A Story About 100% Caffeine Free Living

Unlike the author - and by "author", the author of the essay has a book on the topic which he wants to sell you - I can't say that I physically feel any better or worse after quitting caffeine. I finally quit because I didn't like how I felt dependent on a chemical compound I didn't actually need. It took me several attempts.

The physical addiction is minor. The biggest effect was that 18 hours after quitting I would get a headache, become tired, and sleep for a while. That would be gone within 48 hours after quitting.

The bigger problem is the social habit. I was used to having a soda next to me when programming. Free sodas at work didn't help. I don't like tea, so the replacement was water, which gets boring. Bubbly water and flavored waters help, but not much. Fruit drinks have too much sugar, and I don't like tea.

I also liked getting a drink as a way to take a break, with a goal that I could achieve during that break.

It was hard to keep the habit broken. When work got harder again, I thought I could just have a single drink per day ... then two ... then three, and so on. It seems that when the stress is high, it's easier to abstain than to temper.

Believe it or not, wine replaced soda. I found that I only drink a glass of wine in the entire evening, and I don't have a desire to raise the amount. This may be that I didn't start drinking wine until I was ~30 while I started with Pepsi when I was ~10.

Caffeine has nothing to do with ulcers in the stomach.