It’s “addictive” in the sense that you can develop tolerance, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms, but I’ve never heard of anyone being sent to rehab because their coffee habit was wrecking their life. Even pure caffeine just isn’t potent enough to hijack your brain’s reward system the way harder drugs can.
IMHO the word “addiction” really only applies when you feel so compelled to keep engaging in a problematic behavior that you can’t stop even when you know it’s hurting you.
Caffeine is the most readily available addictive substance in the world, I think.
It’s “addictive” in the sense that you can develop tolerance, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms, but I’ve never heard of anyone being sent to rehab because their coffee habit was wrecking their life. Even pure caffeine just isn’t potent enough to hijack your brain’s reward system the way harder drugs can.
IMHO the word “addiction” really only applies when you feel so compelled to keep engaging in a problematic behavior that you can’t stop even when you know it’s hurting you.