How to quit smoking? The famous English writer Allen Carr thoroughly researched nicotine addiction, tried to understand the thoughts of smokers, and based on this, published a book called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking", and at the same time opened a network of clinics with the same name. Allen Carr's recommendations were so effective that his "method" became a national property, and his book is still published worldwide. According to some reports, Allen Carr's book helped 10 million smokers get rid of addiction.
Why is it easy to quit smoking?
Allen Carr's position is somewhat paradoxical. He assures: you don't need willpower to get rid of a strong addiction like smoking!
According to him, any violence against him will make the problem worse. You need to act delicately: convince yourself based on logical arguments and facts. Well, the book will help with this.
The text is written in vivid, figurative language, with many examples and similes.
Allen Carr expresses his views openly, clearly and without any hint of condescension to the smoker. The author treats the reader positively, does not scare or scold, but tries to convince the smoker: my friend, objectively, you do not urgently need to smoke a few cigarettes a day!
The need for tobacco is an illusion
Why do people smoke? Most claim that they are trying to get rid of problems, relieve stress, or just have fun. That is, although smoking is harmful, it is a kind of effective action.
Allen Carr thinks differently. He declares: this is self-hypnosis! The brain's attempt to justify itself, to let go of addiction as a conscious choice. Subconsciously, no grown-up wants to smoke.
In fact, smoking does not bring any positive results. Each new cigarette only gives you a chance to avoid withdrawal symptoms for a while. But non-smokers do not 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 not being able to cope, "falling apart". On the other hand, he fears the impending painful sensations caused by withdrawal symptoms. If you overcome this fear, your body will easily and painlessly quit smoking.
Enemies of the marketer
Allen Carr, who studied the problem of smoking, gave a comprehensive and comprehensive review of the matter. He conducted numerous opinion polls, collected statistical data, and engaged in psychology and physiology. In many ways, it was this profound approach that determined the popularity of his teaching.
He paid close attention to the "foreign enemy" - those who made money by selling cigarettes. Carr describes the ploys of marketers to get people to buy more and more packages and urges them not to give up.
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 with us. A smoker should not be afraid of external pressure. Society will approve and support his desire to quit. They don't put cigarettes under their noses in stores, they hide them.
And television broadcasts with certainty that smoking is harmful and harmful.
Nevertheless, it is worth reading about these "enemies" for modern smokers. To be sure how far superior he is to the Englishman of the 80s. You can also draw analogies and learn what marketers are intensively feeding us today.
Programming in "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Allen Carr
If we consider the work of Allen Carr from the perspective of programming, we can note several interesting points.
The main idea that is constantly repeated in the book is that anyone can quit smoking and it will be easy for them. Perhaps these statements are placed in the subconscious of a person, thereby programming, inspiring and motivating him to carry out 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, and on the contrary, many negative consequences of smoking are described.
"Smoking is an addiction, a disease and the number one killer. "Being addicted to nicotine is terrible, but being addicted to it 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 inside. Do not be fooled by cut glass ashtrays, gold lighters and already deceived millions. Start asking yourself questions: why am I doing this? Do I really need this? NO, OF COURSE NOT! ". . .
"Take six deep puffs of this wonderful tobacco and ask yourself, 'What is so wonderful about this flavor? '". . .
"First, identify the moments or occasions when smoking seems absolutely necessary. If you are a business person and smoke for the illusion of stress relief, choose a period of relative calm, such as an annual vacation. As a general rule, if you smoke out of boredom or idleness, the oppositechoose the situation and move on from it. In any case, take the problem seriously and make this endeavor the most important event of your life. "
All these are quite simple ways to influence a person. But, strangely enough, great effectiveness can be achieved with simple methods. However, it should be noted that this effect is short-lived. According to our observations, 7 out of 10 people still go back to smoking after some time. This probably happens when one's accepted attitudes are forgotten and weakened.
Revolutionary technique!
When he finally decided to quit, he didn't trust his will, but went to a man who promised to save him in a medical session. Well, two at the most. The miracle doctor pierced my mother's ears with needles and occasionally twisted them like the dials of a radio receiver. Ana endured the pain, tried to quickly catch the desired wave, but did not know in what range it would appear. "Do you want to smoke? " asked the magician angrily. "I want! " - Mother answered sincerely, and she twisted even harder. After five visits, tired of the exoticism of oriental medicine, with ears red from the needle and "qi" depleted, he stopped going to the sorcerer.
My mother quit smoking after a month. "How? " to my question. replied: "I was angry with myself. Not only did he put up with all these injections, he even paid for it. It would have been better if I had bought the shoes! "Then he shrugged: "Or the injections worked . . . "
I "gave up" from tobacco overnight. I tell everyone this. I add at once: but before that there were four years of suffering. During this time I tried everything. He reduced the number of cigarettes (according to the example of my father). It is traditionally thrown on Monday, New Year's Day, birthday and May 31; early in the morning and on the full moon; on an empty stomach and on a full stomach. I tried to "replace" by eating a handful of brussels sprouts and crackers. I tried an electronic cigarette - these vapor-powered nicotine pods. I asked my friends not to smoke in front of me. He even left the city. I have read hundreds of scientific (and not so scientific) articles on the smoking problem. I got hold of a book by Allen Carr, which was scarce at the time, and read it cover to cover. All to no avail! Why didn't Allen Carr help me? I think I knew pretty much everything there was to learn from this book at the time, so the necessary wow effect the author was hoping for didn't happen while reading it. I was desperate. To all complaints about the futility of my efforts, my father replied: "Only the first fifty years of life are difficult. Then you get used to it. "
I was very upset, my self-esteem was low, and my loved ones avoided me if they didn't see me smoking. What particularly infuriated me was that I, a healthy person, had to suffer and humiliate myself every day by begging to be freed from some essentially nonsense - smoke. It seems that the hateful habit has taken over not only my mind and body, but also another order - my past and my future. Again and again the cigarette looked blankly at me with the Terminator's red eye, and I thought I heard his voice: "I'll be back. "And so on. four long years. But one day everything changed. . .
It doesn't matter when the decision to quit addiction is made. Efforts spent on this path do not matter. Each of us has a similar story, and all these stories are not about the main thing. One door closes, another opens, and we make a decision that we don't really care about at first - we just take a step from the past into the future.
I woke up one beautiful morning. He took a shower. Dress up. I ate breakfast. I drank 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 could not hope. All day I was busy with something, talking with my colleagues and friends. He talked, answered questions, laughed, joked. And every minute, every hour, my faith grew and strengthened - it happened. One of the most important things happened in my life! I returned home from work. I had dinner. I watched the movie, surfed the Internet. Lie down on the bed. Falling asleep, I said to myself at the end of that day:
You. More. no. you smoke
And the next day there was life. Things changed, friends left, new ones appeared. I battled stress, celebrated 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 was single and I never wanted to smoke again! Even to try it yourself (although it would be completely stupid). I could only be happy with the changes and wonder why I didn't do it earlier because it's so easy to quit!
"The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" - Quit smoking using the Allen Carr method
Smoking is a bad habit that leads to drug addiction. The symptoms of quitting smoking are so well known that even strangers may ask an addict, "Why are you so upset? Are you quitting smoking? "
Narcologists believe that it is difficult to get rid of nicotine addiction. But Allen Carr, an accountant by profession, invented an easy way to quit smoking and wrote a book about it, which became a bestseller.
Allen Carr - Biography Facts
A. Carr (1934-2006) started smoking at the age of 18 while he was in the military. He worked as an accountant and could smoke up to 5 packs a day. Allen Carr suffered from addiction and made unsuccessful attempts to recover from it. After about 33 years of use, he saw a hypnotherapist, but "started smoking as soon as he left the clinic. "
But this trip was useful. The hypnotherapist explained to him that "smoking is just nicotine addiction". A little later, Carr read in a medical manual that physical withdrawal symptoms include feelings of emptiness and uncertainty. Comparing these two facts, he came to the conclusion that it is actually easy to quit the bad habit, and he was filled with the desire to tell all smokers about it.
A. Carr wrote "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" and soon opened his own clinic. Over time, one institution turned into a network of medical centers around the world. They work according to their method and have a money-back guarantee in case of failure.
A. Carr is also the author of books on fighting alcoholism, overweight, fear of air travel, and a motivational publication on success.
At the age of 71, he was diagnosed with an inoperable form of lung cancer and died 4 months after the diagnosis.
About the book "The easy way to quit smoking".
The book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" is written in simple, accessible language. The author examines in detail the reasons that lead to the formation of a deadly habit, refutes myths and shares personal experiences and describes how to deal with the "little nicotine creature".
Why do people continue to smoke?
Smoking leads to mental and physical addiction. A person develops certain rituals associated with smoking, nicotine is integrated into metabolic processes. To avoid stress and maintain comfort, the addict must smoke at certain intervals.
Allen Carr said that smoking does not provide pleasure, but only temporarily relieves the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms. If a person continues to smoke, he maintains his addiction. And the sense of relief he feels when he flips his lighter and takes his first drag after the break signals a return to normal, conventional normalcy. Where non-smokers are always found.
In other words, the withdrawal syndrome is born from the fear of being deprived of the usual activity. If you overcome this fear, quitting smoking is easy and painless. An addict can get rid of it only by understanding where it ends, what is the nicotine trap. Allen Carr shares the secret behind the overblown connection between quitting smoking and willpower. And this idea is a good help for those who do not hope that they can "grit their teeth and wait until necessary".
A. Kar 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 smoking, they already had to overcome the feeling that it was clearly unpleasant. Indirectly, smokers understand that those who are free of the habit know about it. Nicotine addiction and "brainwashing" are two reasons that make you run for a new pack. "Will I really be happy when I quit smoking? " - another addict thinks and continues to destroy his health.
Myths about smoking
In his book, the author exposes myths and describes the traps that smokers fall into. "When you lit your first cigarette, what would you say to yourself now? Would you praise your children for this new activity? " – A. Carr asks. Addicts regretfully admit that they will not repeat this mistake, and they certainly will not be happy for a child who smokes.
So why is the number of smokers increasing? Communicating with them, Carr gathered 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 is impossible to quit;
- you need a strong will to quit;
- it is incredibly difficult to quit smoking, withdrawal symptoms are severe;
- the smoker must be regularly reminded that the habit is taking him to his grave;
- Smoking is a way to relieve boredom, relax and relieve stress.
All myths about smoking consist of three premises: smoking is pleasant, it is almost impossible to quit smoking, and giving up nicotine is an irreparable loss. Allen Carr ridicules the idea that smoking is a method of unconditional pleasure and acceptance (by comparing it to a child at the mother's breast, a concept of Freud's oral stage). "That's not true, " says the bestselling author. - People who smoke want to look mature and bold. Invite them to walk around with a pacifier in their teeth - they will die of embarrassment. "
A little about withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug. It is fast acting and leaves organs and tissues at the same rate. What happens if you stop supplying the body with this substance? "Rumors of horrific experiences are exaggerated, " writes Allen Carr in his book. An unbearable "withdrawal" is nothing more than a feeling of lack of inner support or joy.
There is no physical pain in the usual sense. Smokers may complain of low mood, anxiety, and an obsessive desire to "do something with their hands. "The reason is habit, addiction. It happens when a person starts smoking regularly. It is a "little nicotine creature" that sits in the stomach and demands food. The desire to buy a cigarette begins immediately after the cigarette butt is thrown into the trash. By choosing to continue, a person only extends the chain of episodes of thirst and short-term relief.
Allen Carr describes the injection process in vivid colors, comparing smokers to heroin addicts. Perceptual changes - completely useless actions that are alien to those who do not suffer from these diseases - create comfort in addicts.
Of course, being deprived of smoking and deprived of food can also be said to cause such suffering. But food is a vital necessity, smoking is not.
Description of the method
"Quitting smoking is ridiculously easy, " wrote A. Carr. Describing the methodology, he mentions 2 conditions:
- A clear decision that there will be no more cigarettes.
- Do not be discouraged by such deprivations. We should be happy.
The author of the method explains that people who do not start smoking are actually weak and not purgative. They have the power to cope with stress and anxiety. They are more lively and active than those who require stimulation in the form of cigarettes.
Anyone can quit a bad habit. To quit smoking on your own, you need to understand the following:
- You can achieve your goal, in which you are no worse than others.
- There is nothing to throw away, you don't leave, but you get.
- There is no single cigarette: each will be followed by others.
- Smoking is a disease that shortens life.
- A person who decides that the last cigarette is smoked becomes a non-smoker.
According to the author, if you get in the right state of mind, then it will be easy to avoid trying to smoke during the first 3 weeks of the cleanse. The reader will be interested to know why it is not worth quitting smoking for a certain period of time (one month, six months, one year).
Alain Carr stipulates that his method works only if you completely give up smoking and do not replace it with any product containing nicotine. Why? The author's view of the problem is described in detail in the pages of the book.
What do readers think? In their reviews, they say that the book really helped them get rid of addiction. Readers note that the author did not write anything supernatural, on the contrary, he called a spade a spade and offered a good motivation for action.
Why do failures happen?
"It's easy to quit smoking. I've quit a hundred times myself" - Mark Twain's famous quote describes very accurately that the intention to quit smoking does not always lead to a person's true freedom once and for all. They are repeated failed attempts to support the myth that addiction is impossible to break.
A. Carr shows in his materials that his method is 95% effective. 5% of failures have 2 main reasons: not following instructions and not understanding.
Inability to follow instructions - the lack of desire to follow the methodology, trying to adapt the idea by distorting it. The recommendations may seem overly harsh, but they facilitate the process and convince the addict of the success of the venture. This includes:
- immediate cessation of smoking;
- banning products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignored this advice and sought other treatment options, there were actually quitters. However, he urges not to underestimate tricks as ways to help overcome the habit.
Not being able to understand is wanting a ready answer. Smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly release thousands of devices to the world. To break the habit, you need to choose phrases that resonate in your heart and try to understand them. For example, a person may believe that smoking is a source of pleasure. You must wonder why it is easy to give up other things that bring more pleasant emotions.
Among the dangerous factors that can undermine confidence in the correctness of the decision made are other smokers around and "heavy days" that create a habitual need to smoke. "It's not loss, it's recovery, " the author warns.
The book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" is not a medical publication. However, the accuracy and sincerity in the description of the problem and the fact that the author offers 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 is famous for his books on easy ways to quit smoking. This method has helped many people quit smoking.
Allen Carr 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
Many people are skeptical when they pick up Allen Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". And all because they think they will now see another publication describing all the delicious consequences of smoking.
As you read, something changes in your perception and you quietly accept the idea that you don't need to smoke. The book can change you a lot because it encourages you to quit smoking. Most readers of this book agree.
There are no horror stories about the harms of smoking in the book, the author does not force us to do anything, he even recommends to continue smoking while reading. The author brilliantly refutes all the myths and fears about quitting smoking, many postulates are tediously repeated from one chapter to another. After listening to the book, the reader has no doubt that he will smoke again. . . his only desire is to quickly finish listening to this tiring and run to the street happy like a child, because he is a non-smoker.
His method has shown phenomenal effectiveness and is recognized among experts, has gained wide popularity and has achieved great success in many countries of the world. Allen Carr has created a worldwide network of clinics whose experts help smokers quit smoking and get rid of nicotine addiction. Allen Carr's books have been published in twenty languages and have become bestsellers.