9781422270592

because she could stay up later on the weekends with her friends. They were good kids and mostly liked staying up late watching movies, playing board and video games, and talking about their crushes. Staying up late made it harder for Gloria to wake up in the morning, though. That was okay, because she could just brew a cup of coffee or two in the morning and would be ready to go without much difficulty. The only problem was that she’d start to lose her focus about halfway through the school day and get headaches and feel grumpy without her cup of coffee. Gloria started brewing a whole pot of coffee every day and put it in a thermos. She took it with her to school, along with her water bottle, and sipped coffee from the thermos every hour or so. It kept her energetic and focused and capable of handling school more easily. But she continued to have trouble sleeping and felt nervous and jittery during the school day. Gloria developed an addiction to caffeine. She experienced withdrawal symptoms when she didn’t drink it and had a hard time getting through her day without it. Like many regular coffee drinkers, she had become reliant on this drink for a happy life. This story highlights the interesting dual nature of caffeine use. It’s one of the most frequently used drugs in the world (and it is considered a drug because it changes your body’s functioning), but it can also be harmful.

13

Gloria Becomes Addicted to Coffee While Studying