I used to be a drug addict.

I've been watching LOST on Netflix (stay with me here), and one of the characters, Charlie, is a recovering heroin addict. I don't think I'm giving away major spoilers by sharing that Charlie got hooked by his brother. In one episode I watched a few weeks back, Charlie's brother is begging him for a hit, "just enough to get right."

Eye. Opener.

My drug of "choice" was caffeine.  I know, not what most people think of when they hear "drug addict," but it's the truth. Caffeine is a drug, and I was firmly addicted. I decided to quit drinking caffeinated beverages back in October.  Before I cut myself off, I was like every other caffeine junkie I know - I couldn't imagine NOT starting my day without a hit of coffee or skipping my midafternoon Mountain Dew (or three). Without it, I got tired, cranky, headachey - I didn't drink caffeine for some amazing benefit or high, I needed my fix just to "get right."  

Kind of scary, when you think about it.

Most - possibly all - of my friends probably think I'm crazy. After all, as far as mind/mood-altering substances go, caffeine is pretty darn low on the crazy-highs-and-horrible-side-effects totem pole, and a case can definitely be made that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

So why DID I decide to quit?  First and foremost, because I dislike being a slave to anything, much less something as inane as a coffee mug or 20-oz bottle. Second, that isht is expensive!  Third, I'm trying to lose weight. I was consuming hundreds of empty calories a day in soda, and I *knew* that I would never be able to completely give up Mountain Dew if I didn't eliminate the caffeine crutch first.

And frankly, it's been...totally and completely worth it.

• I sleep better at night - it took a while for me to realize how much better, in fact. 
• My body is rediscovering it's natural daily rhythm - I go to bed when I'm tired instead of tossing and turning and waiting impatiently for the caffeine to wear off enough for sleep. 
• I've never considered myself a morning person, and now I'm routinely waking up (refreshed and well rested, even) before the alarm goes off. 
• Best of all, I think, is that I no longer get that midafternoon slump. True story.  

So...yeah. That's the story of how I used to be a drug addict, and I'm not anymore!