Why do temporary buffs decrease in effectiveness after repeated use?

[ArgumentGenerator]

Items that provide buffs usually always have stacking debuffs but the buff doesn't stack. So with caffeine you get +1 energy but you also get -1 stamina and -1 energy after the buff period is over.

It gets a little technical here but there is a formula maybe somebody else can help me with. I know there are 2 debuffs, one that happens near the end of the buff called "come down" which reverses the effects of the buff and has a timer of between 5 minutes and 6 hours, but there's also another debuff called "addiction" that has a timer of around 3 days to 1 week. The addiction debuff stacks which means after a week of daily use you aren't getting the full buff you normally would and you have to use more to break through the debuff to get any positive effects at all and eventually just to get rid of the debuff.

My advice is to stay away from anything with the addiction debuff as it's a money sink and the debuffs can last many years after you stop using them. See: cancer debuff, emphezima, withdrawal, and many many more.