Hello, My Name Is Naomi and I’m a recovering Pepsi addict. Yes, I know the title of this article says Diet Coke. Up until 2014 more people, for years, actually were drinking Diet Coke more than Pepsi! The soda struggle is real and it doesn’t matter if it is Pepsi, Coke or the supposedly healthier diet version.
It’s been a few months since I’ve had more than just a sip of my favorite cola and I still reminisce about the smell and the sound of it sizzle. I even can still enjoy the memory of the way that first initial gulp tastes, and the oxymoron of the cool and burning feeling I felt simultaneously as it rolled down my throat. Man do I miss it!
According to the American Psychiatric Association, a key sign of substance dependence (“addiction”) is when a person continues to use a substance even when he or she knows it’s causing physical or mental health problems. When I look back at how addicted I had become to it, it is actually a bit scary that I had to get my fix, even knowing how harmful it was.
My love of Pepsi began at a young age because my mother actually loved Pepsi, too and often kept it in the house. It wasn’t until college that I truly became an addict! I had this one job that kept chilled Pepsi (for free might I add) in the community fridge daily. This was the turning point for me. I would binge on that free soda. Some days I would take a few cans home with me so that I could continue to enjoy it even after work.