I (26F) don’t drink coffee for the most part, except for a few iced coffees a month as a treat. When I was in college I worked part time at Starbucks and developed a wicked caffeine addiction. I could have all the coffee I wanted during my shifts and my coworkers would give me free drinks any time I stopped by. It was at the point where I could barely function in the morning before I had my coffee. I also became a bit of a snob and had a distaste for anything other than Starbucks.

Well when I graduated and got my first big girl job, the daily Starbucks runs were wrecking havoc on my wallet (I moved so the Starbucks I used to work at was no longer close by). Because of this I quit cold turkey, and after months of severe side effects my body no longer craved caffeine.

It’s been like four years of almost no coffee and I gotta say I’m freaking exhausted. I work 45 hours a week, try to exercise or something after work but I have absolutely no energy anymore. Even hanging out with friends feels like a chore sometimes. Literally everyone I know in the corporate world is an avid coffee drinker. My boyfriend and everybody else at my office seem to drink multiple cups just to get through the day.

I’m so burnt out and I can’t imagine doing this for another fifty years. I hated the dependency my body had on caffeine but I definitely appreciated the results. Plus I think I’ve matured enough to move on from only Starbucks if I decide to start drinking coffee again.

So is there something I’m missing? Is today’s fast-paced lifestyle just not possible anymore without practically drugging ourselves with energy juice all day? Does the addiction justify having more energy?