Is Drinking Coffee An Addiction?

Do you drink coffee every day? Is it the first thing you do after you wake up? Would you find it hard to function without coffee?

Is drinking coffee an addiction?

Every coffee drinker thinks about these questions at some point. But for recovering addicts, the implications are different. The caffeine in coffee certainly builds dependence, and after a while it is impossible to stop drinking coffee without withdrawals. This rightly triggers certain associations to drug and alcohol addiction.

However, many recovering addicts particularly enjoy drinking coffee. At times it can even act as a crutch while one gets used to living without substances.

The topic of coffee and caffeine addiction is a complex one. Let’s take a look at the different sides of the debate.

Dependence

No coffee drinker can deny that after a while one becomes dependent on coffee. Just try going a day without it. You may experience headaches, fatigue, and general moodiness. You will find it difficult to concentrate.

Furthermore, many people drink coffee in order to wake up fully and focus better. To continue to get these benefits after a period of time, you need to drink more cups. This points to the fact that one builds a tolerance to the caffeine in coffee.

Clearly, coffee drinking has many of the hallmarks of addiction. Does this mean recovering addicts should give it up immediately?

Is coffee dangerous?

We have established that coffee is addictive. But does it matter? Studies have shown that drinking coffee daily actually has health benefits. It also does help people concentrate better throughout the day.

On the flipside, coffee is not thought to be harmful to your health in any way if you drink it in moderation. So, once you start drinking more than four or five cups a day, you may run into issues. But coffee drinking does not become this habitual for most people. Unlike most harmful addictions, its tolerance building does not usually lead to a major increase in consumption.

Furthermore, recovering addicts find drinking coffee a comforting habit. It should not replace previous addictions, but it can become a harmless daily ritual that makes one feel more grounded.

In summary, the differences between coffee and other addictions are:
coffee-drinking is not harmful to one’s health
coffee does not cause problematic behaviors
most coffee drinkers can cut down on coffee consumption much more easily if necessary for health or other reasons

Is drinking coffee an addiction?

Drinking coffee may be addictive and you can build a dependence, but it is not harmful in the same way that addiction to drugs or alcohol is. On the contrary, it can have health and behavioral benefits if consumed in moderation.

Recovering addicts should speak to their health care providers if concerned about coffee consumption. However, most recovering addicts need not worry about trying to kick this habit.

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3 Famous Singers Who Beat Addiction

Most of the narrative around addiction in the media focuses on the tragedies. Stories about people who succumbed to addiction make for much more drama than stories of hope and forgiveness. We are therefore more likely to hear about a celebrity going into rehab than coming out sober. Unfortunately, we are also more likely to hear about overdoses than successful recovery.

This is often true with musicians as well, who make a lot of great music about their struggles with addiction. However, there are many famous singers who have beaten addiction and gone on to make moving, hopeful music.

The following 3 famous singers have beaten addiction, giving us some incredible songs in the process.

Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Red Hot Chili Peppers have been making music for almost four decades. But the band’s existence could have been cut short if Anthony Kiedis had not successfully battled heroin addiction. Original guitarist, Hillel Slovak, sadly died of a heroin overdose in 1987. Kiedis describes in his autobiography Scar Tissue how the death of his friend impacted him. It was one of a number of turning points that helped him eventually find his way to recovery.

The song Under The Bridge is one of the band’s most honest and beautiful songs about addiction.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato’s struggles with addiction have been well-documented, for better or worse. A major factor in her personal battles has always been the public nature of her personal life, from when she was a child star until now. Lovato has had a long and complex recovery story. In 2018, she revealed that she had relapsed, releasing the incredible song Sober. Shortly after that, she overdosed.

Thankfully, she has since recovered, recently gifting us with the gorgeous Anyone, a moving track which is also a call for help.

Elton John

For a great movie that deals with themes of addiction, watch the recent Elton John biopic Rocketman. The movie itself is quite a lot of fun at times, with Taron Egerton doing a great job of playing a young Elton John, both in the acting and singing department. Sir Elton John publicly battled addiction for a long time, suffering an overdose in 1975. However, he recovered and became an advocate for people struggling with addiction.

The song My Elusive Drug is a sweet ballad about finding love that once seemed impossible.

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Tips For Staying Safe From The Coronavirus In Rehab

The coronavirus is the big media story of 2020 so far. Originating in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread across the entire world. Recently, it has started spreading more rapidly in the US.

Many people are panicking, while others can’t quite see what the big deal is. As always, the appropriate response is somewhere in between. While other illnesses certainly kill more people, we have more understanding of them and better ways to curb their spread. Thus far, the numbers of people infected by the coronavirus are rising rapidly, and it is not clear yet just how deadly it is.

The good news is that if you pay close attention to hygiene and follow some simple habits when going out in public, you should be safe from contracting the virus.

However, if you are going into rehab, you might be a little bit more concerned. You will be living in close contact with other people, who will each receive visitors regularly. Nonetheless, rehab is not just something you can delay for later.

There are ways to prevent the coronavirus spreading in rehab. Follow these tips to ensure you are less likely to contract the virus.

Don’t share cigarettes

For better or worse, people in rehab smoke a lot. It is in many ways an understandable habit for those of us who are quitting our main addictive coping mechanism. In rehab, therefore, people share cigarettes without a second thought.

Unfortunately, sharing saliva with someone who has the coronavirus is a surefire way to contract the illness. Even if you simply take the cigarette from between their fingers, you are putting yourself at risk by subsequently putting it between your lips.

As great as a rehab community is, exercise some stronger hygiene boundaries and only smoke your own cigarettes.

Stay in separate rooms if possible

If your rehab is crowded, you may have no choice but to sleep in the same room as others. However, make sure the staff spreads residents apart as much as possible. Ideally, you’ll be able to stay in a room by yourself. If not, separated beds are a much better option than bunk beds.

That said, symptoms of the coronavirus include coughing and fever. If someone exhibits signs of perfect health, there is little risk in sharing a room with them. There may be many reasons a person is coughing (including the aforementioned smoking habit), but at the moment, someone with a cough should take extra precautions for the peace of mind of other residents.

Wash your hands

This is another hygiene matter that becomes a little bit trickier in rehab. Hand sanitizers are alcohol-based, and not really an option among recovering addicts. However, by washing your hands thoroughly with soap throughout the day, you should be able to maintain good hygiene. Wash for at least twenty seconds (or twice the time it takes to sing happy birthday).

Most importantly, do not touch your face. The coronavirus can only be transmitted via oral or nasal ingestion. As long as you keep your hands away from your face, nothing will be transmitted by them.

Comfort from afar

There are going to be a lot of emotional moments in rehab, and your instinct may be to hug a person or share a tissue. Try and resist the urge to do so. Comforting someone without touching them is in itself an important skill to learn. It forces us to be more at ease with someone else’s emotions since we are unable to “hug” the pain away.

Importantly, throw away any tissues and wash your hands.

Don’t panic

While all of this seems like a lot to take in, there is no reason to panic. As long as you’re following these steps, you are unlikely to contract the virus, even in close quarters with other residents. And if you do contract the coronavirus, you will likely recover within a week or two.

The coronavirus may dominate the news for the next few months, but it is no reason to delay your rehab journey. Armed with the requisite information, you will be well-prepared to stay safe.

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