The may be the same or totally opposite from GETLOW's post but my coffee drinking is getting out of control and it is resembling my alcoholism completely now. It is screwing up my sleep, making me anxious, giving me heart palpitations, making me want to smoke even more cigarettes (i think). I am getting tired of being all speeded up, but it seems I can sit still without something to drink and coffee seems to be what I'm gravitating towards. I am drinking so much of it I think I need a 12 step program for it and to pick up a white chip there. This is messed up and it's really annoying me. I can't stand that I am such a replacement addict and I really wish my sobriety was more encompassing to just reduce all the addictive tendencies. In the past I have tried quitting everything at once, but that didn't work for me. Cigarettes are back down to about a pack a day, but this coffee thing is ridiculous. Any suggestions? I figure DECAF is one that you all might say. Pray for god to lift my coffee obsession? Really I know it's all the same glob of disease fueling this.
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Hey pinkchip - I and several of my recovering friends, in early sobriety, took on other addictive behaviors. What I did is what you're doing. I talked with others about it. For me, at the time, most anything was okay, so long as I didn't drink. I too drank to much coffee, soft drinks, ate a lot of chocolate, smoked cigarettes like crazy, and the list goes on and on. This just showed me my addictive nature. These like other things, when it got painful enough I did something about it.
With the coffee and soft drinks, I made myself drink water. I didn't go cold turkey either. I'd have morning coffee and lunch, but after 6:00pm I tried not to drink anymore.
I think the most important thing, for me, was when I got that - I needed to take care of myself meant: the right amount of sleep and food. You know H.A.L.T. Don't get (too) Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.
I understand where you're at, pink! I had to just take a weekend and stop the nonsense. I drank decaf only (I believe as a smoker, coffee soothes my throat and helps me to be able to smoke easier... sick!!! ) But after a couple of days of headaches and being very sleepy and napping a lot, I now have MORE energy, and it is the kind that is steady, instead of being on a caffeine driven rollercoaster.
I do still drink Decaf. But I am glad to be off that carnival ride, and hope that if it is what you really want, you can get there. :o)
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~Your Higher Power has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.
I actually did have some coffee at my meeting this morning but as soon as I started getting revved up I quit. Revving the engine blows the motor. As Jane said get your self some bottled water (or tap if you prefer, I like holding the bottle althought I don't know why lol) and sip it.
I wonder if keeping a journal would help. We do things automatically without thinking , habits. Perhaps there are precipitous events that cause us to do these habitual, addictive behaviors? I think our addictions are an (inept) attempt at comforting ourselves.. It is as though we are going to miss out or lose out on something if we don't keep doing_________. (Fill in the blank with coffee, alcohol, eating, whatever) And doing it a lot.
Journaling may help to expose the causal factors in our lives. I am starting to journal (again). A lot of people do journals. The thing about them is that you can do them just for fun, and it is cool to look back at a year or so ago to see just where you were at. It doesn't have to be done daily, just whenever you feel like it. Regular journaling is good though because it can spell out just where your head may be at and what kind of trend you may have going on.
Seems like there has to be a way to ban the addictive behaviors, sort of like we need to be our own detective on ourselves!! It isn't logical so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out, I think! ; )
We always have room for improvements. I like the idea of leaving little notes in certain key places that make sense for you to help stop a silly habit.
HALT is a good one to ponder and put it on the coffee pot or wherever makes sense for you.
