A 27-year-old man from Montreal who used to drink up to eight cans of energy drinks a day regrets that his addiction was not taken more seriously before he fell ill last month. Now, the man suffered from withdrawal from energy drinks addiction.
Dizziness, vomiting, palpitations, headaches are just a few of the symptoms characterizing the crisis the man underwent right before calling for professional help.
“I was too weak to pick up the phone and call 911. I was really afraid of dying,” Keven Chicoine-Forest says.
Energy drinks from morning to night
The days began as they ended for Keven who, every morning before lunch, he was drinking one energy can while smoking a cigarette. Then every night Keven rushed to the nearest convenience store for supplies.
“I used to wedge one every night before I went to bed. I couldn’t even feel the effects. It’s just been a month since I realized I slept badly for eight years,” he says.
Long aware that he had a problem, Keven tried to wean himself off several times.
“When I wasn’t [drinking energy drinks], I had dark thoughts. I wanted to hurt myself,” admits Keven who works as a bartender.
Energy drinks addiction is a real problem
“An addiction is an addiction. And we know that caffeine, which is very present in these drinks, can create a serious one. It may even trigger withdrawal symptoms,” explains Anne Elizabeth Lapointe, the Executive Director of the Maison and the Jean-Lapointe Foundation.
Keven Chicoine-Forest believes, however, that it is not caffeine that has made him addicted to what he now calls “the Devil’s nectar”.
“I was often told to replace energy drinks with coffee but that had nothing to do with it. What I liked was the taste. I always bought the same kind,” namely, the RockStar with fruit punch flavor.
“The pleasure of addiction is an illusion, and the repercussions sometimes knock at the door without warning. It’s not worth it,” Keven says, hoping others will follow in his footsteps and.
In conclusion, energy drinks addiction is a real problem and those who enjoy drinking this type of drinks should at least limit the consumption, if not ditching these drinks completely.
