Up to one-half of young adults regularly use energy drinks. It is rarely mentioned in research around energy drinks but consuming them daily or using the shots of caffeine can lead to addiction. Addiction to caffeine can be challenging for people who develop tolerance and no longer get the ‘energy boosting effects’ boasted about by the sellers of energy drinks.
How Addiction Starts
People who regularly consume caffeine develop tolerance to its effects on sleepiness and can no longer benefit from the ability to use caffeine’s benefits for mental alertness and performance. Going half a day without caffeine can result in increased sleepiness, lower mental alertness, and poorer performance on memory tasks and reaction time.
Classic Signs
The need to find caffeine and get a ‘fix’ to feel ‘normal,’ is one of the signs of addiction. With caffeine, it’s all about the energy, about feeling good. If it is not the usual dose then it will not suffice and withdrawal symptoms can begin. Sleepiness and headaches are two of the things that can kick in when caffeine is not present with people who have addiction. The dangers of energy drinks and mixed drinks with alcohol are related to addiction to caffeine as the person just wants to kick the high up a notch. Serious risks can result including cardiac arrest when alcohol and energy drinks are consumed together. The sedating and intoxicating effects combined result in impaired judgment which may lead to riskier behaviors.
Some of the risk can include:
Increased heart rate
Blood pressure increase
Palpitations of the heart
Arrhythmias that can result in heart attack or other heart-related complications
Natural Alternatives to Try
With an energy drink addiction, it can be hard to kick but is well worth doing. The dangers of energy drinks along with the negative aspects of dependence can really be detrimental to a person’s well-being, including social life, work, and family relationships. Consumption of too much caffeine can be harmful but alternatives do exist such as teas and other drinks that are not toxic or alcoholic. First, it is important to address any signs of addiction to caffeine and energy drinks. The main goal is to seek help for any signs of addiction that pop up and find a way to recover from it in a way that helps a person lead a healthy life without the use of caffeinated energy drinks.
Cypress Lakes can help you kick your addiction to energy drinks. We have a holistic treatment space where you are able to focus on yourself and get the help you need to be well. Call us to find out how we can help you move forward. 866-217-2636
