On one hand there’s the you who knows the caffeine is having a bad effect on your health. You’re sick of being a nervous wreck, tired of the splitting headaches, and ready to get rid of that burning feeling in your gut from too many cups of acidic coffee.

You may even become so frustrated with your inability to quit that you end up in tears. Why the hell can’t you just stop drinking the @#$%^! coffee?

Then there’s the other side of you: This persona often asks “What’s the big deal?”

When in this mode you wonder why you wanted to quit in the first place. You talk yourself into just having one cup and not making a big deal of it.

Naturally one cup turns into 8 and you’re back to being an emotional wreck about the whole deal. It’s incredible when you stop to think about it.

How on earth can something have this kind of hold on you? I mean, we’re not talking about cocaine or heroine here… this is ust caffein for goodness sake!

The truth is, an addiction is serious business no matter what chemical you’re dealing with. In fact we can become addicted to the natural chemicals our bodies release during certain emotional responses!

It’s not easy to stay focused knowing that after you’ve gone without your fix for a while, that other you will emerge and try to talk you into pouring yourself another cup or having an energy drink.

One little trick that can help you here is to write yourself a note, or several notes. When you’re sick to death of your addiction write it down and be as dramatic as you want. Then put this note in your wallet or stick it on your fridge or workdesk, and look at it when you start to think from the wrong center.

This works really well for most people.

Another course of action is to get support from others. Involve your friends and family and put together a support group.

If you can get people who care about you to hold you accountable for your desire to quit, you’ll be less likely to break from your game plan. Give your support group permission to call you out on a backslide and embarrass you if needed.

Beign aware of the “other you” is a great start. It means you’re being real about your desire to change.

For a complete guide on how to quit caffeine check out my downloadable special report. I used this system myself to ditch the habit and it can help you as well.

The American Psychiatric Association clearly defines the withdrawal symptoms individuals may suffer when they stop using caffeine after prolonged consumption. These symptoms indicate physical and psychological addiction to caffeine.

Caffeine has also been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, panic attacks, stomach and GI issues, and a number of other very real health issues. Aside from the major risks, anyone with a coffee habit will tell you about the irritability, fatigue, insomnia, and high levels of nervous tension caused by regular caffeine consumption.

The fact is, caffeine is a very powerful, highly addictive substance. And it’s readily available to people of all ages in a very wide range of forms.

Coffee, energy drinks, a variety of black teas, and even diet supplements are consumed in large quantities by the majority of the population in the U.S. and other nations. In many ways it is both surprising and disturbing that an addictive substance has grown to such rampant levels of use and even acceptance in our society.

Caffeine is not associated with health risk in the minds of the average consumer. Most people truly believe several cups of coffee every single day is a harmless habit.

And this fact makes the problem all the more serious! Because people fail to grasp the very real danger of using caffeine very liberally, there is no real incentive to decrease intake or stop altogether.

Caffeine floods the bloodstream with adrenaline and stress hormones. Additionally it increase heart rate significantly while at the same time constricting blood vessels.

These facts alone make caffeine a substantial health risk. Add to this the confirmed findings about the addictive nature of caffeine and we have a severe issue on our hands.

It’s interesting that caffeine is the most commonly consumed beverage in a nation where heart disease is the most common terminal illness. It is highly unlikely these statistics are mere chance.

It seems clear that modern culture is knowingly condoning mass consumption of a chemical that has been proven to instigate or worsen heart problems, nervous disorders, digestive issues, and high blood pressure. Caffeine addiction, while not a problem that typically results in fatal overdose, is as lethal in the long-term as many other chemical dependencies and it’s crucial that Americans (and citizens of other nations with high usage of caffeine) wake up to this clear and present danger!

When faced with this suggestion, the average coffee drinker will scoff. However, if caffeine is not an addictive substance why do most users report severe headaches, irritability, and even depression after only 12 to 24 hours of abstinence?

Extreme discomfort as the result of not consuming a particular substance is a clear sign of addiction. We should all shudder to think that we are virtually pushing products loaded with caffeine on young children and teens on a daily basis!

Caffeine addiction is serious business and until it is viewed in the proper perspective millions more people will suffer needlessly. Like all addictions, there is help and there are proven methods in place to help individuals overcome.

But the first step is accepting the fact that a problem exists.

We get really used to having our coffee at a certain time, even in a certain place, every morning. Or we develop a steady habit of always having our tea or energy drink right after lunch.

Whatever your specific habit is, you’re no doubt very comfortable with it. You’re not just hooked on the chemical caffeine; you’re totally dialed into everything about your current routine.

Addiction counselors and people who have successfully broken long-term chemical habits will tell you that mixing things up is one of the best tactics you can employ when you decide to quit caffeine. In fact people in 12 step programs say if you’re used to putting your left shoe on first each morning, switch to stepping into your right shoe first from now on.

Have you sat at your kitchen table morning after morning for the last ten years with a cup of coffee? From here on in eat breakfast on your couch, or standing at the sink.

Does your routine involve stopping by a drive-in coffee shop on the way to work every day? Find a juice bar on the other side of the street and start picking up a smoothie instead, or better yet buy a blender and start making your own fruit treats at home.

Do you and your co-workers ordinarily sit in the break room and drink a pot of coffee every day at 11 a.m. sharp? From now on you should take your break outside or in the building’s lobby at 10:45.

The above scenarios are examples of how to shake things up when it comes to your usual caffeine consumption times. But don’t stop there. To quit caffeine with minimal effort you should find ways to completely rearrange your daily program.

Change the order of your morning ritual. If you normally brush your teeth first and shower second, reverse this. If you’ve been laying your clothes out on a chair in your bedroom each night before bed, start hanging them in your bathroom instead. Anything you can do to take yourself off autopilot will help.

Our bodies become programmed with a routine after a while. Most likely you could walk through your morning schedule with your eyes closed. This type of conditioning is useful and has its place, but when you’re ready to quit caffeine your prior programming will work against you.

You might even toss something completely new into your usual procession. If you don’t ordinarily exercise in the morning now is a great time to start.
A few minutes of light stretching or a walk around the block is sufficient. Exercise will improve your bodies’ ability to cope with the stress of change and it will give you a natural lift to help replace the synthetic rush you get from caffeine.

Don’t just change your mornings. Take your whole day into a new direction.

You probably have routines and rituals built up throughout the day and right up until you go to bed. Mix things up as much as possible in all areas of your life to avoid falling into a rut and to decrease the likelihood of being able to just reach out and grab a caffeine fix because it was convenient.

You’ll be surprised by just how effective this strategy can be. When you change your routine, you alter the flow of your whole life, and this makes it much easier to initiate and sustain change.

It’s much easier to quit caffeine when you use a simple exercise routine as part of your program for recovery. Exercise will make you feel great, and it will enhance your ability to cope with the stress of change. And the good news is, you don’t have to join a gym or become a fitness fanatic for this to work.

In fact with just 15 minutes of light walking you can increase your heart rate, pump adrenaline into your bloodstream, and increase your endorphin levels. You’ll get a real lift without crashing an hour later.

Endorphins are your body’s natural painkillers. They can put you into a state of euphoria not unlike a chemical high, and a steady flow of this natural juice relieves the pain of withdrawal and improves your overall motivation.

Interestingly, you don’t have to engage in highly physical activity to stimulate your endorphins. Your body will also release these feel good chemicals each time you set and accomplish a goal.

Research shows that your body uses this simple but effective reward system to keep you engaged in the game of life. You’ve probably noticed that little rush you get when you nail a deadline or get all the items checked off of your Saturday home improvement list.

The pleasure, relaxation, and increased motivation you experience when you achieve a specific goal are more than just intellectual satisfaction. This is a physical reaction in the form of chemicals flooding into the appropriate receptors on your brain.

This is a completely healthy experience and one you can actively pursue. Armed with this knowledge you now have complete power to replace your need for a caffeine fix with the desire for regular doses of endorphin.

There are multiple ways to integrate this tactic into your effort to quit caffeine. You could write down sub-goals related to your ultimate goal and check them off as you make progress.

For instance, break your journey into small portions. Instead of thinking “forever” start out by taking things one day at a time, and actively mark off each passing day with a big red pen.

Also acknowledge any specific steps you are taking to quit caffeine. Are you changing your routine, using herb supplements to replace the caffeine, or keeping a journal? Pat yourself on the back for every individual action you are taking. This active acknowledgment of progress will stimulate your body’s release of endorphin.

The ultimate of course is to combine physical activity with goal setting. Plan each exercise session and set specific objectives that require you to raise the bar from one session to the next.

Remember the point of these sessions is to increase your energy and take your mind off caffeine. You’re not setting out to become an expert in physical fitness so put absolutely no pressure on yourself to perform beyond what is fun and enjoyable.

The more you do, the less time you’ll have to obsess over your caffeine addiction. And the more productive activities you engage in, the greater your focus and enthusiasm for life will become.

We drink caffeine for many reasons. Many of us like the rush of adrenaline it gives us. Some of us even like the taste. In many cases, we just keep drinking whether we want to or not because we are addicted.

Any habit becomes comfortable after a while. Caffeine addiction actually starts to play an important role in our daily lives.

We find comfort in having our coffee, tea, or energy drinks at the same time and in the same place day after day. This ritual becomes a normal part of every day.

Before we can break away completely, we must have a replacement lined up to fill the inevitable void.

For some people, it’s important to replace the physical act of drinking an energizing beverage. In this case there are a variety of herbs that will give you a healthy lift and allow you to go through the motions of having your hot or cold beverage on time each day.

Other individuals can replace their daily caffeine regimen with an exercise program. Physical exercise like walking or stretching elevates the heart rate and releases adrenaline and endorphins into the blood stream. Adding a light session to your day at the time when you previously relied on a dose of caffeine is a very progressive, healthy replacement measure.

Perhaps the simplest form of replacement is conversation. It’s very helpful to talk about the way you feel when you are missing your daily caffeine.

Get your feelings out in the open and address them. Keeping your cravings and disappointments inside is dangerous, and will eventually lead to a relapse. Being open and honest about the fact that you miss your caffeine is a healthy way to meet the challenge at hand head on.

The key is not to simply refrain from drinking caffeine, but to find a new way to spend your time and energy. Many addiction therapists say the chemical use is a symptom, not the actual problem.

In other words, there may be some emotional or psychological reasons behind our obsessive use of caffeine. This clearly does not mean you are sick or crazy if you get hooked on coffee; it simply means that in order to quit successfully you need to be fully aware of what you are thinking and feeling when you miss your caffeine.

People deal with boredom in different ways. It’s often difficult to sit alone with your thoughts and not occupy your mind or your hands with something idle.

How many times have you found yourself pouring an extra cup of coffee even when you really had no desire for the effects of the caffeine? You may have just wanted something to do.

Many people find this realization discouraging. But getting bummed out will likely lead to your throwing in the towel and getting right back into your regular caffeine use.

Just accept the fact that you need to occupy your mind and your time with new, healthy activities to improve your chances of successfully quitting caffeine for good.