Super proud of you for making it 16 days- wow! I’m excited to get to where you are. I want to know what it feels like to live without mind-altering substances. How is your energy?
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I’ve been on and off this thread for years. I’ve been reading back and it’s just like any addict I came and went away shortly after, tiptoeing around. Since 2021. I knew that only cold turkey is possible for me as I’ve tried everything else before. Although I know that basically one coffee in the morning would cut off all withdrawal symptoms. That’s why I went on vacation where no coffee was available and allowed. I guess the next public coffee was 11 km away 
and I don’t have a car.
I feel a lot better now. Less irritable. I can concentrate better. I am tired in a different way which I can’t explain. I don’t crush in my energy level over the day like I did on caffeine. Also I did this step now with longer days, warmer weather to make it easier for me. For me changing my routines is the biggest issue. In fact like with alcohol.
Well, sleep is still not great (5-6 h) but I am not as tired due to this compared to before. All very strange but I happily take it.
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Thank you for telling me about your journey with giving up caffeine and how it’s going more recently. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything but I’m definitely inspired by your journey and looking up to you as i start mine. Maybe we can be irritable and have sleep problems together and that will help with motivation (not that you need it, you’re doing amazing). Have you had many headaches? I’ve started cutting back a lot this week (historically i drink a ton of caffeine- a dangerous amount honestly) and my head is killing me. Thanks for being here friend. Ignore my incessant questions if they get tiresome. I’m also going to do some research.
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The headaches were the worst. They start at the neck/occiput and then go all the way to the front. But not this time. I guess because I was on vacation, out hiking and in company so that I was distracted. I had some general back pain which some years ago let me back to caffeine. I think this time around when I also cut out dark chocolate (another source of ‘caffeine’ which I was increasing as my coffee consumption decreased. As I am not stupid 
) this helped me a lot.
After your post I thought about all of my mental struggles in the recent years. I ended up seeing a psychiatrist who fast ‘diagnosed’ me with ADHD (I let myself talked into this here), got some meds which I tried and which helped me to concentrate better. I could not concentrate all day. I later found a psychologist who made a serious assessment and well under all given facts BPD fit the most and gave me the best therapy in my life so far. And now one years after I started therapy my mental health improved and I understand aka acceptance a lot better. And now without caffeine I have the impression that many symptoms are also getting better.
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Okay. So with cutting out energy drinks, then coffee, then tea, I’ll still expect some headaches. I’m starting pretty heavily on my vacation (staycation really) so hopefully it won’t be too impactful on my life. It was really smart of you to start on your vacation with plans to stay active and busy- I’m so happy for you that it worked so well on the headaches.
Just to clarify, are you saying your BPD symptoms are better without caffeine? I have BPD too and even the possibility of reduced symptoms would be so motivating for me to get away from it faster. I’m sure it won’t make all the difference on its own but I’m in therapy working my ass off and I’ll take whatever help I can get. Fingers crossed 
that it helps me like it did you. And I’m so happy for you that you don’t carry the same weight of these symptoms after all of the hard work you put in.
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Concerning energy @Madds. I don’t really know if my experience is representative but when I came back to the gym one week into caffeine free I felt weak, very very weak. Like wtf happened here. I read around a bit and found some numbers. But for me it was: well, then be it. I rather be mentally better than lifting some percentages better. And I am currently in the gym and feel great and better with my energy also. Nothing I would have thought.
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That’s not uncommon, since there is an “oomph” caffeine gives to the workout, plus your body getting used to running without the drug. I had a similar experience.
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Day 17.
This afternoon I was so damn tired. I took a nap for an hour before walking to the yoga class. Gentle flow they said and it was great. She had such a great voice, warm and welcoming and she seemed to be settled in herself. Not the skinny type of teachers. I really could calm down and am feeling better now. I was thinking that I don’t want fight against myself anymore. It’s exhausting. It’s exhausting hating myself for failing, for not being enough. I felt like some exhale fuck all this.
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Hopping on in support for @Puzzled and @Madds and admiration for the OG here @Chiron.
I’m in the planning stage of this quit. I have probably a week left of ground coffee and I will clean out my cupboard from all my instants and espressos after that but I won’t be buying more ground coffee with the intent to break my daily dependence on caffeine from coffee.
At this point I don’t plan to cut out tea or chocolate just my coffee addiction. How much do I drink, all of it and in the mornings my anxiety is palpable until I’ve had that first cup. I don’t want that to be the case anymore.
I’ll be tapering to avoid headaches, homicide and tears. But I hope to come out the other side coffee free (not reliant, I still cling to the idea of one mindful cup outside of the house). Just like with any addictive substance I am done bringing it into my house.
Ya’ll rock. Keep posting, keep motivating. I’ll be there in a week or so.
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(Not counting days until I’ve stopped completely) early days cutting back check-in
No caffeine at all today. I am groggyyy. I did yoga when I woke up to start off with some healthy energy and took a nap midday when the slump was really hitting. Back to work tomorrow so I won’t be able to keep that up, though I’m going to try to keep up the yoga.
@TrustyBird yay Emilie excited to see you when you’re ready!
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Day 18. Watch said good and deep sleep but only 5.4 h. I am frustrated.
Just threw away the grain coffee as the carbs in there are detrimental to my blood sugar in the early morning. It wasn’t a good substitute anyway.
Woke up mourning about my current social situation. After more than 3.5 years here, minus the months I’ve been in France, so three years I haven’t managed to get one single friend. I don’t write this down to get advice, please. I am not in a good mental state to receive advise.
I’ll keep on doing this thing without caffeine as I’ve already booked my 1h Thai massage for my 30 days . But when I left the house some minutes ago there was this thought of: get a coffee. Will make you feel better.
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I can’t believe that I’m saying this but I think I should do something with my coffee intake. I don’t know what to do anymore. Im raging lately. My kids are making me so fucking angry I’m barely keeping my cool (actually I don’t) and I’m infuriated. I don’t want them to absorb this energy, they are mean but they’re just kids ffs. I have diazepam prescribed by doctor like 3 years ago already but I don’t want to take it, you all know why. I don’t want to take any meds, you all know why 
I drink melisa (lemon balm) tea but yeah, melisa my ass, it does nothing.
I’m drinking 4-5 strong coffee per day. I will try to stick to my morning one for now. I don’t know it it will help but like I said, I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t want to go ballistic on them 
Ps: I want to thank you @Puzzled, I’m reading your journey here and it gave me idea that in fact coffee might be a part of my problem.
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Preferably in this thread we want to focus on quitting (whether CT or tapering), not on just cutting back or only drinking caffeine at certain times, as it is with any drug on this forum. I know there is a coffee lovers thread, that would be the right place for that advice. We wouldnt tell someone to only drink alcohol before a certain time of the day as advice to make their situation better.
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Day 19 for me. Slept a bit better, 6.5h, but I can’t hike 45 km everyday.
When I got a decaf before I started my hike yesterday there was the artificial sweeteners standing around and I had them in my hands. I thought, one is okay. Nope. These tablets are hell. I keep on putting in more and more. In the end I was eating them just like that. Also these past 19 days were probably the longest stretch without artificial sweeteners in my adulthood/diabetes life. I am not no no artificial sweeteners ideologists but these tablets and in soft drinks. Nope.
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Checking in first week cutting back caffeine
Doing surprisingly fine. I think i should probably try cutting back faster because the headaches are manageable and I’m not feeling bogged down by sleepiness. I’m eager to get there and get to a more natural energy state.
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Checking in at 20 days 
I have to admit that last night I took one OTC sleeping pill and slept 8h. I feel ashamed somehow.
I’ll go for a hike. My knee is soso, was hurting a bit yesterday after the bike ride. But it’ll be raining all week next week so it can recover then.
One day at a time.
Edit: currently feeling a headache building up. Coming from my right rhomboids going to the right front. I am wondering how much of this I’ve just covered up with caffeine. And also probably having a slight hangover from this sleeping med. Idk. Pest or cholera. Off for a hike and later today some yoga which hopefully will calm me down.
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At the end of day 20. 3 weeks almost. I did a hike, 35 km and when I was on my way back in the train I was so tired. I wanted to skip the yoga class as I had to wait 1h for it to start. When I came there the teacher said it’ll be a special one today. Oh, noooooo, I said I was ready to do 90 min shavasana. . Bit the specialty was that there were additional teachers around practicing what they learnt during their hands on course over the weekend. I love this. They can practice hands on on me all day. This is calming me. What I noticed is that my energy levels are down and up again. Naturally.
And this teacher has such a good calming voice. Idk.
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My caffeinated coffee supply is dwindling and I can feel that familiar what will I be losing tug. All the more reason to stay the course. Dropping addictive behaviors is winning, not losing. I didn’t know how much better my brain would be without alcohol so I am looking toward the cessation of my pots (yes plural) of morning coffee with the same curiosity. Keep posting @Puzzled.
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Aaaahhhhhh, checking in. I can feel now what coffee served me for at work. I am very stressed at the moment. What do I do to release this stress. Usually I took a break having a coffee. Now I eat nuts. 
Currently going for a mini walk which is not always possible. And what is making me so angry but cannot be changed is that we/I have to work on healthy coping strategies in a working environment that is completely toxic. More efficiently, faster. Fewer people. Always responsive. 100% quality. People rushing in, disturbing the concentration. But it’s me who’s not suitable. Obviously. So that I fit better in this fucked up world.
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@Puzzled I just wanna say I think you are doing awesome with this no caffeine right now. For me I definitely know I lean on it way too much but I’m nowhere near ready to give it up yet. Keep kicking caffeine addictions butt!
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