[Artchic528]

Okay, I admit, I'm addicted to caffeinated sodas like diet coke and diet mountain dew (am even drinking diet dew right now for god's sake). I have absolutely zero self control around these and am much like an alcoholic in this respect. A sodaholic, in other worlds.

I've posted about this before, but feel it was undermined because it wasn't considered a "true addiction, like heroine" or something. How is it any less an addiction? It's ruining my body, I can't control myself when I'm around the stuff and trying to cut back is almost impossible for me. Sounds like a real enough addiction.

Any words of support, ideas on other things I can try instead of soda?

[Patagonia]

What do you like about the soda. The taste? The sugar? The caffeine?
What happens when you don’t get it? Avoid it?
Have you tried to cut the soda with water? Maybe a small amount at a time?
Have you tried club soda? Seltzer water? Tonic water?

Is caffeine driving this?

[rainbow in the dark]

I used to drink soda all the time. Now I drink Propel flavored water. It tastes good, comes in a variety of flavors and has 0 calories.

[divine1966]

How is your sleep pattern?

My husband is RN working nights 12 hour shifts (usually it turns into 14) and to stay alert he drinks pop and then is mad at himself for it. But one can only drink that much coffee plus he relies on sugar in pop and refreshing coldness and bubbles to stay alert. Not the kind of job where you can be groggy. He is trying to cut off but I fell unless he switches to day time position he won’t be able to quit.

Unless you work nights, do you have healthy sleep pattern? Up during the day, in bed in the evening and sleep through the night? If not, that’s where the issue likely is. Irregular sleep patterns contribute to addictions to certain foods and drinks: sleep pattern messes with all your functions

[Teddy Bear]

I drink a lot of soda as well just know you're not alone

[BillSamuels2]

Just drink coffee or tea for your caffeine if you need it and switch to seltzer (club soda) for the bubbles. Then you still get that fizzy feeling but it's not bad for you at all! Sugar sodas have really bad things in them, they should actually be illegal.

[twistypringle98]

Soda is a bit addictive. The caffeine and sugar, if you drink the ones with sugar. The caffeine isn't nearly as high as coffee, but if you drink tons then it will disturb your sleep patterns and I even believe dreams. (Before I got diagnosed with anything, I was drinking sugary soda and coffee instead of my usual water and I ended up with this nightmare disorder nonsense. I'm still way addicted to that stuff and hence am typing this up at 12:30am!)

And be aware - diet things can cause strokes and high blood pressure if you drink them a lot!

[greentires4me]

I am sodaholic to....but someone bought me a sodastream and will make my own pop and they have Diet but not dew unfortunately. maybe get one of those...less carbonation...and use surcalose for the sugar.....

[mote.of.soul]

Hi. I had an ex who in the two years we were living together I never saw her drink anything other than coca cola. Coke, coke coke, not one glass of water. She hated the taste of water! Yes, it's an addiction all right, make no mistake.

[Travelinglady]

I agree that it can be addictive. I love my cola, too. I switch to flavored carbonated water sometimes, but I usually have at least one Coke a day. I agree that you might try to find out what's driving your drinking--the sugar, the caffeine, etc. Try different options. There's cherry flavored water that reminds me a bit of Dr Pepper. Or try a mixed drink with orange juice mixed with carbonated water, etc. Cutting down would help, anyway.

[bizi]

What about substituting with some other beverage?
like green tea, fewer grams of caffeine.
I substituted hot tea for alcohol. and le croix sparking water.
I do drink coffee in the morning and at 2-3pm I take a caffeine pill which has 200mg of caffeine in it.
I am dieting and find that the caffeine is helping.
bizi

[TishaBuv]

I like raspberry flavored seltzer. No chemicals, no sugars, nothing fake, no calories.

[Mental Health Congo]

Sugar does create dopamine in your brain. Try to find a way to create dopamine with plain water. Get in a relationship with water. Find ways to make it work for you. Filter it and try to make it creative. One thing that I did was get a filter and then test how filtered my water was with a tester. I will do this with several filters and compare. Now I drink water a lot more and my health has improved. Good luck.

[Artchic528]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I tried drinking tea, but don't like the taste (except for Chai lattes), same with coffee. I, however, absolutely love salted caramel Frappiccinos from Starbucks. I'm also drinking this fruit flavored carbonated water sometimes that is almost as good as soda. It's called Clear American and I can down a liter bottle of it almost in the span of a couple hours. It helps a bit. I tried actual fruity seltzer water, but I didn't much care for that at all.

I guess it's the sugar and caffeine I'm addicted to more so than anything.