Does drinking coffee replace or lessen the addiction of drinking alcohol in alcoholics?
Does drinking coffee help reduce the addiction or daily cravings of alcohol. Can one develops an addiction to coffee? (from the caffeine)
Will the coffee addiction ever have a chance of switching over from alcohol to coffee?
This is for a research paper on an experimental analysis of behavior treatment.
The act of drinking coffee will not replace the craving for alcohol and it will not lessen it. Addiction is the unrelenting physical and mental need for a mind altering substance or high. An alcoholic in recovery has to be vigilant about not cross addicting, which is what you are touching on. And coffee, in large amounts, is a stimulant. So is tobacco, which is why so many addicts smoke.
Addicts that gravitate toward ‘stimulants’, like coke or meth, diet pills, etc can take off with coffee or energy drinks. Also, any addict can cross addict to a whole different area, like gambling, sex, video games… It’s the mind going to unhealthy amounts of something to escape. Bottom line.
If someone is ‘addicted’ to caffeine (and I wonder how you are using the word; clinically or casually?) they could move to alcohol, I guess, to change to a mind altering substance but I don’t see that as a big danger. I see the other way around as a danger because caffeine is seen an ‘safe’ and larger amounts can creep up and create a need. I have seen former meth addicts relapse starting with energy drinks…..
Hope this helps.