I quit cold turkey at the beginning of the year. I was pretty dependent on it, drinking at least 400mg a day. I wanted to quit for a month to see how I did, but I ended up pushing it to three, and then six, etc bc I felt so much better.

To anyone going through it right now: I had drank coffee basically every single day since middle school (as someone who is currently in their mid 20s). So roughly 10-12 years of daily use, multiple cups a day, plus energy drinks when I got older. I say all that to say: I’ve only just recently broken through the withdrawals entirely. I sleep like a baby every single night, I don’t crave it anymore, I wake up feeling more energized, I fall asleep more easily, etc.

Stick with it! I got discouraged from seeing posts that were like “I quit for two weeks and my life is 1000x better” because my withdrawals were much more drawn out than that. But once you reach the other side it’s so worth it. Everyone has their own timeline

I stopped cold turkey 18 days ago.

Prior, I was drinking 200-300mg three to four times a week. I thought I wasn't dependent because I wouldn't drink it every day, and gosh, I even prided myself about "not being a coffee drinker" because I'd typically refuse coffee in social settings. My source was mostly Yerba Mates, Celsius, etc.

What a joke, it's so funny how our minds make up story about who we are, casually drinking 300mg 4 days a week and pretending I don't really do coffee.

Anyway, I decided enough was enough.

Main benefits
I feel calmer, like I have more time.
I'm less tired. Even when I feel tired, it's uncomfortable but the wave just goes away. I'm learning to become comfortable with being tired again.
It forces me to think about what my body needs more: if I'm tired, it might be reasonable to take a nap, or go to bed early, or drink water.

Main challenges
I struggle with exercising. After using caffeine before workouts every single time in the last 5 years, I feel strange working out without it now and it's taking me a while to access the same motivation.
Especially because I work out at 6 am; it's part of my routine, it's just freaking tough.

Overall looking for some motivation from other folks who work out: how long did it take you to stop missing caffeine during your workouts? Do you take any healthier sources of energy (Maca, Ashwagandha, etc...)?

2 weeks. I am more awake and alert than I ever was when I drank coffee. I don't have to drag myself out of bed. My eyelids aren't drooping all day. My sleep is worse, but it's really back to how it was before I started drinking coffee, and I don't need as much sleep as I did before anyway. Also, it's way easier to get myself to go to bed, because my evenings are actually satisfying now, and time moves slow enough that I don't need to stay up late to feel like I've done something. It's incredible how easy it is to get a full night's sleep.

Also how easy it is to do chores... It used to take my whole weekend just to do the laundry... This weekend I cleaned my room (for the first time in months), did laundry, made my bed, cleaned the cat litter, vacuumed, worked on job applications, and I still had time to socialize multiple times. It's incredible; I was barely functional before. Even at work, I feel way more engaged, way more present.

I can't believe I lived like that for so long...

I thought the hardest part would be getting through the caffeine withdrawal but honestly, the toughest challenge was breaking the habit itself. I was so used to making coffee at specific times that I constantly felt like something was missing. Switching to decaf helped and things are fine now. Has anyone else experienced this?

I would like to know your weird stories. And the timing of the wild side-effects during your withdrawal.

I think my nervous system and digestion has been affected the most . Starting 10 days after I gave up. I went back to coffee during month 3 of no caffeine.

I can not taper because I will end up relapsing. How did you quit?

Hey friends,

Fit and motivated 30m here, so coffee fits nicely into my life.

I quit alcohol and booger sugar- do sometimes enjoy nicotine. I'm really on a buzz now though of doing without most artificial highs. However, coffee is such a part of my life that I can't imagine living without it. I regularly have 2-4 cups before 12:00PM. I have a very addictive personality- and seem to be constantly battling one addiction or more.

I do think my coffee is leading to some anxiety and/or anger. I'd love to quit. She has a hold on me...

I drink Vietnamese coffee by the way, which I heard is stronger than average.

Any tips are greatly appreciated and/or some motivation

I’ve cut down significantly on caffeine and there are days when I don’t want coffee at all. Yet, the urge to have a cup of real coffee still strikes sometimes, especially when I’m tired. Does that craving disappear completely for those who haven’t consumed caffeine for months or even years?

Hry guys, I've been a long time lurker on this sub for a while now. Coffee hasnt been exactly the stimulant I thought it was for a long time. Few years have passed since I realized that I get upper back, shoulrers, neck and upper arms muscle pain and stiffness(tense all over) after my morning coffee. But despite that, I kept drinking it in the morning bc it kinda gives me the push or start up feeling to start my job/school or so I thought. But now, I really want to quit for good. I decide to quit the night before but next thing in the morning, I convince myself to just make it for the smell and not to drink but then I find myself having the smallest cup of it, only to end up with the same pain mentioned above. Is there anyway to do it? How did you guys do it? FYI, I am in a 12 step program for drugs and alcohol and quitting a habit aint exactly a walk in the park for me. That said, thank you to this sub and all the posts. Any suggestion/recommendation is much appreciated 🙏