Brad Lamm, CIP
| “I’ll take a half-caf, skinny latte,” I heard today while in line at Starbucks. She got hers, while the rest of us were in line for our java fix awaiting our turns. Without the thought of rehab, we have our digital devices, sugar and caffeine that are normal parts of many American’s daily routine.
Addictive substances abound in our lives, right? Yes, they do, and I’ll admit that while most would admit that crack, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin are deadly we hedge with the others. I love the idea of broadening the descriptors to include:
ADDICTED
AFFLICTED
AFFECTED BY
As in, “I’m am afflicted by a sideways sort of _______________.”
Or, “I’m addicted to __________________.”
And even, “I’m affected by ______________________ in a way I want to adjust.”
We all have a hierarchy of what’s good, and how good; what’s bad, and how bad, in the things that fill up our lives. Even alcohol and pot are highly debated as for many they’re no big deal while for others they are a big ugly problem.
What to make of caffeine then? It not only lives in most of our lives, but is something we’ve become dependent upon. I know I get a headache in the morning when I don’t have my coffee. For some it’s become an even bigger problem. According to CBS news, an 18 year old named Logan Stiner was found dead of an overdose of pure caffeine. Yes that is not a misquote. The coroner says, “we had never seen this before.”
While caffeine has long been used in energy and weight-loss supplements, this tragedy begs a thought or more on how caffeine lives in our lives. It turns out, according to the article that supplemental caffeine is easy to acquire and buy in large quantity off the internet. Being labeled as a supplement, it has no regulation from the FDA. With all the new substances being put in our foods and mouths (often hidden) it’s high time we consider how what we put in us, changes how we feel and are.
Bottom line is that any drug, including caffeine can be dangerous when consumed at massive quantities. Remember that just because a substance is legal to buy, doesn’t mean it’s safe. There are many legal substances today that will eventually be illegal, the FDA just needs a hot minute to play catch up. The big ones we know to stay away from – heroin, tobacco and crack. When it comes to pot and alcohol for many not in recovery, moderation is the goal. For someone with addiction, total abstinence is crucial for all mood and mind altering chemicals.
At Breathe Life Healing Centers, we don’t do caffeine on Campus or at our Clinics because we want to disconnect from the outside substances that drive us. How might you adjust your intake today? Be open to asking and answering the questions like these.
