Addiction and dependency are physical as well as psychological problems that affect not only the suffering individual but the people that he/she loves. I have previously written about how I have fallen into dependency on coffee, rationalising the benefits of coffee drinking.1 I still enjoy my daily cup, having reduced my intake these days since I became a grandfather of four under four. This harm reduction approach is partly due to not wanting to overly influence my developing grandchildren. But my coffee addiction also got me to think about how we should approach persons with mental illness.2
In most societies, mental illness is a stigma. “Stigma” is defined by the Oxford dictionary as a mark of disgrace. Society has a certain way of looking at mental illnesses in general, regardless of its form. It leads to misunderstanding, misconceptions and the use of derogatory terms. Worse still, it leads to attitudes that shun associating with people who suffer or are recovering. Many mental illnesses are chronic and have a waxing and waning course. If stigmatised, the patient’s recovery can become difficult and stressful, which may in turn lead to relapse and further stigma. How do we overcome stigma? We can do so by improving mental health literacy, advocating for inclusive policies, and creating community networks and support.
Coming back to coffee addiction, the associated stigma is much lesser, but it can still be viewed with misunderstanding and misconceptions. My constant need to search for coffee in the past made it a problem at times, such as when my family would end up having a very late breakfast because we needed to find a restaurant with “proper coffee”.
I often get comments from my friends and colleagues that coffee is just a drink they need in the morning to get their day going and that it does not matter what kind of coffee they drink. I am even more appalled when they say that instant coffee is their preferred option for convenience. I feel compelled to share my lived experience with this social and cultural phenomenon, and hopefully help you understand that coffee is not just an ordinary beverage.
Brief history of coffee’s popularity
A likely apocryphal account mentions how coffee was discovered by a herder whose goat became very energetic and sleepless after eating some berries. After trying them for himself, he shared it with monks who treated his discovery with disdain and threw the berries into the fire. The aroma that the berries gave off while being roasted changed their minds, and thus, coffee drinking became commonplace in the 15th century.
Coffee drinking most likely started as a social phenomenon in North Africa and around the Arabian Peninsula, which was the source of the well-known Arabica beans. In the Ottoman Empire’s capital of Istanbul, coffeehouses were important sites for men to gather, socialise, play games and discuss news.3 This resulted in networking, and coffeehouses became important sites for political opinion making and resistance in both visible and subtle ways.
Coffeehouses became popular in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, acting as gathering places for intellectuals, writers and philosophers. These venues were crucial for the exchange of Enlightenment ideas, providing a space for discussion and debate on topics such as science, politics and philosophy. The Age of Enlightenment was a period in which new ideas about God, reason, nature and humanity affected societal norms, and coffee was the conduit for many of these conversations.
Coffeehouses were called “schools of the wise” in Arabia, while in England, they earned the moniker of “penny universities” because a penny was the price of a cup of coffee which led to intellectual discussion. Eventually, coffee replaced beer and wine as breakfast drinks and although there was initial resistance from the European clergy, Pope Clement VIII gave coffee his papal approval, leading to its widespread use throughout Europe and even the Americas. Coffee’s popularity in the USA was largely due to the demise of tea as the preferred beverage following the 1773 Boston Tea Party revolt against King George III’s heavy tax on tea.
Coffee plantations grew as demand increased, and so colonists brought coffee beans to the rest of the world, though Arabica beans are demanding in terms of the environment suitable for their growth. The Dutch brought seedlings to Java and eventually Sumatra and Sulawesi in Indonesia. The French brought seedlings to the island of Martinique in the West Indies and eventually to the Caribbean and the rest of South America. By the end of the 18th century, coffee had become one of the world’s most profitable export crops due to its ubiquity as a daily beverage.
Asia was a little later in developing its coffee culture despite the plant being widely grown throughout Southeast Asia. The traditional coffee shop or kopitiam was a new turn-of-the-century invention but is now a common place for people to gather and talk. Interestingly in Singapore, to lim kopi (Hokkien for drinking coffee) has an alternate meaning to being interviewed by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (which even has a room named in reference to this).4
Cultural practices and rituals
There are many unique coffee traditions around the world. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a traditional ritual that involves roasting green coffee beans, grinding them by hand, and brewing the coffee in a special pot called a jebena. This process is deeply embedded in Ethiopian social and cultural life, often taking hours, and symbolises hospitality and community. In Italy, espresso culture is an integral part of daily life, characterised by quick, strong shots of coffee enjoyed at local bars. Italians typically savour their espresso while standing at the counter, fostering a social atmosphere.
Japanese coffee brewing, particularly with methods such as pour-over and syphon brewing, emphasises precision and artistry. Japanese coffee culture values the meticulous process of brewing, often highlighting the beauty and complexity of the coffee-making ritual. These diverse practices illustrate how coffee can reflect and enhance cultural values and social interactions.
What about in medical teams? Modern technology has enabled many machines today to prepare freshly ground coffee for brewing, which is then eagerly lapped up by busy staff who need their morning shot. This beats queuing to buy coffee, which now also costs many more pennies.
Coffee and community
I used to drink about five cups of coffee a day. It occasionally gave me a buzz and even made my stomach growl, which is not a good social connector. However, once I moderated my coffee drinking, it became a helpful common denominator in meetings. In medical settings, coffee can play a collaborative role in fostering relationships among doctors, multidisciplinary team members, patients and caregivers. Shared coffee breaks provide opportunities for healthcare professionals to connect, discuss cases and build camaraderie. This informal setting can help break down hierarchical barriers, promoting a collaborative atmosphere crucial for teamwork, communication and effective patient care. Furthermore, the presence of coffee in waiting areas or during consultations can help create a comforting environment for patients and caregivers, making interactions feel more personal and less clinical.
Evolving trends of third-wave and artisanal coffee shops within clinics and hospitals cater to the growing appreciation for high-quality coffee, offering respite from the stress of medical environments. These modern coffee spaces can serve as therapeutic hubs where patients and caregivers can relax and engage with healthcare providers in a more relaxed, community-oriented setting. Overall, quality coffee experiences in medical facilities can significantly enhance both professional relationships and patient care dynamics.
Drinking coffee is a daily ritual for me. Having gone through stages of intense first love followed by blind addiction, my current state of drinking coffee from local sustainable roasters and doing a daily grind without overdosing gives me a sense of recovery and hope. And having shared my lived experience, I hope that you, my gentle reader, will have a deeper appreciation of this innocuous brown bean.
Preparing the brew can be an exact science