Confessions of an Addict Part III

A few months ago, my friend Pierina did a couple of guest posts (Part I, Part II) about her Coca-Cola addiction. Although she made some strides in the right direction, she continues to struggle with the caramel demon that Coke is. Here is the latest installation of Confessions of an Addict:

So... yeah, here I am again. Remember that girl who tried to let go of Coca-Cola under any means necessary, regardless of the abstinence syndrome symptoms that would present themselves along the way? Well, that attempt was a bust. I was very antsy and I was finding it hard to not think of Coca-Cola as a remedy. And that's how I learned the key to giving it up: stop thinking about the idea of giving it up, the idea of not drinking it, the idea that you need it to accompany meals, or the idea that you need it to relieve your anxiety, or even your hunger (just saying this makes my mouth water).

So I decided to try it again, but for real this time. Lately, I noticed that I was drinking it out of habit, not out of desire. In fact, there were occasions when I would serve myself a glass and realize that I didn't want anymore after only one sip, or if I served myself a glass with food, I wouldn't finish it.

So anyways, I realized that I had lasted 3 days without drinking it with no problems (I felt accomplished), and I prayed that I would survive the weekend without drinking any (the weekends are tough because you eat out often); and all of a sudden, a co-worker brought me a cold glass of coke, served and everything, on my desk. I wasn't going to refuse her gesture, so I drank it, but I still felt guilty and I didn't really want it.

Let's see how I do next weekend. I'll try my hardest...

Confessions of an Addict Part II

A massive headache overtook my grandfather for a long period of time during one of his business trips. It started out as a mild headache, but it later evolved into a force so powerful that it kept him in bed for days--the headache lasted approximately eight days. After taking several aspirins throughout the course of the week to eliminate the headache to no avail, he was unable to figure out what was wrong with him. One day, he had the brilliant idea of making a cup of coffee--something he had not had in eight days. As he drank a cup, the caffeine that coursed through his veins immediately eliminated his headache and any other symptoms of exhaustion he might have.

I wasn't planning on making a series of posts about caffeine, something I don't consume regularly, but writing has continued to become a release for Pierina in her continuing struggle with her addiction to Coca-Cola (check out the first installment of Confessions of an Addict if you haven't already). In this edition, she documents days 4, 5, and 6 of her Coca-Cola-free aspirations:

 Day 4

I didn't think about Coca-Cola at all today. In fact, my abdomen has started to look less bloated--it's surprising how fattening Coke is. For some reason, I started eating sweets again--I think that I have substituted Coca-Cola for desserts. I had a brownie a la mode all by myself.

Day 5

I woke up with a bit of a headache but I had breakfast and it's been fading away--I'm not sure to what degree this has to do with the abstinence syndrome. I've definitely lost weight in the abdomen. I've always been skinny, but I had a belly that didn't fit with the rest of my body and it's slowly going away--I imagine that by doing some exercises I can eliminate all of it. The problem was that I had to snack something in the afternoon because I was starving, and when I stopped somewhere to get something to eat, it came with a soda so I impulsively ordered a Coca-Cola without thinking too much about it.

Day 6

And the abdomen keeps getting smaller... Up until now, I've had a good day without having any soda. That's the problem with these types of addictions. I'll see how I'll deal with this tonight because it's probable that I'll go out and drink with friends (home-made, and easy-to-mix drinks, for example: Cuba Libre). Coke is everywhere, everyone drinks it, and it mixes with everything. Anyways, in 6 days, I've only had one Coke on two occasions... YAY ME! It's a big step forward.

Confessions of an Addict

Even though most people don't know this, drinking one caffeinated drink a day on a consistent basis is the amount of caffeine that makes you dependent on caffeine. Caffeine addiction isn't taken very seriously, but it can have terrible effects on the human body. In fact, it's been documented that caffeine is just as addicting as nicotine.

As a Coca-Cola addict, my friend Pierina wanted to find a creative outlet documenting her current struggle with caffeine-sobriety. In order to do so, she started a diary writing about the withdrawal symptoms that have been creeping up on her in the last couple of days, and these short pieces on suffering and the path to recovery is what she came up with:

Day 1

I'm going crazy. The simple thought of the ice that accompanies a good glass of Coke makes my mouth drool. I think about the cold going down my throat (I just licked my lips) and it begs me to drink it. I yearn to feel it's sweetness. I don't even want to approach the fridge in order to avoid it.
Part 2: I just had a huge meal and all the anxiety has left me.
(Add Author's note on how hysterical I was yesterday)

She was in a bad mood, desperate, overexcited, and annoyed with everything.

Day 2

During lunch today, I sat with someone who ordered a Coke and I resisted the temptation to drink it. But I'm going crazy. I think I will gain weight because of the fact that I get a craving for sweets when I don't drink it. My body tries to convince me to have something cold in my throat, and yelling that it must be sweet. I hope I survive.
I took your advice of replacing it with something else, and I put a Trident gum in my mouth which calmed the anxiety of my taste buds with a mild flavor.