How do I quit smoking? The famous British writer Alan Carr studied nicotine addiction in detail, tried to understand the thoughts of smokers, and on this basis published a book called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking", and also opened a network of clinics with the same name. Alan's recommendationsCarr was so effective that his "method" became a national household name and his book is still published worldwide. According to some reports, Alan Carr's book was able to help 10 million smokers get rid of the addiction.
Why is quitting smoking easy?
Alan Carr's position is somewhat paradoxical. He assures: to get rid of such a powerful addiction as smoking, no will is needed!
According to him, any violence against oneself will only make the problem worse. You must act delicately: based on logical arguments and facts, convince yourself. Well, the book will help with that.
The text is written in vivid, figurative language, with many examples and analogies.
Alan Carr expresses his thoughts openly, clearly and without a hint of humiliation for a smoker. The author treats the reader positively, does not scare or reproach, but tries to convince the smoker: my 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 in this way they try to get rid of problems, relieve stress or simply have fun. That is, smoking is a kind of effective action, albeit harmful.
Alan Carr thinks differently. He declares: this is self-hypnosis! The brain's attempt to justify itself, to pass off the 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 only gives you the opportunity to not suffer withdrawal symptoms for a while. But non-smokers do not suffer from this 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 not "breaking". On the other hand, he is afraid of the upcoming painful sensations caused by withdrawal symptoms. If you overcome this fear, your body will quit smoking easilyand painless.
Enemies of merchants
Alan Carr, studying the problem of smoking, considers the issue broadly and comprehensively. He conducted numerous opinion polls, collected statistics, and delved into psychology and physiology. In many ways, it is this profound approach that determines the popularity of his teachings.
He paid close attention to the "external enemy" - those who make money from the sale of cigarettes. Carr describes the tricks marketers use 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 in our country. The 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 broadcasts that smoking is bad and harmful.
However, it is worth reading about these "enemies" for the modern smoker. If only to make sure what an advantageous position he is in compared to the Englishman of the 80s. You can also draw analogies and understand what we are intensively fedtraders today.
Programming in Alan Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking"
If we look at Alan Carr's work through the lens 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 to do so. Perhaps these phrases are deposited in a person's subconscious, thereby programming, inspiring and motivating him to realize the "ease" of this decisive action.
The word "easy" appears more than 60 times in the book.
The book also regularly pushes the idea that smoking does not give a person any advantages and, on the contrary, describes many negative consequences of smoking.
"Smoking is a drug 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 looking at shiny cigarette boxes in a new way - try to see the junk and poison inside them. Don't be fooled by ground glass ashtrays, gold lighters and the millions who have already been fooled. Start asking yourself questions: Why am I doing this? Do I really need this? OF COURSE NOT! ". . .
"Take six deep puffs of this great tobacco and ask yourself, 'What's so great about this flavor? '". . .
"First, identify those times or events when smoking seems absolutely necessary to you. If you are a businessman and smoke for the illusion of stress relief, choose a period of relative calm, such as an annual vacation. If you usually smoke out of boredom or idleness, move on from that by choosing the opposite state. In any case, take the problem seriously and make this experience the most important event in your life.
All these are quite simple methods of influencing a person. But strangely enough, it is with simple techniques that great efficiency can be achieved. However, it is worth noting that this effect is short-lived. According to our observations, 7 out of 10 people still go back to smoking after a while. This probably happens when the attitudes one has acquired are forgotten and weakened.
Revolutionary technique!
When she finally decided to give up, she didn't rely on her own willpower, but went to a man who promised deliverance in one medical session. Well, two at most. The miracle doctor pierced my mother's ears with needles and occasionally turned them like the dials of a radio. Mom firmly endured the pain, trying to quickly catch the desired wave, but she did not know in what range to look. "Do you want to smoke? "- asked the wizard angrily. "I want! "- Mom answered honestly, and he twisted it even harder. After five visits, tired of the exoticism of Eastern medicine, with reddened ears from the injections and with depleted "chi", she stopped going to the magician.
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 money. It would be better if I bought shoes! "And then she shrugged, "Or maybe the needles worked. . . "
I gave up tobacco overnight. I tell everyone that. And I immediately add: this, however, was preceded by four years of torment. During that time I tried everything. I reduced the number of cigarettes (following my father's example). It is traditionally thrown on Monday, New Year's Day, birthday and May 31; from early morning and on full moon; fasting and on a full stomach. I tried to "substitute" by eating handfuls of barberries and crackers. I tried an electronic cigarette - those vapor nicotine sticks. I asked my friends not to smoke in front of me. He even left town. I read hundreds of scientific (and not so much) articles on the problem of smoking. I got hold of a then scarce book by Alan Carr and read it cover to cover. All to no avail! Why didn't Alan Carr help me? I think I knew almost everything there was to learn from that book by then, sothat the necessary wow effect that the author was counting on did not occur during reading. I was desperate. To all the complaints about the futility of my attempts, dad replied: "In life, only the first fifty years are difficult. After that, you get used to it. "
I had strained my nerves quite a bit, my self-confidence fell to the wind, and my loved ones would stay away from me if they didn't see a cigarette in my hand. What particularly angered me was the fact that I, a healthy person, had to suffer and humiliate myself, daily praying for freedom from an essentially meaningless thing - smoke. It was as if the hateful habit had conquered not only my mind and body, but also quantities of a different order—my past and future. Again and again the cigarette looked blankly at me with the Terminator's red eye, and I seemed to hear her voice: "I'll be back. " And so for four long years. But one day everything changed. . .
It doesn't matter when the decision to break the addiction was made. No matter the amount of effort expended along the way. 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 to which we initially do not attach much importance - we simply take a step from the past to the future.
One fine morning I woke up. Took a shower. I got dressed. I had breakfast. I drank coffee. I read the news. He left the house. I got on the bus that took me to work. Little did I know that this was the first morning of my new life. I couldn't hope. All day I was busy with something, talking with colleagues and friends. He talked, answered questions, laughed, joked. And with each minute, with each hour, my confidence grew and grew stronger—it had happened. One of the most important events in my life happened! I came back from work. I had dinner. I watched a movie, surfed the Internet. Lie down in bed. Falling asleep, at the very end of that day, I said to myself:
You. More ▼. No. You smoke.
And the next day there was life. Work 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've been single and I've never wanted to smoke again! Even testing yourself (although that would be complete nonsense). I could only enjoy the changes and wonder why I didn't do it sooner because it is so easy to quit smoking!
"The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" - Quit smoking the Alan Carr method
Smoking is a harmful 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 giving up smoking?
Narcologists believe that it is difficult to get rid of nicotine addiction. But Alan Carr, an accountant by profession, invented an easy way to quit smoking and wrote a book about it that became a bestseller.
Alan 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. Alan 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 worthwhile. The hypnotherapist explained to him that "smoking is simply an addiction to nicotine. " A little later, Carr read in a medical manual that the physical symptoms of withdrawal consisted of a feeling of emptiness and uncertainty. Comparing these two facts, he concluded that quittingfrom the harmful habit is actually easy and was filled with desire to tell all smokers about it.
A. Carr wrote "The easy way to quit smoking" and soon opened his own clinic, which was called the same as the written book. Over time, an institution grew into a network of medical centers around the world. They work on their ownmethod and guarantee a refund in case of malfunction.
A. Carr also became the author of books on the fight against alcoholism, obesity, 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 caused death 4 months after diagnosis.
About the book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking"
The book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" is written in simple and accessible language. The author examines in detail the reasons that led to the formation of a deadly habit, debunks myths and shares personal experience and describes how to deal with the "little nicotine creature".
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 maintain comfort, the addict must smoke at certain intervals.
Alan 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 feels when he lights his lighter and takes his first puff after a break indicates a return to normal, tentative normalcy. In the same place where people without cigarettes are constantly found.
In other words, 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 understanding where he got into, what is the nicotine trap, can the addict get out of it. Alan Carr shares the secret that the connection between quitting smoking and willpower is overblown. And this thought is a good help for those who do not hope that "they will be able to grit their teeth and last 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 deceived: in order to start getting used to the cigarette, they already had to overcome the feeling that it is frankly unpleasant. Smokers implicitly understand that those free of the habit know about it. Nicotine addiction and "brainwashing" are two reasons that make you run for a new pack. "Will I be really happy when I stop 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 now when you light your first cigarette? Would you praise your children for this new activity? "- asks A. Carr. And addicts admit with sadness 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? Communicating with them, Carr assembled 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 quit;
- it takes a strong will to quit;
- quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, withdrawal symptoms are severe;
- the smoker must be regularly reminded that the habit is leading him to his grave;
- Smoking is a way to overcome boredom, relax and overcome stress.
All myths about smoking boil down to three statements: cigarettes are pleasant, quitting is almost impossible, giving up nicotine is an irreparable loss. Alan Carr ridicules the idea that smoking is a way of obtaining unconditional pleasure and acceptance (by analogy with a child at the mother's breast, Z. Freud's concept of the oral stage). "This is not true, " says the author of the bestseller. "People who smoke cigarettes want to look mature and brave. Invite them to walk around with a pacifier in their teeth - they will die of shame. "
A little about the withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug. Fast acting and just as fast leaving the organs and tissues. What happens if you stop supplying the body with this substance? "Rumors of terrible experiences are exaggerated, " writes Alan 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 a bad mood, anxiety and an obsessive desire "to have something to do with their hands". The reason is a habit, an addiction. It appears when a person begins to smoke regularly. This is the "little nicotine creature" that sitsin the stomach and needs food. The urge to pick up a cigarette begins almost as soon as the butt is thrown into the bin. By choosing to continue, one only prolongs a chain of episodes of craving and short-lived relief.
Alan Carr compares smokers to heroin addicts, describing the injection process in vivid colors. Changes in perception - completely unpleasant actions, alien to those who do not suffer from these diseases, cause relief to addicts.
Of course, one could say that the deprivation of cigarettes and the deprivation of food cause similar suffering. But eating is a vital necessity, smoking is not.
Description of the method
"It is incredibly easy to quit smoking, " writes A. Carr. Describing the methodology, he states 2 conditions:
- A clear decision to stop smoking.
- Do not be discouraged by such privations. We should be happy.
The author of the method explains that people who do not start smoking are not actually weaklings and scavengers. 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, in this you are no worse than others.
- There is nothing to throw away, you do not leave, but acquire.
- There is no single cigarette: each will be followed by others.
- Smoking is a disease that shortens life.
- Having decided that the last cigarette is smoked, a person becomes a non-smoker.
According to the author, if you acquire the right state of mind, then it will be easy to refrain from trying to take a cigarette during the first 3 weeks when the body is being purified. It will be interesting for the reader to understand why it is not worth giving up smoking for a certain period of time (month, six months, year).
Alain Carr claims that his method works only if you completely give up cigarettes and without replacing them with products containing nicotine. Why? The author's vision 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 real names and offered good motivation for action.
Why do failures happen?
"Quitting smoking is easy. I've quit a hundred times myself" - the famous quote by Mark Twain very accurately describes that the intention to part with the cigarette does not always lead to a person becoming truly free once and for all. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to quit is what supports the myth, that it is impossible to get rid of the addiction once formed.
In his materials, A. Carr states that the effectiveness of his method is 95%. There are 2 main reasons behind the 5% of failures: failure to follow directions and misunderstanding.
Inability to follow the instructions - lack of desire to follow the methodology, attempts to adapt to yourself by distorting the idea itself. Perhaps the recommendations seem too harsh, but they facilitate the process and make the addict believe in the success of the endeavor. This includes:
- immediate cessation of smoking;
- ban on products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignored this advice and sought other treatment options, there were those who did quit smoking. However, he urges not to value gimmicks as ways to deal with the habit.
The inability to understand is the desire to receive a ready answer. Smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly emit thousands of installations to the world. To break the habit, you need to choose those statements that have resonated in your heart and try to understand them. For example, a person may believe that cigarettes are a source of pleasure. You should think about 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 taken are other smokers in the environment and "heavy 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 for an effective way to get rid of the habit make it a good helper in the fight against a deadly disease.
Alan Carr - Give up smoking
Alan Carr became famous thanks to his books in which he talked about an easy way to quit smoking. This method has helped many people quit smoking.
Alan Carr himself died 23 years after giving up 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 - Alan Carr
When they pick up Alan Carr's book "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking", many are skeptical. And all because they think they will now 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 to smoke. The book can change you a lot because it motivates you to quit smoking. 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 we continue to smoke while reading it. The author brilliantly debunks all the myths and fears related to quitting smoking, while many postulates are annoyingly repeated from one chapter to another. By the end of listening to the book, the reader no longer doubts that he will ever smoke again. . . his only desire is to quickly stop listening to this annoyance and run out into the street happy as a child, because he is a non-smoker.
His method, demonstrating phenomenal efficiency, received recognition among specialists, gained wide popularity and enjoyed tremendous success in many countries around the world. Alan Carr has created a worldwide network of clinics whose specialists help smokers quit smoking and overcome nicotine addiction. Alan Carr's books have been published in twenty languages and have become bestsellers.