> You can lapse at any time later just indulging in one craving.

This rings very true. I tried coffee one time after quitting and the withdrawal migraines came back the next day like I was back in the thick of it.

I haven't had caffeine since then.

Does tea or soda give you the migraines as well? Or just coffee?

They do, to an extent (though I very rarely drink coke). I tried a chai-based and cocao-based coffee alternative which had slightly more caffeine than decaf coffee, and it still gave me the same symptoms after a second cup. I guess my body just metabolizes caffeine differently than it did.

I know you were just exaggerating for effect, but obviously a lot of illicit drugs (and not so illicit depending on the person: alcohol) are a lot harder to quit for various reasons.

Not really, I've done a lot of hard drugs, except heroin/opioids/benzos, and I'd say caffeine is the hardest to quit. Literally been on a 3 day binger awake and couldn't figure out why my head hurt, thought it was food, water, oh no whoops it was a caffeine withdrawal.

Everything else I can do on and off, some things it's been years, caffeine I've only quit once. Lapsed and haven't been able to again.

I was specifically thinking of heroin and friends which can have massive withdrawal symptoms and need plenty of external support to overcome. “all illicit” is too big an umbrella I agree. Change that to “some” instead “a lot”.

Certainly, benzos and opioids are very addictive and the feedback cycle isn't your friend so you don't fuck with em.

That's not saying much about caffeine though, being slightly less addictive than heroin is not a high bar.

Compared to any other stimulants though, caffeine is the most addictive, with the worst withdraw, in my experience.

going cold turkey off benzos can literally kill you

A small amount of caffeine has been enough to keep the withdrawal headaches from occurring for me.

When I've stopped in the past, I usually take one diet soda I don't especially enjoy (like a Diet Pepsi) and drink a quarter of a can a day in the morning.

As you might surprise I've never attempted to quit caffeine permanently, just to reduce my consumption or to stop for a few months. It is indeed an easy habit to start back on.

I do the same, but wait until the headache starts, rather than anticipating it, to drink something caffeinated. I've found this helps me quit faster, and a 10-minute headache isn't insufferable (a single caffeinated beverage usually ends the headache quickly for me). I've never needed more than 2-3 days to get passed that part.

But, like you, I've never tried to totally quit. I "test" myself by usually abstaining from caffeine on the weekends. If I get even a slight headache, then it's time to cut back.

That seems pretty excessive. Whenever I've gone off caffeine, it's only taken 2 days of light headaches. Am I an outlier here?

Two days for me, for energy drinks, which are worse than coffee. I think they just overclock your CNS, so you are wasted the next day, and maybe the day after. Then I am fine if I sleep enough.

I successfully reduced caffeine to zero a few times before (usually after reading posts like this). I didn't quit cold turkey though, I gradually tapered it off over couple of weeks. No withdrawal effects at all.

If you consider caffeine very addictive, use techniques developed for fight addiction to addictive drugs like benzos.

> Caffeine is the hardest drug to quit.

I kept giggling for a few minutes so much that I got back here to thank you for that.

When I quit, I tapered down at the rate of 5oz a week and never experienced headaches.

I agree

but you can alllways find replacement like tea

That's what I did. One cup of green tea a day.