Smoking is a bad habit that leads to addiction.The symptoms of cigarette withdrawal are so recognizable that even strangers may ask the addict, "Why are you so angry? Are you going to quit smoking?"
Narcologists believe that it is difficult to get rid of nicotine addiction.But Allen Carr, an accountant by profession, came up with 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 smoked up to 5 packs of cigarettes a day.Allen Carr suffered from addiction and tried unsuccessfully to kick it.After using it for about 33 years, he saw a hypnotherapist, but "as soon as he left the clinic, he started smoking."
However, this visit was useful.The hypnotherapist explained to him that "smoking is just a nicotine addiction".A little later, Carr read in a medical manual that physical withdrawal symptoms 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 full of desire to tell all smokers about it.
A. Carr wrote "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" and soon opened a clinic called Easyway.Over time, one institution grew into a network of health centers around the world.They work according to their own method and offer refunds in case of errors.
A. Carr also became the author of books on the fight against alcoholism, overweight, fear of air travel and a motivational publication on achieving success.
At the age of 71, he was diagnosed with an inoperable form of lung cancer, which caused his death 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, understandable language.The author examines in detail the causes leading to the development of the deadly habit, dispels myths, shares his personal experiences and describes how to deal with the "little nicotine creature".
Why do people still smoke?
Smoking causes mental and physical dependence.A person develops certain rituals associated with cigarettes;nicotine is incorporated into metabolic processes.To avoid stress and maintain comfort, the addict needs to smoke at certain intervals.
According to Allen Carr, cigarettes do not bring pleasure, they only temporarily relieve the symptoms of withdrawal symptoms.If a person continues to smoke, he maintains his addiction.And the sense of relief you get when you pull on your lighter and take your first drag after the break signals a return to normal, tentatively normal.The same place where people without cigarettes always find themselves.
In other words, withdrawal syndrome is born from the fear of being deprived of a usual activity.Once you overcome this fear, quitting smoking is easy and painless.An addict can only get out of it if he realizes where he ended up, what the nicotine trap is.Allen Carr shares the secret that the link between smoking cessation and willpower has been exaggerated.And this idea is a good help for those who do not hope that they will be able to "grit their teeth and hold on as long as it takes".
A. Carr is convinced that most smokers really do not know why they continue to kill themselves with such an unpleasant and expensive device.They feel cheated: in order to get used to cigarettes, they already had to overcome the feeling that it is frankly unpleasant.Smokers implicitly understand that those who have quit the habit know about it.Nicotine addiction and "brainwashing" are 2 reasons why you run for a new pack."Will I really be happy if I quit smoking?"- thinks another addict and further destroys his health.
Myths about smoking
In his book, the author dispels myths and describes the traps that smokers fall into."What would you say to your current self when you light your first cigarette? Would you praise your children for this new activity?"- asks A. Carr.And addicts sadly admit that they wouldn't repeat that mistake, and they certainly wouldn't be happy about a child who smokes.
So why is the number of smokers increasing?In 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's impossible to stop;
- it takes a strong will to quit;
- quitting smoking is incredibly difficult, withdrawal symptoms are severe;
- the smoker must be regularly reminded that his habit will lead him to his grave;
- Smoking is a way to fight boredom, relax and fight stress.
Every myth about smoking consists of three statements: cigarettes are pleasant, quitting is almost impossible, and quitting nicotine is an irreparable loss.Allen Carr ridicules the idea that smoking is a way of obtaining unconditional pleasure and acceptance (similar to the child at the mother's breast, Freud's concept of the oral stage)."That's not true," says the bestselling author."Those who light up want to look mature and brave."Invite them to walk with a pacifier in their teeth - they will die of embarrassment."
A little about withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug.They act quickly and are eliminated from organs and tissues just as quickly.What happens if you stop supplying your body with this substance?"Rumors of terrible experiences are exaggerated," Allen Carr writes in his book.Unbearable "withdrawal" is nothing more than a feeling of lack of inner support or joy.
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.This happens when a person starts smoking regularly.It is the “little nicotine creature” that sits in the stomach and requires nourishment.The desire for a cigarette appears almost immediately after a cigarette butt is thrown in the trash.By choosing to continue, one 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 ugly actions, alien to those who do not suffer from these diseases, bring relief to addicts.
Of course, it can be said that giving up cigarettes and giving up food cause similar suffering.But eating is a vital necessity, 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:
- It is a clear decision that there will be no more smoking.
- Do not be discouraged by such deprivation.We should be happy.
The author of the method explains that those who do not start smoking are not actually weak and purgatory.They are able to cope 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 than others.
- There's nothing to throw away, you don't leave it, you get it.
- There is no single cigarette: each is followed by another.
- Smoking is a disease that shortens life.
- After deciding that the last cigarette has been smoked, one becomes a non-smoker.
According to the author, if we get the right state of mind, it will be easy to refrain from trying to smoke a cigarette during the first 3 weeks when the body is being cleansed.The reader will be interested in why it is not worth giving up smoking for a specific period of time (one month, six months, one year).
Alain Carr states that his method only works if you give up cigarettes completely, without replacing them with products containing nicotine.Why?The author's understanding 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 will note that the author did not write anything supernatural, but called a spade a spade and offered good motivation for action.
Why do failures happen?
"Quitting smoking is easy. I've quit smoking a hundred times myself" - Mark Twain's famous quote describes very precisely that the intention to quit smoking does not always lead to a person truly becoming free once and for all.Repeated unsuccessful attempts to quit support the myth that it is impossible to get rid of an addiction once it is established.
A. Carr indicates in his materials that the efficiency of his method is 95%.Two main reasons behind the 5% of failures are failure to follow instructions and lack of understanding.
Inability to follow instructions - the lack of willingness to follow the methodology, an attempt to adapt to oneself, with the distortion of the idea itself.Referrals may seem too harsh, but they make the process easier and make the addict believe in the success of the business.This includes:
- immediate cessation of smoking;
- banning products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignored these tips and sought other treatment options, some actually quit smoking.However, he urges not to value tricks as a way to treat the habit.
The inability to understand is ready to be answered.Smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly broadcast thousands of installations to the world.If you want to break this habit, choose the statements that resonated in your heart and try to understand them.For example, a person may believe that cigarettes are a source of pleasure.It is worth thinking about why it is easier to give up other things that bring more pleasant emotions.
Among the dangerous factors that shake the confidence in the correctness of the decision made are other smokers in the environment and "difficult days" that cause regular cigarettes."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 honesty of the description of the problem, as well as the author's suggestion of an effective way to get rid of the habit, make it a good assistant in the fight against the deadly disease.