Addicted to energy drinks

There are growing voices in politics and the media to ban energy drinks such as Monster and RedBull for children. The energy drinks are said to be unhealthy and children may get into trouble later as adults as a result. This is not entirely untrue, but eventually children have to learn to deal with energy drinks and other fun things in life, so it remains to be seen how wise this is.

For example, as an adult and as an adolescent, you can become addicted to energy drinks, want to know how to get rid of this again? Then read on.

Getting addicted to energy drinks

Energy drinks actually have two ingredients in them that can be addictive under certain circumstances. On the one hand sugar and on the other hand it contains caffeine. It also contains taurine which has an uplifting effect.

As you know, you can become addicted to sugar. This is because sugar blocks the signal to your brain that you’re full when you eat. As a result, you often stop eating too late—such as when your stomach actually expands and you feel bloated.

The sugar in energy drinks also often makes you feel like you have more energy.

The other addictive substance is caffeine, which can be particularly addictive precisely because it gives you extra energy. Many people also blame this substance for coffee addiction. You’re considered addicted if you drink more than 5 cups or mugs of coffee a day.

When you take these two ingredients together, it can be incredibly addictive if you have a lot of energy needs.

Getting addicted during your adolescence/adolescence

Adolescents have different sleep needs than adults. Instead of 8 hours of sleep, they need 9 hours of sleep, and in addition, adolescents fall asleep much later because melatonin is produced later in the day. Yet they have to get up early again, and this can cause a (chronic) energy deficit.

Coffee can seem like a solution in the morning, but the taste is often not good enough for the average adolescent and a sugary drink is much more enjoyable anyway.

In this way, an adolescent can be introduced to energy drinks, and because they contain sugar and caffeine, you can become addicted to them, just like chocolate.

Especially if there is no additional sleep on weekends, this lack of energy can be really problematic for a child in adolescence. This includes taking the first steps into nightlife, and then again you need to stay awake longer.

At American Universities, for example, it is very popular to mix energy drinks with alcoholic beverages, because then you feel less under the influence. Of course, you are then just under the influence, but subjectively it doesn't feel that way.

This does have unpleasant consequences, though. According to the 2008 study “Caffeinated Cocktails: Energy Drink Consumption, High-risk Drinking, and Alcohol-related Consequences among College Students,” these students are more often male than female. The quarter of American students who engage in this behavior are also more likely to experience drunkenness or sexual harassment —or to engage in such behavior themselves—are more likely to ride in a car with a drunk driver, and are more likely to sustain injuries requiring medical attention.

Now fortunately, an addiction to energy drinks is not the same as an addiction to energy drinks with alcohol, but this can be a precursor to this behavior.

Addicted as an adult

Even as an adult, you can become addicted to energy drinks because of the sugar and caffeine they contain. Although adults often only need 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, more and more adults are suffering from fatigue.

Insomnia is also a growing problem among the adult population.

Most working adults only get 6 hours of sleep a night. That people are then more likely to reach for coffee or energy drinks is only logical.

What to do about this addiction?

In itself, it is quite logical that when you have an energy deficit you start drinking energy drinks, can you already speak of an addiction? Yes indeed, if this drink causes you to prevent yourself from taking good care of your body and start "cheating" with energy drinks you have a problem.

Ultimately, you are not doing your body and mind any favors with energy drinks. The sugars in energy drinks cause higher levels of inflammation, often identified by extra pimples, and on top of that, this can also be bad for the brain (even though it runs on glucose).

What is especially obvious, as when energy drinks are mixed with alcoholic beverages, is that you have the illusion of energy. Maybe you recognize this. You think you have energy. You go about your work nicely. Meanwhile, you do drop all kinds of things out of your hands and bump into every table point and door handle. This kind of clumsiness is a good symptom of hidden fatigue.

Therefore, you must first confess to yourself that energy drinks are not a good long-term way to energize yourself.

Instead, you can take the following steps:

Keep a sleep diary

Do you currently have no idea how much sleep you're getting? Then keep a sleep diary. Each morning write down what time you went to bed and what time you woke up. Then after a week, take a look at how many days you actually got the 8 hours of sleep you need as an adult human being at a minimum to function properly.

This can be a confrontation to choose your own sleep after all.

Do you have trouble falling asleep? If so, you should pay attention to sleep hygiene and make sure to stop drinking energy drinks by 3:00 p.m.

Move

Finally got the 8 hours of sleep but still don't have enough energy? Then exercise between work. You'll find that it makes you more creative and gives you more energy. Especially if you have an office job.

In addition, you can also exercise more often. Join a gym or a soccer club (or another sport you enjoy) so you can experience that sense of camaraderie.

Eat Healthy

A third practical tip is to eat healthy. Eating a lot of fat and sugar puts a lot of strain on your gut, which in turn costs you energy. This can be seen, for example, in the after-dinner dip. That tired feeling you can get after a big plate of pasta, pizza or French fries.

In fact, by eating lighter and eating fewer carbohydrates, you can do a lot to get more energy. For example, instead of having an energy drink at lunch, have a green smoothie and an extra glass of water. This way you get more nutrients and less sugar. You will see that you get more energy.

Consider why you think it's so important to have lots of energy

Have you implemented all the previous tips? Have you actually been sleeping 8 hours for weeks, you exercise regularly and also your diet is otherwise healthy but that energy drink is just not something you can stay away from?

Then you really cheat with your energy level compared to other people.

Then ask yourself why you think it’s so important to have so much energy. For example, if you find it difficult to do on your own, you can use hypnosis to uncover your beliefs about your energy levels and energy drinks. This can be done, for instance, through a Socratic dialogue.

Regression to find out why

Another way to uncover the “why” behind your energy drink addiction is through regression. Regression helps you go back to a moment that was significant in the formation of the belief that you need energy and that you can use anything—such as energy drinks—to get it.

Surprising results can emerge during regression. In fact, many beliefs are formed between your^5th and ^8th years of life.

Changing beliefs about energy drinks

When you know what beliefs you have and why you have them, hypnosis can help change those beliefs. This can be done, for example, through hypnotic suggestions and through visualizations.

For example, you may be convinced that you can't function properly without energy drinks because you just can't imagine it. Instead, you may think that you are actually lifeless on the couch if you don't have energy drinks.

A visualization can then help you change your imagination. You will first relax and pay attention to your breathing, then the hypnotherapist can help you with a visualization such as:

"You wake up and take a big glass of water. That already refreshes quite a bit. You have a healthy breakfast with a piece of fruit and you notice that your body comes alive even more. While at work, you also notice that your snack of a cruesli bar is enough to keep you going until lunch. At lunch, you eat your sandwich with toppings and have another healthy green smoothie with it. You feel how the healthy ingredients of the smoothie nourish your body and mind which also makes you feel rested in the afternoon and you also feel lighter than usual. You also finish work on time for a change and run smoothly through everything. When you get home you can look back on a productive day. Dinner with your family is enjoyable and you can also have a great chat and look at your children's crafts. Living with healthy food and drink suits you."

This is just an example of a guided visualization by a hypnotherapist. Depending on your symptoms and beliefs, you may receive a different visualization.

Would you like to learn more about hypnosis? Then come check out the workshop and explore the training programs offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.

Sources:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00085.x/full