up coffee anyway but even just cutting back to one a day would be a big victory.


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## dj51234 (Dec 31, 2011)

NOOOO, don't go to the Dark Side!


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

Good luck! I'm really addicted to caffeinated cola and drink way too much. Really need to quit.


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## shyguy07 (Mar 22, 2015)

I never got into coffee, didn't even try it until my late teens, and I can't stand it. Too bitter for me.

But I really should cut back on sodas. I'm trying, mostly drink water, but I love me sodas when I eat dinner or go to fast food places.


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## Out of the Ashes (Jun 6, 2013)

I recently cut back to a weak cup in the morning. I linked caffeine intake to increased Valium withdrawal anxiety.


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## Farideh (Nov 13, 2011)

Heck no. Coffee is the only reason why I get out of bed early and it also helped me lose weight. I only drink one cup of coffee a day and will drink mint tea later on if I'm still feeling sleepy. Drinking more than one cup of coffee a day puts you at risk of heart disease. So good for you for giving it up.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Day three and I'm off the wagon.. Had my morning cup as planned and then around 9:30 it was break time at work and I said to myself "f**k this, I need coffee". So I got myself one and then in the afternoon I drank my emergency withdrawal coffee too. 

I'll see how tomorrow goes.


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## Out of the Ashes (Jun 6, 2013)

I like to gradually taper off of coffee, just like any other addictive drug.


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

I don't actually plan on coming off coffee, but I am steadily trying to make it more healthy. I used to have 2 cream and 2 sweetener. I went to 2 milk and 2 sweetener overnight. My next plan is to go down to one sweetener.


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## visualkeirockstar (Aug 5, 2012)

I like coffee. It makes me shake sometimes but that's different from having anxiety.


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## Cmasch (Jan 24, 2015)

I gave it up as well. It has helped no doubt about it. Coffee causes a spike in blood pressure, and if you have anxiety chances are your blood pressure already spikes at random times. It also increases cortisol the stress hormone, which if you have anxiety you don't need any more stress haha. It took about a week for me to notice a difference. I was way less stressed.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Crisigv said:


> I don't actually plan on coming off coffee, but I am steadily trying to make it more healthy. I used to have 2 cream and 2 sweetener. I went to 2 milk and 2 sweetener overnight. My next plan is to go down to one sweetener.


I take it with 2 cream and 2 sugar and would like to get down to just 1 cream or maybe just black. But I hate the taste of coffee on it's own.



Cmasch said:


> I gave it up as well. It has helped no doubt about it. Coffee causes a spike in blood pressure, and if you have anxiety chances are your blood pressure already spikes at random times. It also increases cortisol the stress hormone, which if you have anxiety you don't need any more stress haha. It took about a week for me to notice a difference. I was way less stressed.


This is what I've heard and it's the main reason I'd like to give it up just to see how it feels.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

No way, I love my coffee. It doesn't give me hangovers. I'd be more interested in giving up alcohol.....if I could find a better substitute.


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

naptime said:


> I take it with 2 cream and 2 sugar and would like to get down to just 1 cream or maybe just black. But I hate the taste of coffee on it's own.


Black coffee is my ultimate goal, but i'm taking my time lol. I feel better about the switch to milk though. I think my brother told me that the cream is 18%. Turned me off after that.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done, lol. Of all the things I need to work on and fix I thought giving up or at least cutting back on coffee would be the easiest.. No, I can't do it.

I have my morning coffee again and go into work and the boss has coffee for us just sitting there. People are saying thanks but I wanted to say F*** you! I ended up having four coffees today :frown2:


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## Wings of Amnesty (Aug 5, 2015)

In school I would often ween myself off coffee when long tests were coming up, so that I wouldn't have to worry about getting up to pee during it. I know that after withdrawals pass, I'm basically the same in every way, except that I can't get away with skipping sleep to make it up on weekends. I need coffee to let me skimp on sleep during the week. My anxiety was unchanged, depression may have been worsened.


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## PanchoGordo (Aug 23, 2015)

naptime said:


> This has to be the hardest thing I've ever done, lol. Of all the things I need to work on and fix I thought giving up or at least cutting back on coffee would be the easiest.. No, I can't do it.
> 
> I have my morning coffee again and go into work and the boss has coffee for us just sitting there. People are saying thanks but I wanted to say F*** you! I ended up having four coffees today :frown2:


Just keep trying, most times quitting requires a bit of practice. If you can get down to 1 cup in the AM regularly, soon you will adapt to that level of caffeine, after that, it's not that difficult to stop, or you could continue to wean and go to 1/2 cup etc. The method is not nearly as important as the outcome.


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

Yesterday, I forced myself not to drink any soda. Huge improvement from drinking over 6 cans everyday. Managed to get by with drinking water with lemon juice. Think I might give in today though


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Today was a better day. Had my morning cup to get myself going and then had another about four hours later around 9:30 at break. After that I didn't feel the need to have anymore. For me that's huge not wanting a coffee in the afternoon.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Similar to yesterday with no coffee in the afternoon but three in the morning. Over the weekend should be better. The goal is no more then two each day with both coming in the morning.


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## M0rbid (Jan 11, 2011)

No Tv and No coffee make M0rbid something something


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## dj51234 (Dec 31, 2011)

naptime said:


> Today was a better day. Had my morning cup to get myself going and then had another about four hours later around 9:30 at break. After that I didn't feel the need to have anymore. For me that's huge not wanting a coffee in the afternoon.


I'm trying to cut down on caffeine but it doesn't help when my boss buys huge packs of Red Bulls and always grabs me one if he gets one. Always :hyper and I think it does contribute to anxiety a bit.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I have to drink it to counteract the tiredness I get from the Paxil.

Then again, I only get six hours of sleep a night and need weekends to sleep!


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## Ignopius (Mar 19, 2013)

Coffee is love. I no giving up!!


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## knightofdespair (May 20, 2014)

Coffee is the only thing in my life going right.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

I hate to say it but I can't do it..  The happiness I feel when I drink a coffee is too much to give up and the withdrawals are too strong.

Addiction is a terrible thing!


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

naptime said:


> I hate to say it but I can't do it..  The happiness I feel when I drink a coffee is too much to give up and the withdrawals are too strong.
> 
> Addiction is a terrible thing!


I have the same problem with caffeinated soda. I don't find meals enjoyable without it. Each time I try to quit I fail. The most success I've had is quitting cold turkey a few times, but at least once it gave me horrible headaches.

Maybe give it a break and try again. Know I have to keep trying, but it is because I have hypertension and possibly heart problems.


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## indiscipline (May 24, 2015)

Ugh. I would have loved to join you but I can't because I don't want to.


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## Hylar (Jul 15, 2014)

Try to do it very gradually, like cutting down 1 cup every second day or something. Also maybe drink tea instead of coffee sometimes. 
I've now got to the stage where I can easily go weeks without coffee, although I do drink a couple cups of tea a day, but it causes me far less anxiety than coffee does.


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## MoonlitMadness (Mar 11, 2013)

No idea why everyone is so obsessed with coffee. Is it the taste? Switch to decaff. I started drinking coffee a lot more since I started working where I do now. It didn't make me feel too different energy wise. However, I've noticed recently it makes me rather more anxious. So I'm just sticking to green tea now. Limiting your caffeine intake is definitely a good idea for anxiety sufferers.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Instead of coffee I had green tea when I got up. That was at 5:30 and by the time 9:00am rolled around my head was throbbing. I ended up having a coffee and later I sipped on a cup through out the afternoon to keep my headache away. I'll keep up with tea in the morning and try to drink less and less during the day.


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## zomb (May 4, 2014)

Trade it for lesser form of caffeine like green tea. It will help to get you off coffee.


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## stewartmays1 (Dec 6, 2014)

i gave up coffee for three weeks and did not notice any difference tbh


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## Mitko (May 3, 2012)

There was this period where I would become anxious without an apparent reason very soon after consuming coffee. I had to quit, and I did it cold turkey (bad idea).

From what I can remember it was pretty much a nightmare for me.

Days 1-2: Extreme headaches, migraines, lethargic, you call it.
Day 3: Headaches kinda disappeared, still feeling extremely lethargic, fatigued, etc. I had no idea what was going on.
Days 4-7: Kind of coming back to my old self when I didn't used to need coffee though I still felt the big lack of energy.
Days 7-20: My energy kind of got re-balanaced but I still kind of had a hard time the first hour after waking up and woul tend to become sleepy earlier than usual during the night

After the third week I kind of felt like my old self again before I got addicted to caffeine. I now drink green tea as a substitute whenever I feel kind of low on energy and it kind of seems to work (and yes, there is no anxiety).

Moral of the story: Never quit cold turkey! 

Good luck!


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## tobi08 (Dec 29, 2008)

i switched from coffee to green tea aswell. The first few days were hard. I did it and when i didnt have to work so the withdrawal symptoms werent affecting me so much.
I cant say that my anxiety is better, but i feel healthier for some reason. 
I enjoy a Cup of coffee from time on time and it really kicks in when i do  so i keep it for specialmoments


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## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

Coffee is more like a comfort food to me, and I'm not as dependent as someone like my mom for their morning coffee. (The title of this thread is likely to be her dying words.) The more I'm depressed, the more it seems to call my name. It's strange because I can have like 5 in the fridge, but knowing that I have plenty of them usually makes them not as desirable as say only having one left to drink. By the way, I drink the cold cappuccino style. I like drinking things icy cold.

I was severely addicted to Pepsi until I gave it up for Lent. (Give it up for Lennnnnnt! *raising the roof gesture) That amount of time was enough to break the spell of having 1-3 Pepsis a day. That and knowing just how terrible soda is for your body helped as well. It was rough, but I had tea in its place to help me through it. I think I'm just as addicted to that icy chill in the back of my throat than just the taste itself, or how it makes me feel when it comes to both drinks. Sometimes I wonder if people that smoke are just as addicted to the act of smoking as they are for the nicotine.


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## MCHB (Jan 1, 2013)

I went a month without coffee and uhh...well...yeah. A month!

Now all I drink is water, carbonated water, and coffee. I'm hardcore, lol!


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## Findedeux (Mar 16, 2012)

I love coffee too much to give it up entirely.

I drink green tea and black tea as an alternative.

My only problem with coffee is that the high is so great that it makes the crash greater and then I have this big afternoon slump where I feel like going to sleep.

Try cold brew as an alternative to your regular coffee.


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## maritzabg (Sep 23, 2015)

I love coffee. I usually drink 2 or 3 cups a day. I know it causes anxiety, but I can't do anything if I don't drink it. I would be groggy all day. However, I haven't had a single cup this week due to a flare up on my depression. I haven't eaten much either. I'll make a mental note to cut to 1 cup a day once I go back to my normal routine.


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## blue2 (May 20, 2013)




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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

I figure I better update my thread!

I started this thread back in August so you could all join in and watch me give up coffee. 

It's now January and I'm still drinking lots of coffee lol.


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

naptime said:


> I figure I better update my thread!
> 
> I started this thread back in August so you could all join in and watch me give up coffee.
> 
> It's now January and I'm still drinking lots of coffee lol.


Lol, I knew it. Not that I didn't have faith of course.


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## visualkeirockstar (Aug 5, 2012)

I just noticed today that I can't function properly without caffeine. I'm probably addicted.


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## KelsKels (Oct 4, 2011)

I can't work without coffee/energy drinks. I mean.. I can.. but its hard. I feel drained and extremely grumpy if I don't have any caffeine. It really affects my overall mood. I don't think it'd be worth it to lose my sanity. I'll stick with addiction.


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## EvonneEzell (Jul 14, 2014)

This is exactly why i gave up coffee. It def. increased my anxiety!! It's not much but i split caffeine pills in half and take one at a time...strictly for work.


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## meepie (Jun 20, 2010)

This sounds good  I like it. I don't drink coffee either, but considering its 5 am...


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## likeaspacemonkey (Aug 16, 2013)

This is madness! Madness, I say!


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## Umpalumpa (Jan 26, 2014)

likeaspacemonkey said:


> This is madness! Madness, I say!


:lol


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## MCHB (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm trying to cut back to just drinking it in the mornings before class and switching to water during the day.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

Crisigv said:


> Lol, I knew it. Not that I didn't have faith of course.


Oh yeah? I'll show you :wink .. I'm gonna give this no coffee thing another go!


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

naptime said:


> Oh yeah? I'll show you :wink .. I'm gonna give this no coffee thing another go!


Go for it!


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## bluethen (Jan 5, 2016)

coffee is the only legal psychoactive drug that is commonly accepted by almost everyone who most of the time don't consider it to either be a drug or psychoactive. i only drink Earl Grey tea and chai, which have less caffeine. If you switch to tea i think it would help your anxiety, then eventually get yourself off tea, that's what i would do to lessen caffeine intake.


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## knightofdespair (May 20, 2014)

Coffee is the best


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

I never got on coffee and sooooo glad I didn't, hearing stories like this from people.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

bluethen said:


> coffee is the only legal psychoactive drug that is commonly accepted by almost everyone who most of the time don't consider it to either be a drug or psychoactive. i only drink Earl Grey tea and chai, which have less caffeine. If you switch to tea i think it would help your anxiety, then eventually get yourself off tea, that's what i would do to lessen caffeine intake.


That' what I've been thinking. I have green tea but I haven't touched it since a bought it four months ago lol.


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## Ineko (Jan 5, 2014)

I drink up to three cups a day and yeah I know the caffeine does make anxiety worse but at the same time it's comforting to drink that warm beverage. I've given up sodas but I can't give up my java. i'll take my black with a just a tad of sugar in the raw please.

Seriously though gl to you and to help, switch to green tea since it has a bit of caffeine in it and it's good for you. Also don't have any coffee in your house so you are less tempted.


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## hellollama (Aug 12, 2015)

Caffeine isn't needed, I don't think. Yoga is my anti-caffeine. Exercise, in general, gives you energy without the side effects.


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## shyguy07 (Mar 22, 2015)

I've never been a coffee drinker, I don't need coffee or sugar to wake up. But I have cut back on my soda. I only had one soda this week, and am trying not to drink any this month. I just want to see what happens if I cut out soda and stick to water.


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## Search (Apr 20, 2013)

I can vouch for the NO COFFEE thing. It's a slow killer for me. Just another product that weakens me resolve and plays on my addictive predispositions. It also dehydrates me and adds to constipation. In fact, for all the good many justify with coffee, there is a huge amount to negative side effect that does not take long to effect my system.

Like most things that give you a quick lift, taste yummy and seasoned with all things nice; it's more harmful than not. Quick gains, but always a larger hill to climb the next rime the track.


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## ocdlost (Nov 10, 2014)

I was not a coffee drinker... however start drinking and it caused me lots of anxiety, social anxiety. i quit


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## stewartmays1 (Dec 6, 2014)

gave up the coffee for about 3 weeks and i was defo more relaxed it did nothing for my anxiety


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

I'm resurrecting this thread. I just got back from the doctors and she said I should definitely give up coffee for a while just to see what changes can happen. I told her about the bad withdrawal symptoms I get if I don't drink it regularly and how I depend on it in the morning to get going. It also seems to be effected by the meds I'm on. I get such a high now right after drinking coffee but that sometimes is followed by a big blah phase.

So it begins again.. The quest to give up coffee :serious:


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## Andre (Feb 27, 2004)

I decided coffee affects me in negative way that tea doesn't, that it causes fear whereas tea is safe, so I've just been drinking tea since Saturday. It's good but the big reduction in caffeine is so hard. Caffeine is such a tricky thing. It increases anxiety but it also increases mood. And now I'm still having trouble sleeping and have not been able to run, which I feel I have to do to mitigate the anxiety producing effect of caffeine, but my back hurts, again and I am so tired and sore, again. That makes me want more caffeine and that also makes me have less hope.


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## naptime (Aug 20, 2015)

So I did it! I've accidentally given up coffee 

I was stuck in the hospital for three weeks thanks to a leaking appendix which caused a bad infection. During that time coffee was the last thing on my mind even though it was offered to me at breakfast each morning the last week I was there. I've been home since last Friday and I haven't even thought about it. Hopefully I can keep this up and kick the habit for good!


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## LemonBones (Sep 25, 2015)

First we had nofap and now we have nocaffeineANDnofap

what is the world coming to?


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## Crisigv (Aug 3, 2013)

naptime said:


> So I did it! I've accidentally given up coffee
> 
> I was stuck in the hospital for three weeks thanks to a leaking appendix which caused a bad infection. During that time coffee was the last thing on my mind even though it was offered to me at breakfast each morning the last week I was there. I've been home since last Friday and I haven't even thought about it. Hopefully I can keep this up and kick the habit for good!


Good for you, hopefully you see some good results. Glad something good came from something bad.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Caffeine actually does not do bad things to me unless I drink a ton of coffee. If I just drink two cups or something, it gives me nice, smooth energy and goodness. 

What gives me anxiety is people. As long as I stay away from people, I'm fine. (That's why they call it social anxiety, apparently) :lol


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## TheLastShy (Sep 20, 2014)

A few weeks ago I took so much caffeine I got severely ill and almost got killed. After this experience I just drink coffee with moderation.


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