Tobacco smoking is a bad habit that leads to addiction.The symptoms of quitting smoking are so recognizable that even strangers may ask the 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 that became a bestseller.
Allen Carr – biography 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 turned to a hypnotherapist, but "he 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.”A little later, Carr read in a medical manual that physical withdrawal symptoms consisted of a feeling of emptiness and insecurity.Comparing these two facts, he concluded that it was actually easy to give up the bad habit and felt the desire to tell all smokers about it.
A. Carr wrote “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking” and soon opened a clinic called Easyway (“Easy Way”).Over time, one facility grew into a network of medical centers around the world.They work according to their own method and guarantee a refund in case of error.
A. Carr also became the author of books about the fight against alcoholism, obesity, fear of air travel and a motivational publication for success.
At the age of 71, he was diagnosed with an inoperable form of lung cancer, which resulted in death four months after diagnosis.
About the book “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking”
The book “The Easy Way to Quit Smoking” is written in simple, easy-to-understand language.The author examines in detail the reasons that lead to the formation of a deadly habit, debunks myths, shares personal experiences and describes how to deal with the “little nicotine thing”.
Why do people continue to smoke?
Smoking leads to mental and physical dependence.A person develops certain rituals associated with cigarettes;Nicotine is integrated into metabolic processes.To avoid stress and feel good, the addict must smoke at certain intervals.
Allen Carr said that cigarettes do not provide pleasure, but only provide temporary relief from withdrawal symptoms.If someone continues to smoke, they maintain their addiction.And the feeling of relief that he feels when he lights his lighter and takes the first puff after a break indicates a return to a normal, conditionally normal state.In the same place where there are always people without cigarettes.
In other words, withdrawal syndrome arises from the fear of being excluded from a usual activity.If you overcome this fear, quitting smoking is easy and painless.Only those who recognize where they have landed, what a nicotine trap is, can get out of this trap.Allen Carr shares the secret that the connection between smoking cessation and willpower has been exaggerated.And this thought is a good help for those who do not hope that they will be able to “grind their teeth and hold on as long as necessary.”
A. Carr believes that most smokers really don't know why they continue to kill themselves with such unpleasant and expensive means.They feel deceived: in order to get used to the cigarette, they have already had to overcome the feeling that it is, frankly, unpleasant.Implicitly, smokers understand that those who are freed from this habit know about it.Nicotine addiction and “brainwashing” are two reasons that make you run for a new pack.“Will I really be happy if I quit smoking?”- thinks another addict and continues to destroy his health.
Myths about smoking
In his book, the author debunks myths and describes the traps that smokers fall into."What would you say to yourself when you light your first cigarette? Would you praise your children for this new activity?"- asks A. Carr.And the addicts sadly admit that they would not repeat this mistake and would certainly not be happy about a child smoking.
Why then does the number of smokers continue to grow?In communicating with them, Carr collected a “collection” of illusions that support addiction:
- In fact, smokers enjoy the process;
- Smoking looks cool and manly;
- Smoking is a habit;Once you start, it's impossible to stop.
- it requires a strong will to stop;
- Quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, the withdrawal symptoms are severe;
- The smoker should be regularly reminded that the habit is leading him to the grave;
- Smoking is a way to overcome boredom, relax and relieve stress.
All myths about smoking are based on three statements: 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 pleasure and acceptance (by analogy with a child at the mother's breast, the concept of the oral phase by S. Freud).“That’s not true,” says the best-selling author.– Anyone who lights a cigarette wants to look mature and courageous.Invite them to go for a walk with a pacifier in their teeth – they will die of embarrassment.”
A little about withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug.Works quickly and leaves 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 the usual sense.Smokers may complain of low mood, anxiety, and a compulsive desire to “have something to do with their hands.”The reason is habit, addiction.It occurs when a person starts smoking regularly.This is the “little nicotine creature” that sits in the stomach and needs nourishment.The desire for a cigarette arises almost immediately after a cigarette butt is thrown into the trash.Choosing to continue only extends a chain of thirst attacks and short-term relief.
Allen Carr compares smokers to heroin addicts and describes the injection process in vivid color.Changes in perception - completely unsightly actions, alien to those who do not suffer from these diseases, bring relief to addicts.
Of course, it can be said that cigarette withdrawal and food withdrawal cause similar suffering.But eating is a vital necessity, smoking is not.
Description of the method
“It is ridiculously easy to quit smoking,” wrote A. Carr.When describing the methodology, he points out two conditions:
- A clear decision that there will be no more smoking.
- Don't let such hardships discourage you.We should be happy.
The author of the method explains that people who do not start smoking are actually not weaklings and purifiers.You have the strength to deal with stress and anxiety.They are much more lively and active than those who require 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 at it than others.
- There is nothing to throw away, you don't walk away, you acquire.
- There is no single cigarette: each one is 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 adopt the right mindset, you can easily avoid trying to smoke a cigarette during the first three weeks when the body is cleansing itself.It will be interesting for the reader to learn why it is not worth quitting smoking for a certain period of time (a month, six months, a year).
Alain Carr states that his method only works if you completely avoid cigarettes and do not replace them with 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 provided a good motivation to act.
Why do outages occur?
"Stopping smoking is easy. I have quit smoking myself a hundred times" - the famous quote from Mark Twain aptly describes that the intention to part with a cigarette does not always lead to a person truly becoming free once and for all.Repeated unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking support the myth that once an addiction develops, it is impossible to get rid of it.
In his materials, A. Carr states that the effectiveness of his method is 95%.There are two main reasons for 5% of failures: failure to follow instructions and lack of understanding.
Inability to follow instructions – unwillingness to follow the methodology, attempts to adapt it to oneself, with a distortion of the idea itself. Perhaps the recommendations seem too harsh, but they facilitate the process and make the addict believe in the success of the company.This includes:
- immediate smoking cessation;
- Ban on products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignored these tips and sought other treatment options, there were those who actually quit cigarettes.However, he urges people not to judge tricks as ways to overcome the habit.
The inability to understand is the desire to receive a ready answer.The smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly send thousands of installations around the world.To break this habit, you should select the statements that have resonated in your heart and try to understand them.For example, a person might believe that cigarettes are a source of pleasure.You should think about why it is easier to give up other things that cause more pleasant emotions.
Dangerous factors that can undermine confidence in the correctness of the decision made include other smokers around and “hard days” that cause a habitual need for a cigarette.“This is not a loss, but a recovery,” warns the author.
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 author's proposal to effectively get rid of the habit make it a good helper in the fight against a fatal disease.