Am I an Addict?

allecto

Okay, this might seem silly to some of you, but I'm worried that I have a very strong PHYSICAL addiction to caffeine. I went two days without drinking any coffee, soda, etc. (I had a cold) and woke up yesterday with a MASSIVE headache and I got dizzy every time I stood up for more than like five minutes. I figured I just had gotten worse, possibly an ear infection or something. However, this morning my friend insisted that I drink a cup of coffee to see if it made me feel better. AND IT DID. I'm not dizzy anymore. Sure I still have my cold, but the dizziness and headache are gone.

How much caffeine do you actually have to consume to become an addict? This was REALLY scary for me, as I knew I drink a lot of caffeine, but I didn't think I was that bad!

TheLoveDoctor

I knew several people quite well who had caffeine addictions. It is much more common than reported. This site has some information on caffeine addictions. I do have some other resources I can pull up for you, but I'll have to dig them up. However National Geographic believes that it is only a "mental addiction." I tend to believe the chemistry behind it though.

Here are some symptoms:

tidalecko

It doesn't sound silly at all. Caffeine addiction is actually quite common, especially in America. I was addicted to it for a while, but I weaned myself off of it until I could quit entirely. Cut back how much caffeine you intake, until you feel comfortable with quitting completely. Then don't drink caffeine for a week (short-term goal). After one week, still not drinking any, go for another week without caffeine. By now it will be much easier to avoid it. You can go a month without any caffeine. At that point, you are no longer addicted!

Shroomadelic

I try to stay off caffine but being off has made me really thirsty.

tidalecko

Perhaps you are just realizing how much water your body craves throughout the day. We are water-based life forms, and caffeine tends to dry us out without us even realizing it. You drink a coke, or some tea, thinking that it will satiate your thirst, only to find that caffeine dehydrates you.

Shroomadelic

Ya, I did not realize that untill too late. I think America needs to know the truth about the real drugs that can be a problem.

Simplyme

There is a really simply way to test whether you have an addiction to caffaine (or alcohol or any other substance).

Try not to have any coffee for 3 months. If you can do this, you are not addicted!

I have a friend who was concerned that he was a alcoholic. His doctor advised him to abstain for 3 months. He did this successfully. He then promptly celebrated with a drink!

Einstein Factor

I think you are addicted to cafine. But I wouldn't worry about it too much - its a pretty harmless drug (for most people).

But the bigger issue is whether or not you have an "addictive personality". If so, you could then become addicted to more harmful substances in the future.