Addiction

For the past two weeks, I've been feeling overly tired and mentally exhausted despite the fact that I've been getting 8-hours of sleep every single night.

One could say that I've just been over doing it since moving in exactly two weeks ago today. What with all the moving and unpacking, getting the kids in school, and the change in my hours from rolling in around eleven o'clock to awaking every morning at zero six-thirty.

Still, I handle my various stresses fairly well - and only react to them short-term. Normally, that is. There's been nothing normal about how exhausted I've been lately. Even with the full nights of sleep, and frankly, nothing else has changed.

galinda822 noticed, however, and began to question me about this. "Are you depressed? Are you waking up in the middle of the night? Is there something on your mind? Have you been to doctor for a check-up?" Of course I came up with bupkiss. I'm fine, really.

Then, as I was leaving work today, it dawned on me. The only thing different in the last two weeks has been my newfound love for Monster Energy Drinks. I have a row of all five flavors, stacked two high on my desk, replete with a monstrous (pardon the pun) 24-oz can of Assult that drax0r had brought me today. I've been drinking them daily, sometimes two a day. They're absolutely loaded with L-carnitine, caffeine, guarana, taurine, ginsing, and lots and lots of sugar. BAM!

When I divulged my findings to galinda822 later that day, she knew that was it. "You've become addicted and you're going through withdrawals." Well, that sounded fishy to me, until I remembered I was jonesing for one last weekend. Since I only drink them at work, I don't have access to them at the house. I remember craving them last weekend. Wanting one. Needing one. Thinking of reasons to go to the store to get one...Her theory was becoming more and more plausible as I thought about it. When we took my son to the emergency room last weekend, we'd stopped at CVS Pharmacy to get his prescription filled and I bought one then. I remember it well, as it was my first can of KHAOS and it immediately calmed me.

Hello. My name is Eric, and I have a problem. I'm addicted to Monster-brand energy drinks after only a two-week period. Sorry drax0r, but that 24-ounce can of Assault was my last. I need to regain control of my life, and start resting when I sleep.