I once drank three cups a day, if not five or six. Always very thick, almost enough to strip the paint off of a battleship, occasionally with cream but usually

I once drank three cups a day, if not five or six. Always very thick, almost enough to strip the paint off of a battleship, occasionally with cream but usually black. That started sometime in college - first or second year. Didn't have much exposure to caffeine before that so the addiction was quick. Fast forward a decade, and the anxiety from the caffeine was getting really bad, I couldn't sleep, and the coffee (among other things) was eating into my stomach. So I quit caffeine entirely. The headaches. The "not right" tingling. The other withdrawal symptoms usually associatted with hard drugs. I was convinced I was going crazy for a spell. But in time that all went away. Now I drink zero cups a day and sometimes feel like a zombie. Unfortunately even a small trace of caffeine (like in rich chocolate or an occasional small cup of something caffeinated) triggers a relapse. I do occasionally fall face-first off of the wagon. But the withdrawal symptoms are nowhere near as bad as they were the first time. When I'm "on" caffeine, I feel like I'm sharper. Mental tasks seem to be easier, and maybe they are. But the overall feeling from being (mostly) off the stuff is better. I can sleep again. I don't get the shakes as I'm coming down from the "high." But somedays... I just feel like I'm not here. Like I still need that hit.