Why won't you eat/drink anything with caffeine?

Note: I made a conscious choice in 2007 to start drinking caffeinated drinks again. However, I did successfully quit caffeine for 7 years (yes, years), so the answer below might still be useful for someone considering quitting caffeine and caffeinated beverages.

I just woke up one day (15th Feb 2000) and decided not to have caffeine anymore. Not Coca-Cola, not coffee, not even chocolate. But if you need concrete reasons, I have many:

I try to avoid all drugs, even medicinal ones where possible.
Computer programmers tend to develop addictions to stimulants - most coders get addicted to caffeine, but I want to avoid the addiction altogether.
Friends made me promise never to drink Jolt Cola again after I drank a whole bottle before a University maths test. I was so hyperactive I disrupted the class.

"Detoxing" from caffeine made me hyper-sensitive to it. A single piece of chocolate cake was enough to make me dizzy, and Green Tea would make my heart race. 7 years later, I don't react quite so dramatically - I've tried the occasional chocolate bar to see what would happen, with little to no reaction. But I don't really enjoy chocolate anymore.

How did you quit caffeine?

I just went cold turkey - one day I just stopped completely. I don't remember if the first few days were particularly tricky, but I do remember I "slipped up" a couple of times in the first couple of months. But it gets much easier over time.

Was it worth it? Would you recommend quitting caffeine?

It's probably worth at least trying. For a while I felt my concentration and health improved, probably my sleep patterns as well. It's probably a good thing to try if you're an anxious / easily-stressed person, or if your family has a history of kidney stones - high caffeine intake is meant to be a factor in kidney stones, probably because it makes you more dehydrated than you otherwise would be.

I'm not sure giving up caffeine is something I'd recommend to everyone though. Being pedantic about your caffeine intake can put some friends off at times, especially if you take it to the extreme of quitting chocolate as well. And if you have a job that requires lots of concentration, it can be helpful.

But I'd say it's worth trying and seeing how it works for you. You can always change your mind if it isn't working out. And even if you decide just to reduce your caffeine intake, that's probably a good thing too.

Did you quit caffeine for religious reasons?

No, I'm not a religious person. I've recently learned that Mormons are encouraged not to drink hot caffeinated drinks, but I'd like to clarify that I'm not a Mormon, even if my reasons for giving up caffeine may sound similar.

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