You're not a "coffee person", you're most likely an addict
The people who say they need 3 cups of black coffee to start their day are just addicts with a high tolerance that experience mild withdrawal symptoms each morning.
If you feel like that, it's your body crying for you to take a break.
If you like an occasional cup of coffee or energy drink to get through something, then that's fine. But if you ever feel like one isn't working like it used to, you should take a break from caffeine to reset your tolerance, not up the dosage like an addict.
I walk into work holding 2 tallboys of sugarfree energy drinks every day and every day someone with their gut hanging 4 inches over their belt tells me how unhealthy they are... like I fucking asked.
Yeah, makes sense that non coffee drinkers don't care. I added the last bit cause I didn't want people going "WELL I NEED IT BECAUSE I'M A TRUCKER AND DO 36 HOUR DRIVES!", but instead I got people bringing up using it to self medicate medical conditions.
I have been called a puritanical joy hater by some coffee drinkers though, so clearly some people wildly dislike this opinion.
So I guess this was more of a "Opinion you probably don't care about, unless you are defensive about being a coffee drinker"
It's not that. I'd be happy to upvote an unpopular opinion like "Coffee should have the same ad restrictions as tobacco" or "Coffee should be scheduled alongside cocaine."
Your post reads as a criticism disguised as an opinion.
It comes off as smarmy.
There's a reason that the major sobriety programs have a tradition of not expressing opinions about what other people do with their lives, avoiding any opinion on temperance, or anything political, for that matter. It would be counterproductive and make them easier to dismiss as fringe wackos.
I don't resent my addiction like you seem to, there is no animosity in my relationship with coffee. I embrace my addiction and love it, and it loves me back by giving me just what I need. The high, the robust flavor, the aftertaste, the smell, the experience, everything. And 3 cups of black coffee? Bruh, more like a pot or two to get started (8 cup pots) before 7AM, then maybe a french press or an espresso , followed by perhaps a cup of instant or maybe I'll put some coffee sprinkles in my protein shake. All of that before 11AM. Then if I'm going out in the evening, at least a double espresso and or if I'm out and about maybe an Americano or just a latte. Maybe hit a vending machine or grocery store and get an can of iced Mr Brown or a double shot.
When I was a smoker, there was nothing I loved more in the world than a nice cup of black coffee, something thick like motor oil, and a nice cigarette. I stopped smoking for the health impacts which are material, but I didn't resent it when I was smoking. I enjoyed every minute of it. Its the same with coffee. This puritanical approach to self-hating anything that brings you joy. Its a bit silly and not for me. I have no shame in the things that bring me pleasure. Its a far deeper shame to avoid pleasure because of some intrinsic guilt about it.
When I was a smoker, there was nothing I loved more in the world than a nice cup of black coffee, something thick like motor oil, and a nice cigarette.>
Fuuuck yeah, talk dirty to me, Daddy. God, I miss that, and I haven't touched a cigarette in 13 years. Still drink coffee every day though.
If your drip comes out tasting not amazing, that's on you. Drip is a perfectly acceptable way to make coffee. Its just a matter of grind, roast, and filter parameters. Its not like I don't also have about 15 other ways to make coffee. The biggest factor in drip (imo) is actually the hot-plate most american coffee makers come with. This absolutely ruins the coffee very quickly. Turn that off and just accept that you'll need to finish the whole pot in about 40 minutes (longer if you use a vacuum urn). I have no problem finishing a pot of coffee in 30-50 minutes.
My specialty was addictions. You have no idea what you're talking about.
eta: that sounds bitchy. It's closer to a compulsive behavior that it is an addictive syndrome. There is more to addiction than a psychological drive to consume. Notably it requires a negative impact on social functioning along with a bunch of other criteria.
"High functioning" is typically used to describe someone who is demonstrating competency at work. Academia, law, and medicine are full of these types. I've worked for/with a lot of them.
Home and social interactions definitely show the strain before professional life does. It's possible for an alcoholic to function at very high levels professionally for years, but I can guarantee there are social impacts in their personal domain. Their old friendships erode, and change towards other heavy users. There are impacts in spouses and children. Their driving record may become affected, financial strains etc.
You know you have a good post here when people are immediately hostile to you.
And people who are replying specifically to tell you that they don’t care about your opinion, who clearly haven’t had their morning coffee.
As someone who just gets sweaty when they drink coffee, I don’t begrudge people who get a kick out of it. But there are too many people who make their caffeine addiction a part of their personality.
Everything in life is a managed addiction. Balance is needed in all things. Ensuring your addictions are taking you in a direction you find productive is critical. Relationships, entertainment, reading/not reading, eating, social engagement, the internet, pets; everything is ultimately brain chemistry that creates addictions.
Humans are literally entirely chemistry at all times. Literally anything that makes you happy/comfortable releases dopamine in your brain. Even dopamine can become addictive if applied too often, the 'withdrawal' would be feeling down cause you're not as happy as usual.
You can be happy or not happy with relationships, which can cause your (misguided) definition of addiction to dopamine, and almost no part of that scenario involves external chemicals.
And all of that is just one example. You really need to attend a high school chemistry and/or biology class.
I'm a coffee person because I enjoy coffee. I love the taste, I love making it, steaming milk, taking my time with espresso, and trying different brewing methods.
It's not about the caffeine. That's just a useful side effect.
I cut down to one cup a day, and so now I treat that one cup like a fine wine; I do all the fancy prep, have good beans, and take my sweet ass tiiiiimmmme drinking it. I savour the hell out of it haha
I love coffee and recently had to go to one cup when I wake up and then no other caffeine for the day as part of working through a sleep disorder.
It's been really, really beneficial for my mental health. I am sleeping better, interrupting less, and generally have more appropriate appetite for food (I have issues with late night eating that are essentially gone).
I didn't want to do this but it's been pretty good.
I still enjoy a decaf Americano every so often in the afternoon.
It's a double whammy too because occasionally I'll just get bored of coffee and drop it, then a few days later I'm wondering why I have a gnarly headache.
I make sure not to overdo it because too much coffee gives me major heartburn, so I guess I have a built-in dosage limit. And luckily I don't have terrible withdrawal symptoms if I miss a dose.
But it's definitely better than the 2 liters of Coke I drank every day in high school.
Coffee actually is an effective medication for my depression. It has similar effects to buproprion on me (which is a amphetamine replacement class drug, though not an amphetamine itself), but to a lesser degree. This is good, because bupropion causes me to have tachycardia and hypomania. This is independent to any addiction, since I've gone years without having any. That there are tolerance levels to it, like any drug, doesn't mean it's not an effective self medication for some folks. And that correlation has been proven in scientific studies.
Eh, I'm fine with my addictions. Life is too long as is and I only get one, I'm not gonna spend my time here avoiding things that taste good and make me feel good.
The people who try to compare caffeine to a drug are both trying to make a mute point and have likely never done any real drugs that are truly addictive.
Yeah under the strict technical definition a drug is something you ingest that affects your body on some level. Yes caffeine is technically a drug under this definition as its a stimulant which represses the chemical signals in your brain responsible for tiredness.
Billions of people drink multiple cups a day, and some feel like they would really like some coffee in the morning. If you want to define that minor desire for coffee as an 'addict craving' well I guess nobody is stopping you from seeing it that way. So there, if you want to play the technicality game and do some mental gymnastics with your world view then I guess all frequent coffee drinkers are technially addicts to the most commonly used drug in the world.
Buuuut, heres where reality comes in. On the grand scale of all drugs that exist in the world today and their level of addictiveness/potential to destroy your life caffine is so so so far off the left side of the scale it may as not be there.
When we have a serious big boy conversation about drugs and their potential harms with people who actually know what they are talking about and lived that life, nobody is going to bring up caffeine.
I've worked in rehabs. Ive seen first hand what true addiction and harmful drugs can do to people. I've had friends whos lives/minds were destroyed by real hard opioids and narcotics. I've helped homeless strangers try to build up their lives from scratch. A vast majority of them had issues with alcohol and opioids, you want to know the demographic of affine addicts we treated? None.
You want to consider caffeine as a drug and point out how 'lots of people are technically an addict lol' fine fair enough. Just keep in mind that real truly hard drugs exist which caffeine can't hold a candle too, that severe addiction is real and infinitely more hellish than coffee cravings in the morning. And maybe by trying to compare the two and think of them on the same level is an unnuanced overly simplified opinion
What? As a neuroscientist: caffeine is not "technically a drug" it is a drug. And yes, people are absolutely addicted to it. That "craving" you're talking about is withdrawal and it's real. Doesn't matter if "billions*" drink it every day. It's no mental gymnastics to say that there are millions if not billions of coffee addicts. Addict is not a defined term in the psych/neuro field so I would argue that that many people who would go through withdrawal without it are all addicted.
Wtf does it matter what other drugs are out there? Not everything is a competition. Current dependence on caffeine in our society is absolutely a problem as a result of too much stress and work pressure on everyone. Caffeine is not a cure to that.
Tl;dr: Yes caffeine is objectively a drug and yes very many people are addicted to it.
Eh, I don't think the two things have to be tied. I consider myself a coffee person, however I also typically have only one cup of coffee a day (and some days not at all.) I don't drink caffeine habitually otherwise, with perhaps one soda a week, or maybe a pot of tea on occasion (which is sometimes caffeinated) when I'm in a cozy mood.
But that one cup in the morning is important to me because I love the taste and smell of coffee. It's part of my morning routine and I enjoy it. If something happens and I get distracted and don't have that cup it's not the end of the world, and I only usually notice when I end work for the day and go to clean my desk off and the cup isn't there. For me it's not a caffeine addiction so much as a morning treat. To be honest if they made a decaf version of my favorite coffee I'd buy that instead - I'm just here for the flavor :)
James Hoffman has a great video about this with scientific analysis to prove it. Basically the people that claim they’re “coffee addicts” are often drinking something that isn’t caffeinated like one might expect. A good pour over has close to 80mg of caffeine in it, but a weaker Starbucks/gas station/K-cup/instant coffee has only 25-45~mg of caffeine per cup. You effectively need 3 cups a day to equate what you can get from 1 perfectly good quality cup of coffee. Even a Starbucks “double shot” is like drinking 7/8ths of a proper pour over. I have a lot of friends that are “coffee addicts” and drink 2-3 Starbucks a day.
He does the thing I enjoy seeing most. It’s not just enough to drink coffee. We have to know about it from top-to-bottom. How to pull from it everything we can. His science the shit out of it is one of my favorite things. If you like his sort of “honed” approach to something and you like details like him I’d recommend AmmoNYC for car detailing. He’s like the James Hoffman of car cleaning. It’s not just enough to do something, but to tear it down and figure out how to do the process better with science and perfect it.
Espresso has less caffeine than large mug of drip coffee especially of morning light or medium roasts. And many coffee makers just make twice more water in double shot, not twice more coffee.
Very much a coffee person here, but more quality oriented than quantity oriented. I drink two cups every day, sometimes three, but only if it is good. I’d much rather drink no coffee than bad coffee. And I’m véry particular about what I call good coffee.
Man, folks really seem the feel the need to make posts as tactless as possible. It's kinda hard to evaluate a post and respond to it when the poster seems to be going out of their way to present their opinion aggressively.
It's possible to present things that are unpopular (or that the poster thinks is unpopular) without being rage bait. It the reason for it being unpopular is just the way it's presented, it kinda defeats the purpose, imo.
That being said, as unpopular as this opinion likely is, you ain't wrong lol.
Having dealt with caffeine addiction and the process of developing bad reactions to it and then having to quit entirely for years before I could even have small amounts, the high volume drinkers really are dealing with a high tolerance and addiction rather than an actual need.
Luckily, caffeine is a relatively easy addiction to deal with. You'll have a week or so of unpleasant days, but it'll even out and you can come back to it with a lower tolerance maybe a week or two after that. Barring weird shit, anyway.
Also, holy fuck do I miss the ability to counter fatigue with caffeine. I can only handle fairly small amounts, infrequently. Even decaf has some caffeine, but a full cup of regular coffee has me all kinds of fucked up. I can barely tolerate non decaf tea ffs. So brewing a strong mug of regular coffee when I'm wiped but can't stop isn't on the menu, dammit.
May I ask what your symptopms are? As an avid coffe drinker myself I'd like to avoid that as much as possible - I try to limit my caffeine intake but coffe just tastes great to me for some reason and I don't even know if it's the caffeine or just the experience that gives me the puah I need to keep going at whatever it is I have.
Damn near a seizure. Visual flashes, muscle spasms, drooling. I genuinely thought I'd had a stroke the first time it happened. Took about six months of tests before the neurologist started asking about dietary possibilities.
During the process, he had me stop caffeine and a slew of other things, and it turned out my body wasn't breaking it down right any more. It's apparently not as rare as it should be, but it's pretty fucking rare lol.
I like coffee. It tastes good. I like the way a small dose of caffeine makes me feel at different points in the day. I feel focused and alert. I enjoy a nice espresso after a big meal and a few glasses of wine. I like sipping a warm cup of tea or a latte while watching the birds from my window in the morning.
Caffeine is a drug. In moderation, there's nothing wrong with drugs. I agree there are probably too many people addicted, and too many people abusing caffeine, but I would argue that it's not because of coffee. Most commercially available coffee doesn't really have that much caffeine in it. You have to make it at home fresh if you want the high-test stuff.
People don't mean they literally cannot function without having coffee first thing in the morning. It's just a clishé they say. Drinking coffee in the morning and after lunch is a habit rather than addiction. I don't drink coffee because I need the energy boost it gives me because it doesn't. I drink coffee because I like drinking coffee. It's a moment of relaxation. At worst it's a habitual addiction rather than a physical one. Also it's not even particularly bad for you. Some might even say it's healthy. Within reason ofcourse.
I used to drink two cups of coffee a day, and I did get addicted in that I had headaches when I stopped doing it. (I ran out of beans, and I didn’t bother to buy more. I didn’t know what was causing my headaches until I drank more coffee.)
That being said, it’s not really that bad of an addiction. Like anything there is a point where it gets bad for you. If it makes you behave in a way that’s hostile or mean to other people, that’s definitely an issue. If it gives you withdrawals, it might be worth it to change your habits. You can happily drink it every day if that works for your mind/body. If you’re like me, you’ll develop some dependence on it, but it’s not that big of a deal. It didn’t take long for me to start having it less often without the headaches.
TL;DR: You can be honest with yourself and moderate how much you enjoy caffeine. There’s no reason to get judgmental about other people.
Think of how much money you've spent on coffee over the last 5 years. Addictions are expensive. One week of discomfort could save you so much money in the long run.
Yes I'm a caffeine addict. But I'm also a coffee snob (for myself. I dont care what other people drink, those that do suck). If i just wanted the caffeine, I'd go back to slamming monsters like I did in college. I wouldn't be spending the amount of time I do to get the best cup of coffee I can.
Think of it this way. Sure, I could just eat microwaved meals or other pre-prepared meals all day every day, but there's a reason I will often to take the time to make a nice home-cooked meals (beyond budget reasons). Same reason people bother making cocktails instead of just throwing back shots
E: just to add, this isn't new information to 95% of us. We're all well aware we're addicts.
While I suppose it could be good to reset the caffeine addiction (it takes 3 weeks), three cups of black coffee is generally healthy. In fact, the mayo clinic (and many other sources/studies show that drinking coffee daily may help with preventing Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes,
liver disease, including liver cancer, heart attack, and stroke. Plus it's an antioxidant and helps you shit regularly.
There are some risks as well, but less of them and they're more like possible issues that you may want to stop drinking coffee for if you have any of the symptoms.
So if you're a "coffee addict", at least your addiction is making you live longer and healthier.
And the massive coffee industry pumps out these studies every year. Don’t forget how energy drinks like Red Bull with lower caffeine density will kill you.. don’t you dare quit or switch.
You're one of those anti vaxxer conspiracy theorists, aren't you? Your kids all scarred up with the measles yet? Big pharma just wants you to buy their shot of snake oil!
Oh I'm definitely an addict. Sometimes the first sip is way too good to just be about the taste. Its a bit annoying during the summer, coffee makes me sweat too much, but if I haven't had a cup by 1pm or so, then I get a bad headache.
Maybe, but it really isn't like other substances. It's much. Much easier to quit. I don't know if you have ever smoked nicotine or tried to quit that. But it was the hardest thing I believe I've ever done in my life. Id rather roll around in broken glass for 4-5 months. 2 years later and I still get cravings. I do not feel the same way after quiting caffeine. I was a little tired. Maybe a little irritable for a couple days. But it was nothing like the physical, all body encompassing cravings for nicotine.
I am a "coffee person", as opposed to a "tea person". Sure, I'm addicted. But so are the people that have a six pack of Coke every day, or a couple of Monster energy drinks (surprise!, all the energy is from caffeine!)
I'm both. I'm addicted to caffeine, but I'm also a coffee snob that appreciates a good coffee blend prepared by a skilled barista.
I'd rather go without caffeine than drink bad coffee or hyper sweet energy drinks, yet at the same time I take yerba mate to work every day, because I appreciate both its taste and its caffeine.
Before COVID I used to drink 3 coffees throughout the day. When I got sick coffee (and alcohol) would make all symptoms worse. It took me about 10 weeks to recover and during this time I really took a break from coffee and alcohol.
Now I can go about my day with one cup of coffee which I spelt sip throughout the day, sometimes I don't even finish it.
I think the difference is there is no evidence that it's a harmful addiction, growing evidence that stimulants like caffeine and Adderall protect the brain, and no growing tolerance, one big cup of coffee for me on weekdays & weekends for years, but even a small one will prevent withdrawals.
So yes, physically addictive but not unhealthy.
I wanted to add an anecdote:
I have on occasion had a migraine so bad that I couldn't eat for days, vomiting, so the caffeine withdrawal headache just got wrapped up in the overall migraine.
A couple of times this happened, I figured I'd leverage it to quit caffeine. What was the result of these caffeine free months, or one time a year? More frequent migraines and about 3lb of extra weight. I found no upside to quitting, personally. The steady once a day caffeine helps prevent the migraines and keeps a little weight off, I like it.