Reflections on Caffeine & Drug Use

Background:
So I can safely say that my sleep last night was far from fitful – lots of tossing and turning and generally feeling a bit rough. This morning my partner asked me how I was feeling, upon which my response was, “Very tired. But nothing a good coffee won’t fix.”

His reply was that I’m definitely addicted to caffeine (I drink one cup in the morning - the full extent of my coffee intake per day) and I said that, when it comes to drugs, it’s one of the lesser evils and I enjoyed having my coffee in the morning with the full intention of continuing to do so. He then said that, because of my viewpoint, I couldn’t say anything about my close family who decide to smoke because it’s their decision to smoke.

This got me thinking and I replied that, yes, it was their decision to smoke, but, as far as nicotine itself, unless you decide to take patches instead, you have no control over where the smoke goes when you light a cigarette. If there is a group of people in a room and one person decides to smoke, they are then subjecting everyone to their habit, regardless of whether the people in that room smoke or not. When I drink coffee, it is my decision to do so and no one else has to be subjected to the effect of the caffeine because I’m not asking them to drink my coffee. Whereas, if someone lights a cigarette, they are not only affecting their own body with the smoke, but also the bodies of other people who may be in the area as well.

My partner saw my point of view, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it since and I keep coming back to the following points:

- The strength of the drug in question, e.g. caffeine compared to other drugs and the amount used.
- Whether or not it matters if only one person is affected by the drug in question (physically) by their method of intake – e.g. using a cigarette or a patch for nicotine.
- The possibility of being affected by someone’s drug use (legal or otherwise) without the drug physically entering your own body.

I’ve never taken any illegal substances, but I’ve been made aware of the side effects through education and a stable family life to know that it’s not a good idea to start them in the first place. Not only because of the physical implications of using them, but also because of any consequences which won’t be immediately apparent on first use. E.g. a person resorting to stealing money so they can afford to buy their next hit, leading to financial difficulties for themselves and their family.

In the same light, my reliance on caffeine first thing in the morning isn’t a good thing, but the side effects of drinking it are nowhere near as severe as smoking (for example). Does it matter, then, whether or not I continue because I am making a conscious decision to do so?

I guess it comes down to the individual to make up their own mind, but I’m curious what other people think on this.

Is it just a cup of coffee in the morning?

Neytiri wrote: In the same light, my reliance on caffeine first thing in the morning isn’t a good thing, but the side effects of drinking it are nowhere near as severe as smoking (for example). Does it matter, then, whether or not I continue because I am making a conscious decision to do so?

I discovered, two weeks after giving up caffeine, that not drinking coffee means I no longer need to drink coffee. In the morning I am now wide awake, no longer reliant on a coffee boost when I get to the office.
That said... the only person it matters to if you continue to drink coffee is you.

As a chemist I will try to explain some things about caffeine and nicotine and health.
Drugs are everywhere, far beyond what can be classified as illegal. I do not know in other countries, but in Brazil people drink gallons of coffee a day by a historical question. About caffeine it causes chemical dependence to the point that you have a headache or other symptoms if it is not ingested, BUT in most drugs there is a side effect ... sleep, that is, most of the drugs we use contains or caffeine or guaranine (similar to caffeine, but guaranine comes from the fruit guarana, very present here in Brazil too). Avoid caffeine intake is important for these reasons ... you can drink coffee without the caffeine, just drink decaffeinated coffee or mixed with milk, since it relieves your amount of daily caffeine.
On nicotine chemical dependence is even worse in addition to other symptoms such as low blood pressure, thinning of the veins and arteries and cancer. Of course, a cigarette from time to time does not kill anyone, but carefully, so that begin vices, and worse, it becomes an escape. If you smoke whenever you are angry or stressed, every time this situation occurs you will get your peace in addictions and that's not good. Quitting smoking requires more willpower, but gradually reducing the number of cigarettes a day is easier.
The problem is that not only are these two addictive substances, sugar also addictive, and the endorphins that can be found in foods like cheese and chocolate or on the body as when we are having sex or sleeping for example. So almost everything in the world can indulge you, kill and kidnap you from your reality. Now use common sense, and ask yourself: What kind of life I want to have? When answering this question will be easier to have discernment about what you can do and what you should avoid, based on their physical and mental health

I honestly think that consuming a drug or not is a personal decision, and part of our freedom.

If you smoke, you can go and smoke in a place reserved for smokers, and you're not harming anyone.

Weed, for example, is illegal in almost all countries of the world, but it's addicting factor is really really really small and the side effects are way less harmful than all other drugs (sugar included), it has lots of benefits and can be really useful for spiritual journeys.

I have recently quit all caffeine intake (except the small amount in chocolate on the rare occasion that I eat chocolate). I completely agree with Edan. After only a few weeks of not taking in any caffeine I realized that I do not need it. Even after nights where I stayed up too late and woke up super tired, shortly after waking up and moving around I was up and ready to go.

Think of it this way, if you have caffeine at any point of the day it will affect your sleep to some extent. Then you wake up tired because you had trouble sleeping. How do you wake yourself up? Caffeine. It's a cycle that feeds itself.

I do tend to agree with you on the smoking and other drug use parts. Smoking, to me, is subjectively "worse" than a caffeine habit because of the increased effect on others. However, one of the things that helped drive me to quit caffeine was me feeling hypocritical when telling people to quit smoking because it was bad for them.

Did you know that exercise can be addicting?

Oh yes.

Daily exercise becomes addicting because when you exercise endorphins and other feel good chemicals are released(serotonin,adrenaline,etc).

I am sure many have heard of "runners high".

Well, like anything, the body and mind can become addicted to it, and without it a person can become depressed, cranky, etc, and there have been more extreme cases, because they are not getting there daily cocktail of feel goods.

It can effect your whole day,week, and so on.

So, would you feel hypocritical telling someone to quit smoking because working out gets you off?

Meditation?

I have personally known people who have become addicted to it, as again, there chasing a "high" and chemically, there are things going on.

So, to me, a cup or two of coffee, is not the end of the world in the respect that anything you do, alters your body chemistry, and overall, aside from when I was younger and on a dare drank a whole pot of coffee, I have had no ill effects.

The ill effects in that instance being that I had to pee all day, and I was shaky, but that didnt really effect much other than be a mild amusement to others.

MrBruno wrote: As a chemist I will try to explain some things about caffeine and nicotine and health.
Drugs are everywhere, far beyond what can be classified as illegal. I do not know in other countries, but in Brazil people drink gallons of coffee a day by a historical question. About caffeine it causes chemical dependence to the point that you have a headache or other symptoms if it is not ingested, BUT in most drugs there is a side effect ... sleep, that is, most of the drugs we use contains or caffeine or guaranine (similar to caffeine, but guaranine comes from the fruit guarana, very present here in Brazil too). Avoid caffeine intake is important for these reasons ... you can drink coffee without the caffeine, just drink decaffeinated coffee or mixed with milk, since it relieves your amount of daily caffeine.
On nicotine chemical dependence is even worse in addition to other symptoms such as low blood pressure, thinning of the veins and arteries and cancer. Of course, a cigarette from time to time does not kill anyone, but carefully, so that begin vices, and worse, it becomes an escape. If you smoke whenever you are angry or stressed, every time this situation occurs you will get your peace in addictions and that's not good. Quitting smoking requires more willpower, but gradually reducing the number of cigarettes a day is easier.
The problem is that not only are these two addictive substances, sugar also addictive, and the endorphins that can be found in foods like cheese and chocolate or on the body as when we are having sex or sleeping for example. So almost everything in the world can indulge you, kill and kidnap you from your reality. Now use common sense, and ask yourself: What kind of life I want to have? When answering this question will be easier to have discernment about what you can do and what you should avoid, based on their physical and mental health

I agree completely with this. Also, understanding the difference between types of addictive substances is very important for the philosophical argument posed by Neytiri in the first post, regarding cigarettes vs caffeine.

Basically though I think a good baseline is this:

• If you need something to function on a repeated basis, it's time to cut back.
• If you need something to function occasionally, watch it, but it's probably fine.
• Are you able to take the time to enjoy the substance and appreciate it for what it is?

I think when it comes to any drugs, whether you are using them to influence a deeper mediation, or it is just part of your daily routine, the Pros Vs Cons must be weighed, and you need to be educated on the item before using it.

It's all about what do you get out of it, and it has to be MORE than a high.
I started smoking cigarettes when I was in the military for four years. I wished I never started.
But at the time, I was young, fit, and keeping up with my daily fitness. I smoke 5 cigarettes a day, and the benefit was that I spent time with my brother in arms, relaxing over some tobacco.

I lost track of my tobacco consumption, and I ended up being a 2 pack/day smoke (20 cigarettes)
That's when I smartened up, and after over a year I still have not been able to quit smoking, but I am back to the 5 cigarettes a day I used to have over ten years ago.

It's about being conscious of the present, and conscious of your actions. As you train your mind more, you will notice so many things about your body and mind that you never realized.
I am making it a point to meditate more, and after meditation I find it so much easier to reflect on my actions of the day.
I take note of the coffee I drank, I try to replace it with water which helps.
I take note of the cigarettes I smoke. I have them with me so I can feel at ease, but I avoid smoking one, instead opting to chew nicotine gum and having the cigarettes as (emergency stash).

I've known a few shamans in my past who have used drugs to attain higher levels of mediation. They have their uses and benefits, but again you'd have to be smart about it.
I've used Cannabis for the same effect, and I've never had more peaceful or contemplative meditative journeys. But I'd be afraid to chose harder substances (salvia was horrible for me).

Like all drugs, (sugar, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, etc...) they should not be used regularly, daily, or otherwise. Moderation is always the key rule.
However do not dismiss them. They have their uses, both medically and spiritually. Know what you're doing, research it, and apply the knowledge.
Open mindedness will allow so much knowledge with can be applied wisely.

Often people tend to chase an 'effect' by slowly increasing dosage, as the body tends to adjust and desensitize with repeated exposure it feels like more is required to get the same 'benefit'. It is probably a sign of developing a dependency on some level, and very common in legal and illegal drug use. This is where serious issues arise as people tend to assume the dependency withdrawal is the worse side effect, when in fact the body actually does suffer in many different ways from different otherwise safe substances at inappropriate levels.

But only one cup a day! It might be a habit, but its chemical dependency should not be too bad - but we are all different so I cannot say. If your worried you could try decaf and tea which both have really small amounts of caffeine. There are lots of reports showing caffeine intake to have health benefits, but I do not think its a good idea to develop a chemical dependency for anything, if it can be avoided.

Chemically/physically addictive substances which force changes to biochemistry within the body are usually rough to withdraw usage from, which tends to make people think they 'must' have it. If a substance provides some useful effect though, I'm thinking of trying to learn what the sensation feels like and try and create it from imagination instead (eventually), using smaller doses instead of larger doses to facilitate that - use the substance, don't let it use you. I gave up coffee recently and after at least off 3 months have just started to drink a 50/50 blend of coffee and decaf to see if I can meter down the caffeine level without noticing any change in effect. Since drinking decaf for me was not much different I've got my fingers xed.

By the way, about coffee itself, I tend to drink only when I'm too sleepy, and I need to wake up to be able to focus on something.