"Claudia" contacted me for help with her caffeine
addiction. She had a hectic job as a teacher, and often used caffeine as
both a stimulant for her mood and body as well as a relaxing agent.
Initially, she reported that her biggest concern about giving up coffee was
suffering withdrawal symptoms.
She had tried getting off caffeine before,
and struggled with terrible headaches, lethargy and abnormal levels of
fatigue. She also struggled with terrible insomnia. Any form of substance
dependence is usually driven by underlying feelings. I knew we had to
uncover the "driving" emotions and reasons for Claudia's dependence on
caffeine for her to be successful at giving up her "drug of choice."
I asked Claudia "What is the UPSIDE of quitting
caffeine?" She said she would (1) save money, (2) feel better, (3) exercise
more often, (4) improve blood sugar levels, and; (5) feel calmer in general.
While these "UPSIDES" are logical, they often pale in comparison to the
"DOWNSIDE." So I asked her the more revealing question, "What would be the
DOWNSIDE of quitting?" Her list was just as long and came just as easily to
her: (1) I would miss the social aspect of drinking coffee with friends and
colleagues, (2) I won't be able to relax without it, (3) I'll suffer
withdrawal symptoms, (4) I'll feel deprived without my daily fix, and; (5) I
won't feel inspired to write without drinking caffeine.
Claudia was familiar with EFT so without much
explanation, we started tapping for her fears first:
"Even though I'm afraid I'll feel deprived without it,
I deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though I can't afford to feel deprived, I deeply
and completely accept myself."
"Even though I can't imagine being without caffeine, I
deeply and completely accept myself."
"Even though I'm afraid of the withdrawal symptoms, I
deeply and completely accept myself."
Claudia noted she felt calmer about the thought of
giving up caffeine, and was ready for more tapping. She had started the
morning with a headache since she didn't have her usual morning coffee, so
we tapped for her symptoms:
"Even though I'm already having a headache, I deeply
and completely accept myself."
"Even though I still have a little remaining headache,
I deeply and completely accept myself."
Claudia started feeling confident that she could give up
caffeine without a struggle. She said she didn't feel so "foggy" in her head
anymore and enjoyed the clarity and calm she felt within her. Her headache
began to subside which relieved her tremendously as no other "technique" had
helped her in the past.
As we continued to tap, the social aspect around
drinking coffee emerged.
"Even though I'm afraid I'll feel lonely, I deeply and
completely..."
"Even though they might not accept me anymore, I
deeply and..."
"Even though I want to be part of the group, I deeply
and completely..."
I instructed Claudia to tap for her cravings and
emotions twice a day. Three weeks later she checked in: "I really don't have
the desire for caffeine anymore... even have some coffee in my freezer and I
don't have any desire for it. It is so liberating not to have to have that
"fix" every day! I've been using the tapping for emotions too... started
feeling dizzy when I was stressed out the other day and I stopped and tapped
for it. The tapping has also helped me with my insomnia problems."
Three weeks later, I checked in with Claudia again:
"Ironically, the day you sent your email was the first
day in six weeks that I had had caffeine. I won't go into my excuses for my
slip, but instead of going off the deep end and back into the caffeine
habit, (which she had done in the past) I just tapped about (1) feeling
worried that I wouldn't be able to keep off of it, (2) feeling worried about
getting a headache the next day, and (3) feeling frustrated with myself that
I did have caffeine in the first place. I tapped again in the morning and
just went right back to my regular (non-caffeinated) routine and have been
fine since!"
"I think my most recent experience with tapping is
more proof of how powerful the method is. I'm still trying to tap twice a
day for whatever emotional things are coming up and have found the technique
to be especially powerful for bringing me to the present moment and in touch
with what is really going on for me inside. Getting to the emotional part
was the key. Thank you again for teaching me this incredible tool."
As long as Claudia continues to tap for her emotions,
she is unlikely to return to using caffeine as a stimulant, a relaxant
(smokers often use cigarettes for both the calming and stimulating effect as
well), a social comforter, or for inspiration.
Whether you feel addicted to
caffeine, sugar, cigarettes or alcohol, the key to success is relieving the
underlying fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, loneliness and emotional pain. EFT
is the perfect tool to address every angle of an "addiction" or unwanted
habit since it can target and treat immediate cravings, withdrawal symptoms,
the underlying driving feelings, and potential relapse situations.
When I
forwarded this article for Claudia's approval, she remarked how happy she
was that finally other people will now have access to a tool for quitting
the caffeine habit successfully. She had more than once searched in vain for
a technique or tool that would help her and came up empty every time. EFT
was her last hope.
Stay tuned...
Carol Look
EFT Contributing Editor
Carol will be teaching the following EFT classes in
2003:
(1) EFT for Success & Abundance: New York, NY---Friday
September 19th
(2) Weight Loss With EFT: Kansas City, MO---Saturday
October 18th
(3) Weight Loss With EFT: Dallas, TX---Saturday
November 15th
To order Carol's videotape series "Weight Loss with EFT" and her manuals on Weight Loss and Quit Smoking, please visit
www.CarolLook.com