Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi,
It’s another one of those questions that keeps my mind ticking. During my time working in schools and as a youth worker, (and just in every day situations) I’ve been noticing patterns of people that are addicted to drinking any form of coca-cola. I’ve noticed that a lot of autistic/adhd people have said that they are addicted to fizzy drinks, being coca-cola in particular. I know I’m a huge coca-cola fan (and I know it’s a really bad habit and all the negatives that comes with it) but I cannot stop drinking it, it’s an addiction.
My first question is, does anyone else know of someone else, or have themselves, a coca-cola addiction, and if this is something that people on the spectrum tend to get easily addicted to?
Secondly, I always wonder why coca-cola/any fizzy drink addiction, isn’t treated like an addiction or taken seriously? People say stop drinking it but I find it really difficult to stop. What’s people’s thoughts and do you think it should be taken seriously by health professionals and others?
side note, I’m wondering if it’s like and OCD obsessive disorder or something, the more I think about it. But I just wanted to know what others thought.
I drink it everyday atm and know I shouldn't. It has to be ice cold.
If I'm not fasting, I might drink up to 6 cans a day. I buy the diet Aldi brand as you get a 6 pack for £1.40. It tastes nicer than actual diet coca-cola or coke zero to me. Aldi sell it in 2 litre bottles for pennies, but once you open the bottle, it starts to lose the carbonation, so cans all the way.
If I binge on diet cola, I get brain fog the next day, so the sweeteners are clearly unhealthy. You get an instant buzz from drinking an ice cold can of cola. I think the phosphoric acid content plays a part as it's the first thing that hits you. Then you get the caffeine and the high from the sweetness.
I'm undiagnosed atm, but it has been suggested that I'm on the spectrum with ADHD. I also has OCD.
If I fancy a fizzy drink, I'll only choose an ice cold can of diet cola.
I know it’s quite expensive. I live near where there’s a food warehouse where they sell 2.75 litre bottles pack of 6 for £11. That’s too tempting to me. I used to drink 2-3 litres a day but have now managed to get that down to 1.97 litres every 2-3 days which is a step in the right direction I suppose. As I mentioned in a comment above, I see it as I don’t drink alcohol or smoke or do drugs. I don’t go out socially very often (at all if I can help it) and coke is the thing I like for myself as it tastes great and I love it.
I’ve tried all different kinds from different shops and I can tell the difference immediatly between diet, full sugar, and even the non-branded ones. I’ve done a blind taste test with my mam and others before where they give me them without me seeing the bottles and some of them I can tell by the smell that they’re not the proper ones. They didn’t believe I could tell the difference until they actually did a taste test with me and I proved it.
I’ve only began overthinking it recently as I’m starting to get irritated and worked up when I have ran out or don’t have any, the only way I’m noticing that it’s becoming a problem/addiction.