Episode 34 · Duration: 11:55

About this episode

A childhood filled with IV drips and hospital stays after a life-threatening kidney infection quietly set the stage for an 11-year prison of Pepsi and Coke addiction that followed. The 34th confession (often framed as a story of soda-driven captivity) describes how a young mother went from medical recovery to drinking up to 96 ounces of cola a day, developing fibrocystic breast disease, panic attacks, insomnia, and severe digestive problems, all while friends minimized it as “just soda”. It’s a brutal account of how caffeine in soft drinks can devastate both physical health and self-esteem when withdrawal feels worse than staying addicted

What You'll Hear in This Episode

• How a serious kidney infection requiring intravenous hydration and anti-nausea medication led her to start drinking Pepsi, which quickly became a daily habit.
• The escalation from 32 ounces of Coke or Pepsi a day to 64, then 96 ounces, and the inability to lose baby weight as cola became a constant companion.
• Development of constant breast pain, nodules, and a diagnosis of fibrocystic breast disease, while doctors repeatedly told her to stop drinking soda—a warning she felt unable to follow.
• Years of failed tapering attempts, each relapse triggered by stress and fueled by horrific withdrawal symptoms that made quitting feel impossible.
• A cascade of health problems—panic attacks, rosacea, insomnia, recurrent urinary tract infections, stomach cramps, and diarrhea—while still believing “regular” full-sugar soda was safer than diet.
• Emotional chaos: feeling constantly stressed, yelling at her kids, hating herself, and even hiding the extent of her soda use from her therapist out of shame
• A growing realization that caffeine addiction could coexist with other recoveries (from smoking and alcoholism), making this “invisible” addiction the hardest to admit and tackle.

Key Takeaways

• Caffeine addiction through soft drinks can be as intense and destructive as addiction through coffee or pills, especially when daily volumes reach multiple liters.
• Fibrocystic breast pain, digestive disruption, anxiety, and sleep problems can all be tied to heavy, long-term cola consumption, even when people assume it’s “just soda”.
• Stress is a powerful trigger for relapse, especially when withdrawal symptoms like headaches, panic, and insomnia feel unbearable.
• Because soda is socially accepted and widely available, acknowledging addiction and seeking help can feel more embarrassing than admitting to other substances.
• Supportive recovery programs (even ones originally joined for other addictions) can become crucial spaces to address caffeine and soda dependence too.

Who Should Listen

• Parents or caregivers who rely heavily on soda to cope with stress, exhaustion, or emotional overwhelm.
• Anyone experiencing breast pain, skin issues, anxiety, or digestive problems while drinking large amounts of caffeinated soft drinks.
• People who have already quit smoking or alcohol but still feel trapped by their soda or caffeine habit.
• Therapists, counselors, and recovery group leaders who may be overlooking clients’ hidden dependence on caffeinated soft drinks

Resources & Links

• 🌐 Central hub for episodes, tools, and community: https://linktr.ee/UnwiredLife.
• 📖 Confessions of a Caffeine Addict by Marina Kushner – the anthology where this 34th confession appears.
• 📩 Share your own caffeine or soda story, or connect with others trying to quit: https://linktr.ee/UnwiredLife
• 🛒 Additional educational content and media projects about living “unwired” from caffeine and other stimulants: LiveUnwired.org.

Transcript

Within a month, I dropped 10 pounds. My skin became completely clear. My urinary tract infections and stomach pains went away without any of the medications doctors had previously prescribed. I later met other soda addicts who suffered from urinary tract infections and kidney stones. When they quit, they too saw their problems resolved. I wish I could say that my vow to never drink soda again was for life. Listen, we all talk about the grind, but most of you are subsidizing your hustle with a chemical loan you can't pay back. Can't pay back. In this new series, Unwired, we aren't just talking theory. We're going into the dirt with 40 anonymous stories of people who thought they were using caffeine to be superheroes, only to realize it was the very thing dismantling their health and their marriages. This is the case study of the hidden tax on your ambition. This is the case study of a couple who decide to quit coffee together and discover how deep their dependence really runs. Welcome back to Live Unwired. Real stories from real lives transformed by one everyday drug most of us barely even question. This 34th confession is called Drug Society. A lawyer and his partner Mary live in the Starbucks age, grabbing coffee in law school classes, at the office, and on almost every corner. 3 cups a day become 6 or 7 large mugs, normalized by slogans like America runs on Dunkin', and the sense that everyone needs caffeine to keep up. When they finally decide to quit, they first try swapping coffee for tea and realize they're just chasing the same high with more cups and more bathroom trips. Guided by a nutritionist, they gradually reduce caffeine by mixing in decaf, only to confront pounding headaches, heavy eyelids, muscle aches, irritability, depression, and even professional slip-ups as withdrawal hits. Drug Society is about recognizing coffee as a culturally sanctioned drug, seeing how hard it is to pull out of a dependence the whole world treats as normal, and learning that quitting takes more discipline and support than either of them expected. This episode is brought to you by Live Unwired, liveunwired.org, a community helping people reclaim natural energy deeper sleep, and real peace of mind without leaning on stimulants. liveunwired.org is the home base for this show and the gateway to 3 core resources from the Adrenal Foundation: The Truth About Caffeine, The Truth About Coffee, and Confessions of a Caffeine Addict: 40 True Anonymous Stories That Inspired This Series. Together, these 3 books give you the science, the lived experience, and the practical insight you need if you're ready to explore life with less or no caffeine. And if you recognize yourself in the edges of this story, you'll find support waiting at livenwire.org. Now settle in for Confession 34: Drug Society. Soda Girl. My relationship with caffeine began as a family bonding experience. During my teenage years, my family piled into my mom's white Expedition every morning, drove to our local bagel shop, and shouted our orders all at once to the poor woman in the drive-through window. My mom always ordered a Diet Coke with lemon. Didn't take long for me to start copying her. Large Diet Coke with lemon, please! I would shout from the back seat. I dove right in. I began to drink a can first thing in the morning every morning. Our fridge always had Diet Coke. When I went out to dinner with friends, I drank Diet Coke. Compared to beer and other alcoholic beverages, soda seemed to be safe. I never had a taste for alcohol, but I fit right in with the rest of the crowd holding a drink in my hand. Difference was my drink was Diet Coke. My reputation as the soda girl became established. Caffeine seemed innocent at the time. I thought I was making a healthy decision by avoiding alcohol, but I was only substituting one harm with another. My obsession with soda continued into college. The university I attended offered only caffeine-free beverages. I didn't know how I'd survive as I was completely dependent on the campus cafeteria with its dreadful caffeine-free Diet Coke. Fortunately, a gas station a few miles away sold soft drinks, so it became a frequent stop in my daily routine. Noting my caffeine intake, my friends began giving me Diet Coke as gifts for birthdays and holidays. But my caffeine consumption did not seem unusual to me until I was out with some friends for lunch one day. We had driven to Utah for the weekend to visit some friends, went to a restaurant, and as usual, I had the waiter bring me a Diet Coke every few minutes. About halfway through the meal, The waiter mentioned that the other staff members were taking bets to see how much Diet Coke I would drink. They started egging me on to keep drinking. The waiter was bringing it to me by the pitcher. By the time the check was paid, I had guzzled several pitchers. I knew then that I had an issue with soda, but I had no desire to quit. Mm-mm. There were days every now and then when I didn't have any Diet Coke. It happened when there was none in the refrigerator or when I was on campus all day and couldn't get to the gas station. Those days were filled with dreadful headaches. But these signs of a caffeine problem never pushed me to stop drinking Diet Coke. I transferred to a school in Hawaii for my senior year of college and married Aaron, a surfer and fellow student. He was well aware of my love affair with Diet Coke but never had much concern about it. Shortly after we were married, I began having health problems. Urinary tract infections, severe acne, and stomach pains led to frequent doctor visits. I had medications, but nothing was working. I felt pain every time I ate. My face resembled the acne-ridden complexion of a 13-year-old. I put our intimate relationship on the back burner for fear that it would only reveal further health problems. I felt frustrated with my appearance and physical condition. I woke up each day without a desire to face the day and felt severely depressed. One morning, after calling in sick to work, I found myself at the end of my rope. Sprawled on the bathroom floor in tears, I received a message. Treat your body better. Quick pause for a second. If you're hearing yourself in this book, I built 2 things to go deeper than this audiobook can. First, there's Unwired, a caffeine cessation app where you can track your own withdrawal timeline, sleep, mood, and crashes day by day. And inside Unwired, you can work one-on-one with a coach who actually understands caffeine addiction and will walk you through a real plan instead of you guessing alone. The waitlist link is at the very top of the description. Second, there's the Unwired podcast built around 40 real caffeine case studies, students, parents, founders, night shift workers walking through the same crashes you're hearing about right now. The link is right next to the app. If you want more than information, if you actually want a plan, a coach, and stories that feel like yours, Hit those links, then come right back. I didn't understand at first. I visited the gym occasionally and only ate dessert every now and then. Isn't that all there is to being good to your body? Yet the message came again. Treat your body better. Poof! I knew then what my body was trying to tell me. Stop with the Diet Coke. I was scared. I wished it wasn't true, but deep down I knew that my excessive caffeine intake should be stopped. From that day forward, I avoided Coke. It was in no way simple. Beside the headaches, I developed a need for afternoon naps and an earlier bedtime. This killed my social life. By 8 PM, I was done. Fortunately, I had a very patient husband. We became loyal customers of our local movie rental store so we could stay home at night. Aaron understood when I fell asleep halfway through a movie. The headaches were gone within a week. Tiredness went away as I found other ways to stay energized, such as exercise and proper nutrition. A few days after I quit, I was visiting my sister-in-law, Jessica. She grinned when I sat down and asked, want a Diet Coke? I panicked. I found myself unable to say no when someone offered me a Coke. I'd never done it before. I literally had no idea how to start. I couldn't refuse. It happened almost daily for the first couple of weeks. Every time I visited someone, I heard the same phrase, I'll go get your Diet Coke. I found it striking how Diet Coke had defined me. Gradually, I found myself saying, no thank you. A few weeks later, I traveled to my hometown of Denver. On the drive home from the airport, my mom told me that she had the fridge stocked with Diet Coke and each can had my name on it. It's a bit sad that this was the only quality that made me stand out to others. I realized that the human body is incredibly powerful. I was always persuaded that I absolutely had to have my Diet Coke, but only after a few months since I quit, soda did not sound even the slightest bit appealing. I drank water, lemonade, anything except carbonated beverages with caffeine. My body transformed itself into the best condition it has ever been in. Within a month, I dropped 10 pounds. My skin became completely clear. My urinary tract infections and stomach pains went away without any of the medications doctors had previously prescribed. I later met other soda addicts who suffered from urinary tract infections and kidney stones. When they quit, they too saw their problems resolved. I wish I could say that my vow to never drink soda again was for life. I wish I could say that I didn't have a few Cokes last night when Aaron took me out for our anniversary. I wish I could say that I don't order one when I'm back home visiting that bagel shop with my parents. After I started having a drink here and there, sure enough, those pounds crept back on. My face is not as clear as it was, and I had a urinary tract infection just last month. I admit that I have an addiction. I wish I could drop the caffeine habit and treat my body better. Quitting coffee in a culture that treats it as oxygen meant mood swings, headaches, and professional mistakes for them. But it also meant finally seeing how deep the dependency went. Their story shows that withdrawal isn't just physical, it's social and emotional too. If you thought, I could quit anytime, but never tested that theory, this confession suggests that it might be worth an experiment. Especially with support and a plan. You'll find tapering strategies, mixed decaf approaches, and voices from people who've successfully changed their relationship with coffee at liveunwired.org. If you made it this far into the truth about caffeine, you already know this isn't just about coffee. It's about your nervous system, your sleep, your anxiety, and your life. If you don't want to do this alone, that's why I built Unwired. Inside the Unwired app, you can log your last caffeine use, track withdrawals, sleep, mood, and energy over days and weeks. See your own nervous system reset instead of hoping it's working. And get matched with a coach for one-on-one training so you're not white-knuckling this by yourself. Alongside that, The Unwired podcast walks through 40 real caffeine case studies, people who went from just coffee to energy drinks and pills, and then back out. You'll hear their mistakes, relapses, and what actually worked. Both links are at the top of the description. Join the Unwired app waitlist for coaching and tracking. Listen to the Unwired podcast. Save this audiobook, send it to one person who needs it, and if you're stuck in that daily 2 PM crash, come do this with us inside Unwired, not just in your head.