Smoking is a bad habit that leads to addiction.The symptoms of quitting smoking are so easy to recognize that even a stranger may ask an addict: "Why are you so angry? Did you quit smoking?"
Narcologists believe that getting rid of nicotine addiction is very difficult.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) himself started smoking at the age of 18 during his military service.He works as an accountant and can smoke up to 5 packs of cigarettes a day.Allen Carr suffered from addiction and tried unsuccessfully to quit.When he had been using for about 33 years, he went to a hypnotherapist, but “he started smoking as soon as he left the clinic.”
However, this visit was very beneficial.The hypnotist explained to him that “smoking is just an addiction to nicotine.”A while later, Carr read in a medical handbook that physical withdrawal symptoms included feelings of emptiness and insecurity.Comparing these two facts, he came to the conclusion that giving up a bad habit is really easy, 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 a clinic called Easyway (“the easy way”).Over time, an organization grew into a network of medical centers around the world.They work according to their own methods and guarantee money back in case of failure.
A. Carr also became the author of books on the fight against alcoholism, overweight, fear of flying and a motivational publication about achieving success.
At age 71, he was diagnosed with an inoperable form of lung cancer that proved fatal four months after diagnosis.
Introducing the book "Quit Smoking Easily"
The book "Easy Ways 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, debunks myths and shares personal experiences, as well as describing 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 related to tobacco;Nicotine is incorporated into metabolic processes.To avoid stress and maintain comfort, addicts must smoke during certain periods of time.
Allen Carr believes that cigarettes do not bring pleasure but only temporarily relieve withdrawal symptoms.If a person continues to smoke, he will maintain his addiction.And the feeling of relief he experienced when he turned on the lighter and pulled for the first time after the break indicated a return to normalcy, conditioned normality.Go to the same place where regular tobacco-free people find themselves.
In other words, withdrawal syndrome is born from the fear of being deprived of daily activities.If you overcome this fear, quitting smoking will become easy and painless.Only when realizing where they have come, what the nicotine trap is, can the addict get out of it.Allen Carr shares the secret that the connection 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 hold out as long as necessary.”
A. Carr is convinced that most smokers really do not know why they continue to commit suicide by such an expensive and unpleasant means.They feel cheated: to start getting used to cigarettes, they had to overcome the feeling that it was really unpleasant.Implicitly, smokers understand that people who do not have this habit know about it.Nicotine addiction and “brainwashing” are two reasons why you run after the new package.“Will I really be happy when I quit smoking?”- thought another addict and continued to ruin 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 your current self when you light up your first cigarette? Would you praise your child for this new activity?"- asked A. Carr.And addicts sadly admit that they will not repeat this mistake and will certainly not be happy for a child to smoke.
So why is the number of smokers only increasing?Communicating with them, Carr collected a “collection” of illusions that aided addiction:
- In fact, smokers enjoy the process;
- smoking looks cool and masculine;
- Smoking is a habit;Once started, it cannot be stopped;
- It takes a strong will to give up;
- Quitting smoking is extremely difficult, withdrawal symptoms are very severe;
- The smoker should be constantly reminded that this habit is taking him to the grave;
- Smoking is a way to overcome boredom, relax and overcome stress.
All myths about smoking have three claims: cigarettes are pleasant, quitting is almost impossible, giving up nicotine is an irreparable loss.Allen Carr scoffs at the idea that smoking is a way to achieve joy and unconditional acceptance (similar to a breastfeeding baby, S. Freud's concept of the oral stage).“This is not true,” said the best-selling author.– People who light cigarettes want to look mature and courageous.Invite them for a walk with a pacifier in their teeth - they will die of embarrassment.”
A little bit about withdrawal syndrome
Nicotine is a drug.Acts quickly and leaves organs and tissues just as quickly.What happens if you stop providing this substance to your body?“Rumors of terrible experiences were exaggerated,” Allen Carr writes in his book.Unbearable “withdrawal” is nothing more than a feeling of lack of support or inner joy.
There is no physical pain in its usual sense.Smokers may complain of depressed mood, anxiety, and an obsessive desire to “have something to do with their hands.”The cause is due to habits and addictions.It occurs when a person starts smoking regularly.These are “little nicotine organisms” that reside in the stomach and require food.The desire to have a cigarette begins to arise almost immediately after the cigarette butts are thrown into the trash.By choosing to continue, a person is only prolonging a series of short-term thirst and relief.
Allen Carr compares smokers to heroin addicts, depicting the injection process in vivid colors.Changes in perception - completely unsightly actions, alien to people who do not suffer from these diseases, bring relief to the addict.
Of course, it could be said that lack of tobacco and lack of food cause equal suffering.But eating is an essential need and smoking is not.
Method description
A. Carr writes: "Quitting smoking is ridiculously easy. Describing the methodology, he points out 2 conditions:
- A clear decision that there will be no more smoking.
- Don't be discouraged by such deprivation.We should be happy.
The author of this method explains that people who do not start smoking are in fact not weak and purging people.They are able to cope with stress and anxiety.They are much more lively and active than those who need stimulation in the form of cigarettes.
Anyone can quit 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 don't throw it away, you have to gain it.
- There is no single cigarette: each cigarette will be followed by another.
- Smoking is a disease that shortens life.
- After deciding that the last cigarette has been smoked, a person becomes a non-smoker.
According to the author, if you have the right mental state, you will easily be able to refrain from smoking in the first 3 weeks, when your body is being purified.Readers will find it interesting to know why quitting smoking for a specific period of time (one month, six months, one year) is not worth it.
Alain Carr stipulates that his method is effective only if you completely abandon cigarettes and do not replace them with any products containing nicotine.Why?The author's vision of the problem is described in detail on each page of the book.
What do readers think?In their reviews, they say that the book really helped them get rid of their addiction.Readers should note that the author does not write anything supernatural, but calls a spade a spade and gives a good motive for action.
Why does failure happen?
"Quitting smoking is easy. I myself have quit smoking a hundred times" - the famous quote by Mark Twain very accurately describes that the intention to quit smoking does not always lead to a person truly becoming free once and for all.Repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking reinforce the misconception that it is impossible to escape addiction once it has formed.
In his literature, A. Carr shows that the efficiency of his method is 95%.There are 2 main reasons behind 5% of failures: not following instructions and not understanding.
Inability to follow instructions - lack of willingness to follow the methodology, trying to adapt it to oneself by distorting ideas.Perhaps the recommendations seem too harsh, but they make the process easier and make the addict believe in the success of the business.This includes:
- stop smoking immediately;
- ban products containing nicotine.
The author agrees that even among those who ignore this advice and seek other treatment options, there are still those who actually quit smoking.However, he cautions against relying on tactics as a way to help deal with this habit.
The inability to understand is the desire to receive ready answers.Smoking culture and the tobacco industry regularly broadcast thousands of installations to the world.To break this habit, you should choose sayings that resonate 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 so easy 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 “hard days” that trigger the smoking habit.“This is not a loss but a recovery,” the author warns.
The book “Easy Ways to Quit Smoking” is not a medical publication.However, the accuracy and sincerity in the description of the problem as well as the author's suggestions on how to effectively break the habit make it an effective aid in the fight against the deadly disease.