Bubs

I would say to go find some people. Go find a local gaming store, and look for something like a DnD or tournament group to join. Maybe look for some other sort of group: camping, biking, robotics, whatever.

Get to know some people, make some friends. Once you get to know people and get close to them, then you can open up about your struggles. Good friends will want to support you and help you out.

Find some people and then you won’t have to struggle alone. Plus, all the fun things you can do with them will be a good distraction from your addictions, and maybe, over time, your addictions will lessen.

My guess has a few factors to it (in no particular order):

Cost soda syrup is likely a lot cheaper than the chemical concoction for energy drinks.

Safety Energy drinks pose a much greater health risk if the concentrations are off. Companies would have to prevent young children from accessing the machines (if they are used in restaurants). They would also have to prevent customers from drinking too much. I can also imagine chugging a bunch of the syrup would likely kill you (it’s bound to happen).

Flavor Control soda companies already accept and plan for the difference in fountain vs bottled sodas. I feel energy drink companies want as much control as possible to keep their brand image perfect.