How to stop smoking? The famous British writer Allen Carr studied nicotine addiction in detail, tried to understand the thoughts of smokers, and based on this he published a book called "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking", and he also opened a network of clinics under the same name. Allen Carr's recommendations were so manyeffective that his "method" became a national property, and his book is still published worldwide. According to some reports, Allen Carr's book may have helped 10 million smokers break their addiction.
Why is it easy to quit smoking?
Allen Carr's position is somewhat paradoxical. He assures: to get rid of such a strong addiction as smoking, you don't need willpower!
In his opinion, any violence against oneself will only make the problem worse. You have to act delicately: based on logical arguments and facts, convince yourself. Well, the book will help with that.
The text is written in lively, figurative language, with many examples and analogies.
Allen Carr expresses his thoughts openly, clearly and without an iota of humiliation for the smoker. The author treats the reader positively, he does not intimidate or reproach, but tries to convince the smoker: friend, you objectively do not have an urgent need to smoke several cigarettes a day!
The need for tobacco is an illusion
Why do people smoke? Most claim that they are trying to solve problems, relieve stress, or just have fun. That is, smoking is a type of effective action, albeit harmful.
Allen Carr thinks otherwise. He declares: this is self-hypnosis! The brain's attempt to justify itself, to present addiction as a conscious choice. Subconsciously, no adult wants to be a smoker.
In fact, smoking does not bring any positive results. Each new cigarette just gives you a chance to avoid withdrawal symptoms for a while. But non-smokers don't suffer from it at all!
According to Carr, the only objective reason why smokers continue to smoke is fear. On the one hand, a person is afraid of failing, of "breaking down". On the other hand, he is afraid of the upcoming painful sensations caused by withdrawal symptoms. If you overcome this fear, your body will easily and painlessly give up smoking.
Marketer enemies
Allen Carr, in his study of the problem of smoking, considers the matter widely and fully. He conducted numerous surveys of public opinion, collected statistical data and dealt with psychology and physiology. In many ways, it was this profound approach that determined the popularity of his teachings.
He paid a lot of attention to the "external enemy" - those who make money from selling cigarettes. Carr describes the tricks of marketers to get people to buy more and more packs and urges them not to give in.
The book "The easy way" was written in 1985. At that time, smoking was considered fashionable and was actively promoted by the media. Now the situation is different - at least here. A smoker should not be afraid of external pressure. Society will approve and support his desire to quit. In shops, cigarettes are not shoved under the nose, but hidden.
And television confidently conveys that smoking is bad and harmful.
Nevertheless, it is worth reading about these "enemies" of the modern smoker. Just to see in what advantageous position he is compared to the Englishman of the 80s. You can also draw analogies and find out what marketers are intensively feeding us today.
Programming in Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking"
If we look at Allen Carr's work through the prism of programming, we can highlight several interesting points.
The main idea that is constantly repeated in the book is that anyone can quit smoking and that it will be easy for them. Probably, these phrases settle in a person's subconscious, program him, inspire and motivate him to understand the "ease" of this decisive action.
The word "easy" appears more than 60 times in the book.
The book also regularly conveys the idea that smoking does not give a person any advantages, on the contrary, it describes many negative consequences of smoking.
"Smoking is a drug addiction, a disease and the number one killer. "Becoming addicted to nicotine is terrible, but being addicted to nicotine for the rest of your life is even worse. "
The book contains constant repetitions that encourage action:
"Try to look at shiny cigarette boxes in a new way - try to see the garbage and poison in them. Don't be fooled by the cut glass ashtrays, gold lighters and millions who have already been cheated. Start asking yourself: Why am I doing this? Is this for me? really necessary? NO, OF COURSE NOT! ". . .
"Take six deep puffs of this great tobacco and ask yourself, 'What's so great about this flavor? '". . .
"First of all, identify those moments or events when smoking seems absolutely necessary. If you are a businessman and smoke for the illusion of stress relief, choose a period of relative peace, such as a vacation. If, as a rule, you smoke out of boredom or leisure, proceed from it by choosing the opposite state. In any case, take the problem seriously and make this attempt the most important event of your life. "
These are all fairly simple methods of influencing a person. But, strangely enough, great efficiency can be achieved with simple techniques. However, it is worth noting that this effect is short-lived. According to our observations, 7 out of 10 people do return to smoking after a while. This probably happens when the attitudes that the person received are forgotten and weakened.
Revolutionary technique!
After she finally decided to give up, she didn't rely on her own willpower, but went to a man who promised deliverance in one healing session. Well, two at the most. The miraculous doctor pierced my mother's ears with needles and twisted them every now and then, like the dials on a radio receiver. Mom endured the pain steadily, trying to catch the desired wave quickly, but she didn't know in which range to look. "Do you want to smoke? " - asked the magician angrily. "Wish! "- mom answered honestly, and he twisted even harder. After five visits, tired of the exoticism of oriental medicine, with ears red from injections and with depleted "qi", she stopped going to the sorcerer.
Mom stopped smoking after a month. To my question "how? " he answered: "I was angry with myself. "Not only did she endure all those needles, but she also paid the money. I'd better buy some shoes! "And then she shrugged, "Or maybe the needles worked. . . "
Overnight I "gave up" tobacco. That's what I tell everyone. And I will add right away: however, four years of suffering preceded it. During that time I tried everything. Reduced number of cigarettes (following the example of my father). It is traditionally thrown on Monday, New Year's Day, birthday and May 31; from early morning to full moon; on an empty and full stomach. I tried to "switch" by eating handfuls of barberries and crackers. I tried an electronic cigarette - these vapor powered nicotine sticks. I asked my friends not to smoke in front of me. He even left town. I have read hundreds of scientific (and not so scientific) articles on the problem of smoking. I got hold of Allen Carr's book, which was in short supply at the time, and read it cover to cover. All for nothing! Why didn't Allen Carr help me? I think I already knew almost everything that could be learned from this book, so the necessary wow effect that the author was counting on did not happen during reading. I was desperate. To all the complaints about the futility of my attempts, dad replied: "Only the first fifty years are hard in life. "Then you get used to it. "
My nerves were pretty much worn out, my confidence went down the drain, and my loved ones stayed away from me if they didn't see a cigarette in my hand. What particularly angered me was the fact that I, a healthy man, had to suffer and humiliate myself, daily begging for freedom from some essential nonsense - smoke. It seemed that the hated habit had taken over not only my consciousness and body, but also quantities of a different order - the past and the future. Again and again, the cigarette stared blankly at me with the red eye of the Terminator, and I thought I heard her voice: "I'll be back. "And so for four long years. But one day everything changed. . .
It doesn't matter when the decision is made to get rid of addiction. It doesn't matter the amount of effort put into it. Each of us has a similar story, and all those stories are not about the main thing. One door closes, another opens, and we make a decision that we don't attach much importance to at first - we simply take a step from the past into the future.
One fine morning I woke up. I took a shower. I got dressed. I had breakfast. I drank my coffee. I read the news. He left the house. I got on the bus that took me to work. I didn't know yet that this was the first morning of my new life. I couldn't hope. I was busy with something all day, talking with colleagues and friends. He spoke, answered questions, laughed, joked. And with each minute, with each hour, my confidence grew and strengthened - it happened. One of the most important events in my life happened! I came home from work. I had dinner. I watched a movie, surfed the Internet. Go to bed. I fell asleep, at the very edge of that day, I said to myself:
You. More. No. You smoke.
And the next day was life. Jobs changed, friends left, new ones appeared. I was fighting stress, celebrating some personal victories. I learned to accept big losses and enjoy small wins. Everything is like everyone else. It's been five years since I've been single, and I've never wanted to smoke again! Even testing yourself (although that would be completely stupid). I could only look forward to the changes and wonder why I didn't do it earlier, because it's so easy to quit smoking!
"The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" – Quit Smoking Using the Allen Carr Method
Smoking tobacco is a bad habit that leads to addiction. The symptoms of cigarette withdrawal are so recognizable that even strangers can ask an addict, "Why are you so angry? Are you quitting smoking?
Narcologists believe that it is difficult to get rid of nicotine addiction. But Allen Carr, an accountant by profession, invented a simple way to quit smoking and wrote a book about it, which became a bestseller.
Allen Carr - Biographical Facts
A. Carr (1934-2006) himself started smoking at the age of 18 during his military service. He worked as an accountant and could smoke up to 5 packs of cigarettes a day. Allen Carr suffered from addiction and tried unsuccessfully to get rid of it. When he had been using for about 33 years, he saw a hypnotherapist, but "started smoking as soon as he left the clinic".
However, this visit was beneficial. The hypnotherapist explained to him that "smoking is just an addiction to nicotine". Some time later, Carr read in a medical manual that the physical symptoms of withdrawal consisted of feelings of emptiness and uncertainty. Comparing these two facts, he came to the conclusion that giving up the bad habit was actually easy, and he was filled with the desire to tell all smokers about it.
A. Carr wrote "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking" and soon opened his own clinic, which had a similar name to the book. Over time, one institution grew into a network of medical centers around the world. They work according to their own method and guarantee money back in case of failure.
A. Carr also became the author of books on the fight against alcoholism, excess weight, fear of flying, and a motivational publication on achieving success.
At the age of 71, he was diagnosed with an inoperable form of lung cancer, which led to his death 4 months after diagnosis.
About the book "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking"
The book "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking" is written in simple, accessible language. The author explores in detail the reasons that lead to the creation of a deadly habit, exposes myths and shares personal experience, and describes how to deal with the "little nicotine creature".
Why do people continue to smoke?
Smoking leads to psychological and physical dependence. A person develops certain rituals associated with cigarettes, nicotine is integrated into metabolic processes. In order to avoid stress and maintain comfort, the addict must smoke at certain intervals.
Allen Carr said that cigarettes do not provide pleasure, but only temporarily relieve withdrawal symptoms. If a person continues to smoke, he maintains his addiction. And the sense of relief he experiences when he lights the lighter and takes the first drag after a break indicates a return to normal, conditionally normal. To the same place where there are always people without cigarettes.
In other words, the withdrawal syndrome is born from the fear of being deprived of a usual activity. If you overcome this fear, quitting smoking is easy and painless. Only by realizing where he ended up, what is the nicotine trap, the addict can get out of it. Allen Carr shares the secret that the link between quitting smoking and willpower has been exaggerated. And this thought is a good help for those who do not hope that "they will be able to grit their teeth and endure as long as necessary".
A. Carr is convinced that most smokers do not really know why they continue to kill themselves with such an unpleasant and expensive means. They feel cheated: in order to start getting used to a cigarette, they already had to overcome the feeling that it is frankly unpleasant. Implicitly, smokers realize that those who do not have the habit know about it. Nicotine addiction and "brainwashing" are two reasons why you run for a new pack. "Will I really be happy when I quit smoking? "- thinks another addict and continues to destroy his health.
Myths about smoking
In his book, the author exposes the myths and describes the traps that smokers fall into. "What would you say to your present self when you light your first cigarette? Would you praise your children for this new activity? " - asks A. Carr. And addicts regretfully admit that they would not repeat this mistake and certainly would not be happy for a child who smokes.
So why is the number of smokers only increasing? In communicating with them, Carr amassed a "collection" of illusions that support addiction:
- in fact, smokers enjoy the process;
- smoking looks cool and masculine;
- Smoking is a habit; once you start it, it's impossible to stop;
- it takes a strong will to give up;
- quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, withdrawal symptoms are severe;
- smokers should be regularly reminded that the habit is leading them to the grave;
- Smoking is a way to overcome boredom, relax and overcome stress.
All myths about smoking boil down to three claims: cigarettes are pleasant, quitting is almost impossible, giving up nicotine is an irreparable loss. Allen Carr ridicules the idea that smoking is a way to achieve unconditional satisfaction and acceptance (by analogy with the child at the mother's breast, the concept of the oral stage according to Freud). "This is not true, " says the author of the bestseller. - People who light up a cigarette want to look mature and brave. Invite them for a walk with a pacifier in their teeth - they will die of shame.
A little about withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug. It acts quickly and leaves the organs and tissues just as quickly. What happens if you stop supplying the body with this substance? "Rumors of terrible experiences are exaggerated, " writes Allen Carr in his book. Unbearable "withdrawal" is nothing more than a feeling of lack of inner support or joy.
There is no physical pain in its usual meaning. Smokers may complain of low mood, anxiety and an obsessive desire to "have something with their hands". The reason is habit, addiction. It occurs when a person starts smoking regularly. This is a "little nicotine creature" that sits in the stomach and demands food. The desire for a cigarette begins to appear almost immediately after the cigarette is thrown in the trash. By deciding to continue, a person only prolongs the chain of episodes of thirst and short-term relief.
Allen Carr compares smokers to heroin addicts, describing the injection process in vivid colors. Changes in perception - completely disreputable actions, foreign to those who do not suffer from these diseases, cause relief to addicts.
Of course, it can be said that the deprivation of cigarettes and the deprivation of food cause similar suffering. But eating is a vital need, smoking is not.
Description of the method
"It's ridiculously easy to quit smoking, " wrote A. Carr. Describing the methodology, he points to 2 conditions:
- A clear decision that there will be no more smoking.
- Do not be discouraged by such denial. We should be happy.
The author of the method explains that people who do not start smoking are actually not weaklings and cleaners. They have the power to deal with stress and anxiety. They are much more lively and active than those who need stimulation in the form of a cigarette.
Anyone can break a bad habit. To quit smoking on your own, you just need to understand the following:
- You can achieve your goal, you are no worse than others.
- There is nothing to throw away, you don't leave, but acquire.
- There is no single cigarette: each will be followed by others.
- Smoking is a disease that shortens life.
- By deciding that the last cigarette has been smoked, a person becomes a non-smoker.
According to the author, if you acquire the right state of mind, then you will easily refrain from trying a cigarette during the first 3 weeks, when the body is being cleansed. It will be interesting for the reader to find out why it is not worth it to stop smoking in a certain period of time (month, six months, year).
Alain Carr states that his method only works if you give up cigarettes completely and without replacing them with any products containing nicotine. Why? The author's view of the problem is described in detail on the pages of the book.
What do readers think? In their reviews, they say that the book really helped them get rid of their addiction. Readers note that the author did not write anything supernatural, but called things by their true names and offered good motivation for action.
Why do failures happen?
"Quitting smoking is easy. I've given up a hundred times myself" – the famous quote by Mark Twain very accurately describes that the intention to part with a cigarette does not always lead to a person really becoming free once and for all. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to quit are what support the myth that it is impossible to get rid of addictionafter it is created.
In his materials, A. Carr states that the efficiency of his method is 95%. There are 2 main reasons behind the 5% failure rate: not following instructions and not understanding.
Inability to follow instructions - lack of will to follow the methodology, trying to adapt to yourself while distorting the idea itself. Maybe the recommendations seem too harsh, but they facilitate the process and make the addict believe in the success of the company. This includes:
- immediate cessation of smoking;
- prohibition of products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignored this advice and sought other treatment options, there were those who gave up smoking. However, he urges that tricks not be viewed as ways to help kick the habit.
The inability to understand is the desire to get a ready answer. Smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly broadcast thousands of installations worldwide. To break the habit, you should choose those statements that resonated in your heart and try to understand them. For example, a person may believe that cigarettes are a source of pleasure. You should consider why it is easier to give up other things that bring more pleasant emotions.
Among the dangerous factors that can shake confidence in the correctness of the decision made are other smokers in the environment and "difficult days" that cause the usual need for a cigarette. "This is not a loss, but a recovery, " warns the author.
The book "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking" is not a medical publication. However, the accuracy and honesty in the description of the problem and the author's suggestion of an effective way to get rid of the habit make it a good helper in the fight against the deadly disease.
Allen Carr - Quit Smoking
Allen Carr became famous thanks to his books in which he talked about a simple way to quit smoking. This method has helped many people quit smoking.
Allen Carr himself died 23 years after he quit smoking. He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. British anti-tobacco guru, author of The Easy Way to Quit Smoking.
The Easy Way to Quit Smoking - Allen Carr
When they pick up Allen Carr's book "The Simple Way to Quit Smoking, " many are skeptical. And all because they think that now they will see another publication that describes all the charms of the consequences of smoking.
As you read, something changes in your perception and you calmly accept the idea that you don't need smoking. The book can change you a lot, because it motivates you to give up cigarettes. Many who have read this book agree with this.
There are no horror stories about the dangers of smoking in the book, the author does not force us to do anything, he even recommends that you continue smoking while reading it. The author brilliantly exposes all the myths and fears related to quitting smoking, while many postulates are tediously repeated from chapter to chapter. At the end of listening to the book, the reader has no doubt that he will never smoke again. . . his only wish is to quickly finish listening to this boredom and run out into the street happy as a child because he is a non-smoker.
His method, which has shown phenomenal efficiency, has gained recognition among experts, has gained wide popularity and is enjoying tremendous success in many countries around the world. Allen Carr has created a worldwide network of clinics whose experts help smokers quit smoking and overcome nicotine addiction. Allen Carr's books have been published in twenty languages and have become bestsellers.