Caffeine Segment 1.mov

This is segment 1 of the topic dealing with Caffeine as a socially acceptable drug. Few people even think of this often consumed substance as a drug. Yet it is! How does caffeine affect the human system? In this presentation you will find out. This topic is part of the larger Beyond Addiction series presented by Ps Adrian Webster. For more information about the series and other materials by Ps Adrian Webster, visit http://www.missionenterprises.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• drugs
• addiction
• neurobiology
• brain
• chemistry
• science
• neurotransmitters
• healthy
• spiritual
• beyond
• adrian
• webster
• socially
• acceptable
• mission
• enterprises
• caffeine
• neurons
• seminar
• sermon
• christian
• seventh
• preacher
• sermons
• seminars
• spirituality
• health
• neurotransmitter
• neuron
• day
• warning
• warn
• adventist
• bible
• scripture
• study

[Bbbrettus]

con-I think that part of the spectrum of addiction includes an overriding obsession with obtaining the substance, to the detriment of other aspects of ones life, as well as an inability to control use. Addiction is also characterised by ever increasing doses to recreate the initial high. I don't think this characterises caffeine dependence, at least for most people. Do you believe that physical dependence on caffeine fulfills all the hallmarks true of addiction? Again, thankyou and well done

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus Thank you for watching this presentation. Thank you also for the encouragement. I do believe Caffeine addiction is a 'regular' addiction like all others. It does, in fact, require higher dosages if one is seeking the 'energy high' boost. Maintaining constant dosages and intervals may not give a high per se, but it offsets withdrawl. This is the same pattern that happens with Heroin addiction. Heroin addicts eventually take heroin just to get back to normal...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ...same thing with coffee drinkers. Eventually just drinking coffee to maintain normal function, but having to increase concentration or decrease intervals between coffees to get the 'boost'. Caffeine addiction is obviously not as detrimental to one's regular life (same as smoking addiction) because the substance itself does not damage the neurobiology as severely with each use as do the harder drugs... nevertheless, it can certainly interfere with everyday function and mood. So...

[WebsterAdrian]

@Bbbrettus ...yes, I would argue that caffeine fulfills the hallmarks of true addiction. It's just a question of intensity. It's not in the same league as the 'hard' drugs in terms of damaging capability. But it does create an appetite for the heavier drugs in that it damages the reward pathway which then requires something stronger for a 'kickstart'.

You may be interested to know I'm uploading the full series to Vimeo.com (as I do not need to break the lectures into three parts).

[fromnowheretonowhere]

@ Bbbrettus...think about that if caffeine was illegal like heroine for example...remember also what happened during the alcohol prohibition in america...how far did people "suddenly" go, where nothing more happened than something legal becoming illegal...Fantastic Information WebsterAdrian. Thank you very much.

[Bbbrettus]

I've got no doubt that the the physical elements of caffeine dependence are real. What I was wondering more about was the psychological factors. For example, caffeine doesn't occupy the users mind singularly, to the detriment of their family and friends, nor does it create a compulsion to get it at any cost. Thus, although both caffeine and, say, heroin are addictive, the consequences and power of those addictions are so different as to not really bear comparison.

[Bbbrettus]

I am not a Christian and I do enjoy my coffee a lot, but I would like to give credit where it is due. This is a very well articulated presentation. You have obviously done your homework and I think it is great that you are putting your view out there, founded on cogent scientific and theological arguments. I would like to ask you this-while I accept that physical dependence on caffeine is different only in degree and not kind from other drugs, do you think it qualifies as true addiction? con