Addiction

Good afternoon my name is Andrea and I am a caffiene addict.

It's true, I drink six or seven cups of coffee a day every day. Until yesterday that is, when my doctor told me that I have to stop.  And apparently the situation is so bad that I can't just stop, I have to wean myself off my drug of choice.  Reducing my intake by a cup or half a cup each day.  And aiming to be down to nothing at all within a month.

I was wondering what to give up for Lent.  I wasn't planning on coffee.  I love coffee...I like the smell, the taste, the people in coffee shops, the cake to go with the coffee.  I love all of it.

But I am not a type A over organised person for nothing and so, I have a plan, and a chart  which is held by a magnet on to the fridge on which I log my fluid intake ; yesterday 7 cups of coffee one water.  Today I have drunk, one juice, one tea, three coffees one water.  I aim to do better.  Much better.

My friend H says I should aim to leave a little more coffee in the cup every time and to drink it more slowly so that it has time to go cold.  A plan which is of a higher degree of difficulty than you would think as I like my coffee scalding hot and from a large cup..and with milk and sugar.  So I am weaning myself off caffiene, milk and sugar all at the same time.

A big mug of coffee cradled in your hands, is there anything more comforting?

But if I want to no longer suffer from the sweats and the racing heart and several more unsavory symptoms that you don't really want to hear about then the coffee has to stop.  Is this what getting older is going to be like, having to stop doing things you like to avoid being ill ?  ....how depressing.

Any ideas for taking the edge off the detox gratefully received.