I am a caffeine addict, but I have not had any caffeine for over 30 years. I was drinking 5-6 cups of coffee per day during work days, but not on the weekends. As I ramped up to my daily dose, I began to notice a decrease in the quality of my work. I would come in fresh each morning and review what I had accomplished the day before, and I would notice lots of errors in the work that I had done.

Aside from the errors, I would get withdrawal symptoms during weekends so I decided to quit. At the time it did not seem like a big deal. I quit cold-turkey and had some serious headaches, but felt okay after 3-4 days. It takes some effort to avoid all forms of caffeine, and I fell off the wagon a few times. Each time, I could justify my actions because caffeine is so common, and nearly everyone uses it.

The second time I quit, the reaction seemed worse. I felt so bad that I missed two days of work, but the symptoms weren't really much different.

The third (and final) time I quit, the symptoms were pretty serious. Aside from the headaches, I had cold sweats and vomiting. I began to feel better after 4-5 days. It was so bad that I was certain that I never wanted to go through it again, and I haven't.

I still crave coffee, and I am tempted every morning when I make some for my (addicted) wife. I've been off caffeine for over 30 years now, and I have no regrets.