It helps to taste GOOD coffee - at least for your first time.

Serious answer to your question: we could ALL function without coffee or tea or soda. What we cannot function without is WATER. And coffee, tea, or soda is just many people's favorite vehicle for water, to the point where they think they dislike plain water and won't drink it.

But I'm 99% sure "caffeine withdrawal" is a myth. What it is is the same thing as a "hangover." It's DEHYDRATION + depletion of water soluble vitamins (B, C, etc). Got a headache? Pop a multivitamin and a B-complex supplement with a glass of orange juice, then follow with 8 ozs. of water; repeat the 8 ozs. of water hourly and before long, you'll feel great.