Dependency on legally accessible stimulants (e.g. caffeine, ephedrine, dmaa)

[fiatlux]

I recognize that I have an issue with stimulants and its usage has become so much of a crutch to me that going without it yields to be painfully difficult to function at work, resulting in fatigue, muscle tension, poor concentration, amotivation, etc. I have made previous attempts to taper off my use but repeatedly finding myself returning to its use as a crutch. I wonder if members of this "healing corner" have any recommendation to support my goal of reducing dependency on these substance because continuing on this path seems to likely result in much risks. Please advise. Are there meditations, chakra work, mantras, mudras that can supplement my tapering off of these substances?

[atsguy]

My advice, focus exclusivity on your physical life for the better part of the next year. You have to ask yourself if using the stimulants is the problem or your work life (is it stressful)

Tapper off slowly by changing your entire routine/eating habits

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/10/27/food-combining.aspx

- Eat good wholesome foods, cut all sugar, wheat, and dairy out of your diet
- Start a vigorous exercise program
- stick to a meditation scheduled 1 hour a day and look up concentration excercises (trataka, speed reading excercises)

- affirmations and the will to change and grow go far!

[Dreamweaver]

Drug and alcohol dependency is a multidimensional biomedical/psychological/social and spiritual problem. There are different levels of severity, and recovery success is dependent on a lot of things: type of substance, how much is used, how often, and for what overall length of time. There are other factors involved including health issues, mental health issues, quality of family and social support, presence or absence of the structure and goal orientation of work, willingness and openness to participate in a growth and change process and so on.

Each substance has a withdrawal syndrome. There is acute withdrawal and post acute withdrawal or PAWS. PAWS involves stress insensitivity, mood dysregulation, anxiety and irritability, cognitive difficulties including short term memory loss and problems with comprehension, physical incoordination, and problems with sleep and overall fatigue. PAWS can last up to 2 years.

So - stopping on your own without professional help and an appropriate accountability structure usually doesn't work. Many can attain short term sobriety, but without ongoing support end up relapsing and are back to using at the same level or worse off than before.

I strongly encourage anyone who is struggling with a chemical dependency to get a professional assessment and follow all recommendations.

Recovery is for the courageous!

[WhiteMonkey]

Move to a strange country helps.

It changes everything.

Otherwise start small with easy exercises they give you power and concentration �� try dan millmans book the 12 doors of daily enlightment.

All the best

[ButterflyWoman]

All of the following recommendations are from hard-won personal experience with addiction to various substances (including, but not limited to, caffeine).

Stop using the substance completely. Yes, there will be withdrawl symptoms, the worst being within the first three days. If you can do this when you've got some time off (a long weekend or something along those lines) that will help. Do not give in to the temptation to take more of the substance. With caffeine, you'll get a hell of a headache, although drinking water will help somewhat, but if you can just make yourself put up with the headache and the loss of focus and the other symptoms, that's the first battle won.

Do not use the substance any more if you know you can't manage your use of it. This sounds obvious, but it took me years to work out that there are simply some things I cannot consume, full stop. I can't control my craving for them, nor my dependence on them. One leads to three which leads to six. So there are simply some things I avoid as completely as possible.

I know this all sounds really obvious, and it kind of is, but when you're wound up in the addiction and the addictive behaviours, it can be difficult to see. From all my years of experience and struggle in this area (and I do have a very addictive personality), I learned the hard way that the only way to stop doing something is to stop doing it. That's the bottom line.

[dontco]

Regarding the caffeine- I would recommend maybe switching to green tea. You can google it. It has a much lower amount of caffeine than coffee, and it's healthier.
Another thing- if you have something you're addicted to, try to not have it in your house. It's easier that way.
I would also recommend Louise Hay. Look for her :-) she's all over YouTube.