An Addiction I can't quit, inspired by Abby Ellin

2011, NY TimesTrading Fizz for Freedom: My Life with Diet Coke, by Abby Ellin

For 39 years, Diet Coke wasn’t just a beverage—it was a lifeline. Abby Ellin’s relationship with the silver can mirrored countless others: an innocent crush that grew into an unshakable obsession. Three to four cans a day became her normal, a ritual woven into the fabric of her mornings, meetings, and even midnight.

There was no rock bottom. No dramatic breakdown. Just a slow realization that something seemingly harmless had quietly taken hold. When abdominal pain finally made her pause, Ellin did what felt impossible—she quit cold turkey.

What followed wasn’t just the throb of withdrawal headaches, but the unexpected unraveling of a comfort system she didn’t even know she’d built around aspartame and fizz. And in that unraveling? Clarity. Calm. Strength.

Her story is a reflection for all of us. Addiction doesn’t always come with warnings or stigma. Sometimes it arrives in a can with zero calories and a catchy jingle. Whether it’s sugar, caffeine, or screen time, what we lean on says a lot about what we’re missing.

Ellin’s journey isn’t just about breaking free from Diet Coke. It’s about reclaiming agency in a world of subtle dependencies. And that’s worth celebrating—headache and all.

Call Dori Strait, EdS, CH, of Tranceformation Hypnotherapy today to discover how Hypnotherapy can help you with food and soda addictions--call 941-324-6095!