[manicdepressive07]

I apologize if this has been done before but I'm going to say it... I am insanely addicted to diet coke!

I drink at least a can a day... and sometimes up to 3 cans a day (maybe twice a week). I know soda in general is bad for me and I want to kick the habit, but I seriously can't stop. I also know that sounds silly, and I'm embarrassed to even admit that in a forum where people may struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, but I really can't stop.

But I also don't want to stop. I feel such great satisfaction in getting my daily caffeine kick from diet coke. Also it's not even so much the caffeine i'm addicted to (because I've tried to switch to tea & other stuff) it's the taste that is so great and the fulfillment I get from actually drinking a can of diet coke! I hate eating meals without it, and sometimes get sincerely bummed when I realize I ran out but it's too late to go to the store.

Has anyone else ever felt so powerless over something so trivial? What did you do?

[Maus5321]

Originally Posted by manicdepressive07

I apologize if this has been done before but I'm going to say it... I am insanely addicted to diet coke!

I drink at least a can a day... and sometimes up to 3 cans a day (maybe twice a week). I know soda in general is bad for me and I want to kick the habit, but I seriously can't stop. I also know that sounds silly, and I'm embarrassed to even admit that in a forum where people may struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, but I really can't stop.

But I also don't want to stop. I feel such great satisfaction in getting my daily caffeine kick from diet coke. Also it's not even so much the caffeine i'm addicted to (because I've tried to switch to tea & other stuff) it's the taste that is so great and the fulfillment I get from actually drinking a can of diet coke! I hate eating meals without it, and sometimes get sincerely bummed when I realize I ran out but it's too late to go to the store.

Has anyone else ever felt so powerless over something so trivial? What did you do?

This is just my opinion. But I say as long as you can keep it moderated to 1 to 3 cans a day. I don't think that is to much.That is only 21 cans per week if you drank 3 everyday. My dads ex wife would drink a 12 pack a day of diet coke. Now that to me is an addiction to diet coke. The worst thing for you in the diet coke is the aspartame and the acidity of the diet coke. Just my .02 cents

Aspartame is poisonous to the system, I've read. Knowing that it is highly acidic, I
would suggest that you try hard to eliminate it, because it can lead to bad feeling tone and possibly some side effects over time that could be harmful.

It's the caffeine addiction, too, even though it appears that the fizzy, appealing taste is what is driving your desire for it.

You're smart to be alert to the addiction, and you'd be very wise to remove it from your diet rather than let it grow to a more dependent drain on your nutritional reserves.

Take care of yourself.

[ambivalent amy]

I know exactly what you mean! I am addicted too!! I drink regular Coke, and there is nothing that can beat the taste. I also try to limit myself to 1/day but that don't always work. When I notice that I am drinking more than 1/day, I cut back but it really sucks. I swear to god you can have withdrawals from it. I feel as I do anyways.

I drink Coke a lot more during the winter. During the summer, I only drink a few cans a week (2-3). I drink much more water to stay hydrated, as my job can be rather physical.

When I cut back on the Coke, I feel a lot better though...Matter of fact, I have found that I sweat a lot more during the summer if I drink a can of coke (yes, all it takes is 1 can). That also helps me stay away from it during the summer....but then winter comes and "I fall of the wagon".

When I do cut back, I guess I just flush my system out with other liquids that don't have a lot of sugar in them. Yes I still get the cravings but I remind myself that pop can dehydrate you (most people don't realize this) and water is hydrating. I also am paranoid of stinking from sweating so that also helps in the summer.

I don't know if this is really helpful, but just some ideas.

[manicdepressive07]

Originally Posted by Maus5321

This is just my opinion. But I say as long as you can keep it moderated to 1 to 3 cans a day. I don't think that is to much.That is only 21 cans per week if you drank 3 everyday. My dads ex wife would drink a 12 pack a day of diet coke. Now that to me is an addiction to diet coke. The worst thing for you in the diet coke is the aspartame and the acidity of the diet coke. Just my .02 cents

Yeah that's kind of what I was hoping to hear someone say "Oh 1 can a day isn't bad! You're fine" lol

I know I should stop, or significantly decrease for the long term, but right now I'm really enjoying my diet cokes haha

[manicdepressive07]

Originally Posted by genetic

Aspartame is poisonous to the system, I've read. Knowing that it is highly acidic, I
would suggest that you try hard to eliminate it, because it can lead to bad feeling tone and possibly some side effects over time that could be harmful.

It's the caffeine addiction, too, even though it appears that the fizzy, appealing taste is what is driving your desire for it.

You're smart to be alert to the addiction, and you'd be very wise to remove it from your diet rather than let it grow to a more dependent drain on your nutritional reserves.

Take care of yourself.

One thing though, I even asked my physiology teacher about the bad effects of aspartame on the body because I was concerned since I was drinking so much diet coke... and he told me that the actual amount they put in the diet coke is so minuscule, that it WILL NOT have any negative effects on my body. He said I'd basically have to drink GALLONS of the stuff EVERY DAY before seeing any harm done. Aspartame itself is not good for your body... but either is fats, oils, carbs, in ridiculously large amounts... small amounts no big deal.

[manicdepressive07]

Originally Posted by ambivalent amy

I know exactly what you mean! I am addicted too!! I drink regular Coke, and there is nothing that can beat the taste. I also try to limit myself to 1/day but that don't always work. When I notice that I am drinking more than 1/day, I cut back but it really sucks. I swear to god you can have withdrawals from it. I feel as I do anyways.

I drink Coke a lot more during the winter. During the summer, I only drink a few cans a week (2-3). I drink much more water to stay hydrated, as my job can be rather physical.

When I cut back on the Coke, I feel a lot better though...Matter of fact, I have found that I sweat a lot more during the summer if I drink a can of coke (yes, all it takes is 1 can). That also helps me stay away from it during the summer....but then winter comes and "I fall of the wagon".

When I do cut back, I guess I just flush my system out with other liquids that don't have a lot of sugar in them. Yes I still get the cravings but I remind myself that pop can dehydrate you (most people don't realize this) and water is hydrating. I also am paranoid of stinking from sweating so that also helps in the summer.

I don't know if this is really helpful, but just some ideas.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I do know that it actually dehydrates your system, so I try not to drink it as a drink randomly when I'm thirsty, I usually stick to only drinking it with meals. (cuz it's so tasty!) haha

[CastlesInTheAir]

Lmao! Don't get my started on my.mountain dew addiction

If you really want to know the truth about sodas, the answer lies in whether you are
sensitive to caffeine or not. If you are not and can handle the acidic load of artificial sweeteners, it seems to me to be something you're enjoying nicely.

BUT, if you have a sensitivity to caffeine (which is a drug, let's face it) then you have a real headache on your hands.

Please go to a website called DoctorYourself.com - Andrew W. Saul's Natural Health Website and go down the left-hand side index to an article called "caffeine Allergy" by Ms. Ruth Whalen. It's the most serious article I've ever read about the damage caffeine can do to the
brain in people who have a sensitivity to caffeine and use it over a long period.

It does damage the brains of those sensitive to it. It also is addictive and helps to create an acidic overload.

And here's another for you: wheat, barley, and rye will do similar things to people sensitive to the exorphins in gluten. Those three grains all contain gluten and it is breakdown product from gluten that makes wheat addictive, causes one to crave more at every 2 to 3-hour intervals during the day.

The best answers for you regarding these things are in recent publications.

Enjoy it while you can and if you can!

[manicdepressive07]

Originally Posted by genetic

If you really want to know the truth about sodas, the answer lies in whether you are
sensitive to caffeine or not. If you are not and can handle the acidic load of artificial sweeteners, it seems to me to be something you're enjoying nicely.

BUT, if you have a sensitivity to caffeine (which is a drug, let's face it) then you have a real headache on your hands.

Please go to a website called DoctorYourself.com - Andrew W. Saul's Natural Health Website and go down the left-hand side index to an article called "caffeine Allergy" by Ms. Ruth Whalen. It's the most serious article I've ever read about the damage caffeine can do to the
brain in people who have a sensitivity to caffeine and use it over a long period.


It does damage the brains of those sensitive to it. It also is addictive and helps to create an acidic overload.

And here's another for you: wheat, barley, and rye will do similar things to people sensitive to the exorphins in gluten. Those three grains all contain gluten and it is breakdown product from gluten that makes wheat addictive, causes one to crave more at every 2 to 3-hour intervals during the day.

The best answers for you regarding these things are in recent publications.

Enjoy it while you can and if you can!

Ok this part was crazy to me "It's highly probable, that millions of consumers developed an allergy to caffeine, especially since availability and production increased rapidly mid- twentieth century. In which case, natural insights, and physical and mental health, have been sacrificed to chronic toxicity, resulting in organic brain, silently posing as ADD, ADHD, anxiety, BPD, depression, OCD, panic, and schizophrenia"

Because I've been diagnosed with Bipolar, ADHD, and I have severe symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder, (Not sure if then meant that or Bipolar by BPD) and I also suffer from anxiety and panick attacks.

Could this really all be related to a caffeine allergy? One thing I didn't quite clearly understand is, how does one KNOW if they are sensitive to caffeine or not? Is there some test you can take to find out if your allergic to caffeine? Because as far as I know, I don't exhibit any serious signs...

Hello, ManicDepressive07, yes, it could be related to the causes of your illness. Please understand, though, that something of that sort
could only be diagnosed by a specialist--an allergist. He could
possibly direct you to the bloodwork needed to determine if you're
caffeine sensitive.

You can detect it in yourself, however, by observing whether you are addicted to it, have sharp better-feeling tone immediately after its use, only to have your feeling tone drop strongly after several hours requiring more to alleviate the depressed state. If you have headaches on stopping caffeine; if it causes insomnia, or if you feel as if you're in a fog, irritated, or "down", you have a problem with caffeine in your diet.

I think Ms. Whalen is talking about bipolar illness, and several things convince me of that. The first psychiatrist I ever saw advised me to stop the use of caffeine because it made bipolar illness worse. (No mention was made of sensitivity at that time.) Also, she advised not to use alcohol, because that made bipolar illness worse.

I definitely had an addiction to caffeine and looked forward to coffee every day. Stopping it caused headaches. There were digestive problems using caffeine, and it made depression worse. Most recently, my psychiatrist told me that for people who are sensitive to caffeine it should be removed from the diet completely.

In addition, Ms. Whalen points out that the woman who had been on medications was completely free of the need to take them once she removed caffeine from her diet. I don't know that one can do that with borderline personality disorder. Some discussion on another website by doctors who examined bipolar patients points out that bipolar patients are noted for having poor diets when they are first seen: e.g., one person had survived for months on nothing but diet sodas and potato chips. The site was called (Safe Harbor if you want to read what those scientists have to say about bipolar patients and diets.)

Then, too, replies from people who have stopped caffeine on forums have convinced me that it does affect a number of people with bipolar illness. I'm one, and I know of several others who have improved their status notably by changing their diets to have better nutrition, and removing caffeine was one of the things they did.

It has to do with acid-building in the tissues and organs of the body. It is best to keep the fluids and tissues slightly on the alkaline side rather than have such a strong acidic condition bothering one from foods that are high in acids or are digested with an acid residue. (All medications, incidentally, leave an acid residue or "ash" that must be metabolized by the kidneys.) It doesn't help to pour the acids to
them continually day in and day out. Foods that do that are generally the caffeine-containing sodas, caffeine products, white flour products, milk products, and sugars. There are others, too, but that'll do for the time being!

Take care.

[hamster-bamster]

I cannot believe you find diet coke tasty. I would highly suggest you try to switch to tasty and time-tested sources of caffeine such as coffee and tea.

Of course, taste is a subjective experience but when something is so OFF (diet coke is not even a food and not a drink, in essence - it is like a solution of a caffeine tablet with harmful substances added in), you need to try other options and see that perhaps you find or discover something that you like. Also, traditional sources of caffeine offer a myriad health benefits and diet coke just offers caffeine plus is harmful due to the additives in it.

Try various flavors of tea etc. - maybe you will happen on something palatable. Hot tea, cold tea, green tea, black tea, white tea, ... flavored tea...

I do not think that it would be helpful that much to think of this as a habit to kick. It would be more helpful and you would feel more positive if you conceive of it as a trial of better, tastier, and let us say more "refined" if you excuse it , choices until you like something suitable that will replace the diet Coke.

It is also good to learn to pair food and drink in ways that benefit both in one meal, and diet Coke is pretty much a killer in this department, as far as I know.

[hamster-bamster]

There are now SO many different teas to try that you will find something you like if you go through the choices on the market.

[ambivalent amy]

Originally Posted by manicdepressive07

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I do know that it actually dehydrates your system, so I try not to drink it as a drink randomly when I'm thirsty, I usually stick to only drinking it with meals. (cuz it's so tasty!) haha

My favorite meal with Coke is actually breakfast. Bacon, eggs, toast and Coke. It's the best!!

[jadzea]

The health risks of artificial sweeteners and caffeine aside I'm not sure you have an addiction. Just because you enjoy someting and partake of it regularly IN MODERATION (capitalized for emphasis) does not mean you are addicted. A true addiction controls your thoughts and actions. It interferes with your life and happiness. It is a burning desire to obtain whatever it is over all other activities.

My husband truely likes steak. He orders them when we go out to restaurants. I make one for him almost weekly. He greatly enjoys the meal but he is not addicted. There is a difference.

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by jadzea

The health risks of artificial sweeteners and caffeine aside I'm not sure you have an addiction. Just because you enjoy someting and partake of it regularly IN MODERATION (capitalized for emphasis) does not mean you are addicted. A true addiction controls your thoughts and actions. It interferes with your life and happiness. It is a burning desire to obtain whatever it is over all other activities.

My husband truely likes steak. He orders them when we go out to restaurants. I make one for him almost weekly. He greatly enjoys the meal but he is not addicted. There is a difference.

You are absolutely right. No question about it.

But since steak is tasty (more or less objectively to the extent we can say it about taste) and iron-rich and protein-rich and vitamin-rich etc., and diet coke is not rich in anything particularly good, there might be some reason to try, slowly and without using unnecessary labels such as "addiction", but just little by little, try to replace diet Coke with a more healthful drink. And if that effort fails, then sure go back to moderate consumption.