Every now and then you’ll hear stories on the news about how using methamphetamine, heroine, or crack cocaine has seriously messed up individual’s lives, caused them irreparable harm to their wallet and landed them in jail for years on end. You’ll probably hear stories about the excessive use of alcohol, why you shouldn’t drink and drive, and why you should quit smoking, but there’s one addictive drug you don’t hear being condemned on the news at all. In fact many of the people who report the news consume this drug before going into work every morning. It has a number of detrimental effects to one’s health, can be very costly over time, yet no one is in an uproar about it. The drug in question is nothing more than caffeine. You’ll find it in coffee, most brands of pop (or soda), and in a number of other products.
If you drink a lot of caffeine, but don’t consider it an addiction, I dare you to try and not drink any pop, any coffee, or any beverage tomorrow that contains caffeine. Chances are you’ll be on edge, quick to temper, and be craving your next bottle of pop or cup of coffee. By then there’ll be no question whether or not you’re addicted or not.
Most people start out with one or two caffeinated beverages per day, but after a while the number increases. Their body becomes used to the caffeine it’s getting and starts wanting more. You’ll be tempted to try drinks with more caffeine in them and drink more of the caffeinated beverages you already consume. There are some individuals that drink a 12 pack of Mountain Dew every single day! Now that’s an addiction! These people are spending over $100 a month just on pop alone! That’s more than some people’s grocery budgets!
More often than not we consume caffeine through coffee and sugar-loaded soda. These beverages have a terrible effect on our oral health. People who regularly consume coffee and soda often have a lot more dental problems. They have more cavities and often need advanced dental work, such as root canals, bridges, and crowns. This is because there’s a constant rush of sugar going to one’s mouth, and the mouth never has time to clean itself and recover. This allows plaque to damage individuals’ teeth, sometimes beyond repair.
If you drink coffee in the morning, sip mountain dew throughout the day, it’s time to stop. Quitting caffeine once and for all can lead to withdrawal. You’ll get headaches, become tired, and irritable. This will last for a few days while your body recovers and gets used to not having the caffeine it once did. Once you finally get over it, you won’t regret it. The actual experience after finally kicking caffeine is barely describable, but it’s definitely worth it. You’ll feel a lot healthier, be less tired in the morning, be able to sleep better at night, and just have a sense of clarity and focus in your head that wasn’t there before.
