It's Not Even The Substance

Usually I'm not the over thinker, over analyzer type of person, who has to think for hours and days about everything and is still on the fence, but some matters require you to understand what's happening, in order to succeed.

Ever since I quit drinking coffee, I've been thinking of what made you get to that point and what I need to change, in order to avoid getting to that level with other things.

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Before you make the wrong impression, I've never been addicted to anything before coffee, which is why it was a totally new experience and needed a tailored approach. Smoking has been an easy habit to quit as I've never been a heavy smoker and one nice day I just forgot to light the first cigarette and all I had to do is keep this really healthy habit. It's been around 15 years since then and I think I smoked half a cigarette since then and hated the feeling. Now I am at the point where can't even stand the smell.

Over one billion people drink coffee each day; more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily across the globe.

Europe is the largest coffee market (53.7 million 60-kg bags), while the Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market.

Most people are coffee consumers, which is why people are surprised when you tell them you don't drink it. The funny thing is, so many feel the need to justify their addiction and this is where you see a lot of reasons, that are mostly made up or it's just in their heads. Again, I'm not here to blame anyone, it's their choice, everyone is free to drink what they want, or not, none of my business, but their reaction helps me understand things better.

The most common justification is low blood pressure and this is when I start smiling. Ages ago, my GP suggested me drinking 2 cups of coffee per day, as my blood pressure was (still is) very low. For years, decades, I was convinced I can't live without coffee, due to my low blood pressure and knew it's going to be a problem if I quit.

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Many have suggested switching coffee, with black tea, as it has some coffin, but switching one addiction with another is not something I was eagerly looking for. Still, I am allowing myself one black tea per day, after lunch, which means 1 teabag in 500ml water, with lemon, which is double or 2.5 time more the normal quantity of water. To see where I am these days with the tea, I skipped a few days and one time I even had a cup of hot water with lemon after lunch and was totally fine. I'm not craving the tea and definitely now going to have withdrawal symptoms if I can't get it.

In so many cases it is not about the substance, but about the habit and how you manage the situation or what you do in those situations without the substance. If you convince yourself you can't live without it, you sure will suffer.

Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

There was a time when I was part of a blogger group and there were people from all over the world, blogging about all kinds of topics, ranging from cooking, to weight loss and lifestyle. I remember there was a lady, who tried to lose weight and in her starting post, she confessed something that worth noting.

She was commuting on a daily bases and while waiting for her train home, show always bought a croissant or a brioche, saying she was not hungry, but she thought she could be hungry till arriving home so she always bought something to eat. As this case shows as well, it's not always what you need as she wasn't hungry, it was more like the habit of eating something. Basically if you think of, what could happen if you get hungry on your way home? Nothing. You won't die of hunger so easily and the only case you can have serious consequences is if you have diabetes, but it wasn't the case.

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This was not an isolated case. My late uncle was taking painkillers after his hip surgery, like others are eating candy. He didn't even wait for the pain to appear, he took the painkiller in advance, to avoid it, which obviously led to substance tolerance and addiction as well.

I used to treat everything with coffee, starting from low blood pressure, to headache, thinking I can't live without it. Didn't even try as it was easier to just have my daily dose of extremely strong espresso.

It's a slippery slope and it's very easy to cross the line, you don't even realize it and can harm yourself thinking you're just protecting yourself. I also think a lot of problems could be solved without the help of a psychologist, by just being honest, open with yourself and make an effort to fix what is broken. Yes, sometimes it's painful and you need to suffer, before you get better, but nothing is impossible.

After accomplishing a few goals, that seemed impossible, you get stronger and it gives you the strength to change your life, fix what you need to.

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Last week, my nephew suggested me a coffee shop, saying they have the best coffee in the city. He asked me if I would try it. Obviously I wouldn't as that would mean breaking my seven and a half year record, but was thinking that even if I would, after such a long time, every coffee would knock me off my feet as my body is not used to it anymore.

The ultimate test for me would be Turkey, as they are the most famous for their special coffee. Would I taste it if I'd be there? I don't know. All I know is that IF, and that's a huge IF, I would, it would definitely be an one time thing, but would not be able to compare the taste of it to anything anymore, so why do it? In this case as well as in the other cases, it would not be because I like it or needed it, it would be because of the fame of it.

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I do still drink coffee and smoke :(. If I had to choose I would give up smoking before drinking coffee. I did try tea but it appears that I am not a tea lover, not at all. It just tastes like hot water with a mild flavour.
I should try to stop smoking before I do hit 50!

It just tastes like hot water with a mild flavour.

It is hot water with a mild flavour 😄

If I were to choose between coffee and smoking, which one to quit, it would definitely be smoking as it has zero benefits.

Just out of curiosity, what do you tell you kids about smoking? It's a do as I say not as I do thing? 🙂

Your behaviour and discipline over the past seven years show that anything is possible. And if I were to try Turkish coffee, it would be just for that reason, out of curiosity.

When I was at university... I was very young, I overdid it with the coffee; it gave me severe palpitations and I drank it to keep myself awake. But it made me feel so ill that I gave it up. To this day, I don’t drink black coffee or coffee on its own, never again. I drink coffee with milk and, let’s say, just a pinch of coffee once a week. But if I don’t drink it, it doesn’t matter; I prefer mild chocolate, everything very mild.

Oh God, if it gave you palpitations, then you're not strong enough for the task. I had no such problems, but it was too much and I hate addiction. When addiction takes over your life, you're done. So I made the move.

Coffee is a natural stimulant... but it was too much for me, which is why I don't drink coffee. I drink mate. For breakfast, I have milk with half a teaspoon of cocoa😁

Every time when I say I don't drink coffee I'm looked like an alien, I don't know anyone else who doesn't take it, and as you say the use excuses like "but it wakes me up in the morning, it keeps me away in the afternoon" but it's just habit or addiction, I mean if you are tired go sleep earlier I guess?

Every time when I say I don't drink coffee I'm looked like an alien

😆😂 Welcome to my world. Let me share a conversation that goes down every time I am offered coffee

Would you like a coffee?
No thanks.
Don't you like coffee?
I love it, I'm an addict.
How come you don't drink coffee then?
I quit 7 years ago.
Why?
Because I was an addict.

🤣

Hahaha and it happens EVERY time!

Every single time and they don't understand 😂

I think it is admirable. I don't think it would hurt to try the Turkish coffee. If just for the nostalgia. Keep up the momentum.

Drink lots of coffee here. More than I should. More than likely contributes to my sleep challenges at times. Been working on cutting back and down to about two to three cups each morning now. I used to be a pot every morning. Slow steps.

Something many don't know is that too much coffee can increase pressure in the eye, with is not good at all. So cutting back slowly is not a bad idea.