3 cups of coffee before 8am and I was…hyper… to put it mildly. To argue my point that doesn’t exist, let me explain that I had been awake since 2:30am so technically… okay, there’s no way to justify this.

I feel clearer after my morning coffee. (2 makes me clear, 3 makes me weird.) Does this mean I am addicted to coffee and my body is dependent on caffeine? Maybe, but wouldn’t the whole world be addicted to caffeine then? I mean, we live in the era where chugging energy drinks is considered normal. Is caffeine addiction an, *insert dramatic gasp here*, epidemic?

I feel like I don’t have the answers to these questions. (Potentially due to my “lack” of caffeine intake thus far and being awake in the early morning hours.) BUT my friend google knows a lot about life questions! (Just don’t trust him with things like “am I dying” because he likes to mess with your mind sometimes and make you believe that indeed, you are. Whatever, google. We’re all technically dying because we have to die at some point so simmer down!)

Anyway…

From my in-depth research on caffeine, I have discovered both how it energizes you….and how it messes with your system in many ways including potentially causing cancer, (doesn’t everything cause cancer now?) ulcers, mineral absorption problems, etc. I learned that the jittery feeling, like being hypersensitive to the sound of your washer and thinking it might explode, could be a potential side effect of excess caffeine. (I think combining an anxiety disorder with caffeine might be a recipe for coffee cake. Exactly. It doesn’t make sense.)

So, if coffee is so bad for us, why are there 17 million Tim Horton’s…on my street? (Oh, right, I’m keeping them in business.) But seriously, this Newsfeed is all about wellness and it seems like wellness and caffeine just don’t jive…on paper. (They seem to jive well in my stomach at 4am as I write this Newsfeed…which I suppose could be an indication of how chugging a coffee at 3:30am affects your ability to think clearly and logically.)

I think coffee addiction might be introduced soon to the latest rehab facility. (And I might be the first patient after publishing this Newsfeed!)

Moral of the story, be wise, fan club! Know your caffeine limits and use responsibly. I may joke about the detrimental effects of using caffeine but it doesn’t make them less real and potentially harmful.

If you’re unsure of if you’re addicted to coffee please take this (very scientifically proven) test online.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamesgrebey/how-addicted-to-coffee-are-you

About the Author

Tara is a wellness Newsfeedger for the Local Biz Magazine who is in the process of writing her memoir on finding hope and meaning while living with a mental illness. Tara loves the concepts of positive psychology, incorporating them into every aspect of her life and spreading the message on the science of well-being.