Coffee Addiction

We can't ignore the energy boost and mental alertness that comes from coffee but we can't forget the caffeine addiction that also comes as a part and parcel of coffee towards a negative side. Most of the people who consume coffee regularly, even by drinking just one caffeine laced soda or a small cup of coffee daily, develop a mild addiction to caffeine. Some doctors call caffeine addiction a cause of serious concern while the others call caffeine addiction a "mild" form of addiction that isn't half as difficult to do away with compared to the other forms of addictions. The question that 'whether caffeine is a dangerous addiction or not' is highly debated over.

One common way of defining addiction to a particular commodity is the individual's longing for the item. May it be coffee, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, addicts don't seem to bother about the harm the intake of the item causes to them or the effect of his/her addiction on his/her family. A few people who consume caffeine in small amounts tend to get their families hooked on to it to. While some who are made to stop caffeine consumption due to medical reasons or some other similar strong cause always develop symptoms of withdrawal and undergo physical discomfort.

Caffeine addicts generally consume about 100 mg of caffeine every single day, which is about as much as half a cup of coffee! Hence, people who drink a cup of coffee daily are considered addicted.

Caffeine addiction can be further verified by using withdrawal symptoms as basis for judgement. Withdrawal symptoms generally occur between 12 to 24 hours of the previous dose of caffeine.The most common symptoms of addiction are headaches, physical fatigue, exhaustion, moodiness, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating, irritability and gloom. Most people who quit caffeine consumption abruptly talk about headache and fatigue as the main symptoms.

Caffeine addiction is quite a serious affair, however, the good part is that most caffeine addiction symptoms end within a few days of quitting but in rare cases people suffer from the symptoms even upto as long as 9-10 days!This causes many of them to get back to regular caffeine consumption, but this time, they have an excuse! They claim that they consume caffeine not for personal enjoyment and relaxation but they consume caffeine as an alternative to going through the withdrawal symptoms.

Still, the questions remain about the level and intensity of harm caffeine intake causes in general, and whether caffeine addiction is a serious issue and needs to be paid much attention to? Most certainly some people have health problems that may be exacerbated by intake of caffeine. For example: Caffeine intake can increase breast tenderness during PMS ( Premenstrual Syndrome ) and it can also be linked to many other health conditions.

So always beware and look out for these withdrawal symptoms in yourself. If you seem to be developing any, act fast and take corrective measures (quit coffee) before it is too late. Caffeine does have its bright side but the dark side shadows the bright one.