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Coffee, Tea, and caffeinated beverages have been a double edged sword to humans, and specifically human society, since its discovery.
Michael Pollan authored a book on the subject a while back. Here is an article which summarizes some of it.
Ultimately, Capitalism as we know it today would not have been possible without stimulants (like caffeine) and the invention of the lightbulb. These two factors allowed human beings to remain awake and alert 24/7, vastly expanding the time window for us to consume and produce, and ultimately further solidify Capitalism’s hold on the world at large.
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Stimulants are also the reason WWII was so insane. A lot of it (and postwar actions) are thrown in a very different light once you realise everyone was on meth
They are why the Nazis were able to easily take most of Europe, one binge and it was over. And also why they faltered in Russia after starting out very well, because it was too much to take on one binge and they had to keep fighting during and then after the recovery period.
Yeah, you must listen to Hamilton Morris’s Podcast! It’s a fascinating story and an example of one of the many roles stimulants have played in human history and society.
As a coffee addict and enthusiast myself (used to home roast High grade Arabica when I had more time on my hands), I’m not going to knock stimulants outright.
But it’s not lost on me that we wouldn’t have a 24 hour economy without caffeine and electric lights, which block the uptake of adenosine and production of melatonin respectively, creating the biochemical response necessary for our civilization to exist as it currently does, for better and worse.
Now I want to see an apocalypse story where stimulants suddenly and inexplicably stop working, and civilization as we know it comes to a crashing halt, or more likely a staggering and increasingly groggy stumble down into a nap.
This article from the guardian indicates the need to develop and produce synthetic coffee in the future after climate change has ravaged land reserved for coffee production.
Honestly while coffee’s days are likely numbered, stimulants will likely only be further developed in the lab to be more finely honed to enhance potential human productivity levels and, hopefully, be made safer for human consumption.
Stimulants are necessary particularly to modern militaries and the usage of stimulants in a wartime context have been well documented since WWII.
Given the important role stimulants play in both modern capitalism and modern warfare, it’s unlikely we’ll see a “Stimulopocalypse” any time soon.
That said, the world you allude to might look somewhat like the world awakened by the Knocker-Up, although really it’s more likely all aspects of human life would simply slow down without stimulants.
I called in sick yesterday and binged the Fallout show. That felt extremely relaxing.
I have been off sick for four weeks lol. It’s hilarious. I’ll watch Fallout now.
I feel like I stumbled into a very innocent and unaware thread involving stimulants and the world. People bickering about whether or not you should include caffeine or proper sleep in your schedule, while the rest of the world is just downing copious amounts of drugs trying to keep up and sane (neither are possible).
I consume the stimulant AND get proper amounts of sleep. They are not exclusive.
It’s kinda funny, I’m over here exercising for 1-2 hours every day, taking benzos about once a week, and ketamine infusions monthly just to not set myself on fire in a public square or something pointlessly melodramatic and people are like “Tut Tut, coffee is a serious vice”
I’ve never drank the stuff.
As far as I can tell, you’re all addicts in collective denial.
I’m not in denial. I’m well aware that I’m chemically dependent on caffeine and will have withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, if I cut back or stop drinking coffee.
I also really like coffee. I drink half-caff just so I can drink more without getting the jitters.
But the rest of them are totally in denial. 100%
I used to never drink coffee because I didn’t want to become dependent on it. It also helped that all the coffee I ever tried tasted terrible.
Then one day, my husband was raving about switching to french press and how good it was. To humor him, I took a sip and… it was so delicious! My fate was sealed, and I regret nothing.
I went off it when I started my ADHD medication, it was difficult and I had a few days to recover. It put coffee in a whole new light for me.
Course the medication is also stimulants, but it makes me think good and remember things so I’ll take it.
I can actually stop anytime and often do. I would miss tea though, but tea is different.
Isn’t that why the concept of coffee break was invented
Btw, coffee isn’t stimmulating, if you take it regularly. Au contraire, you get withdrawal symptoms (sluggish, tired) if you don’t take one.
Can’t find the study right now but it was here on Lemmy about a month ago.
I seriously think that this is why it’s so easy to get ADD/ADHD drugs in this country.
Wait, easy? I have to go without from time to time despite multiple diagnoses of it throughout different life stages, including one from a “medication as a last resort” psychiatrist who explicitly said that stimulant medication is absolutely necessary for me.
I’ve gone months without due to shortages, and due to physician issues. I’ve been drug tested to ensure I don’t smoke pot more times than I remember. I’ve had psychiatrists who refused to continue care because they “don’t prescribe that drug/dose”.
Meanwhile I’ve had to shoo away opiates because I’m allergic but get them anyways.
My wife has ADHD and because she’s really a human suit piloted by ten adolescent squirrels, she is prescribed Adderall. It’s often like pulling teeth to get her prescription refilled.
easy??? most insurance will fight you tooth and nail when you want them to cover it, and even then they usually won’t. and i have to be scrutinized by doctors (obviously having to pay for the appointments) every 1-3 months just to get a prescription. i can’t even get a 90 day refill which is a lower cost because it’s a schedule 2 drug (same as narcotics for some reason). how is alcohol so easy to get but i have to go through all these hoops to medicate?
also one time i had a medical emergency at my house and needed to be transported to the hospital. the police basically saw my medication, checked the amount in the container and saw that it was completely fine for the amount of time i had the prescription considering i took less than one per day, then STILL were like “yea we think it might be an amphetamine oversose”. obviously the doctors were able to tell that it was not at all related to any sort of drugs from the bloodwork and symptoms, but one nurse still suggested off-hand on a written note that she thought it was ADHD drug overdose. like bruh how, anyone will see that you take ADHD medication and immediately assume it’s drug abuse with no actual basis, even when doctors can clearly see otherwise.
that being said i think access to the medication depends entirely on the doctor and area you’re in. which is stupid, yes.
On the other hand coffee is a fucking lifesaver when you really absolutely must stay awake.
This is why I drink tea instead.
Tea gang, what what.
But I think it’s pretty much the same thing. I’ve overdrive tea and woken up in the middle of the night plenty of times.
That’s why I don’t drink coffee
