In many countries, no statistical studies have been conducted to confirm the effectiveness of Allen Carr's methods. But perhaps every smoker has a friend who at least once recommended reading the book "An easy way to quit. of smoking". She helped a lot. Less popular is The Easy Way to Quit Drinking. The subject of alcohol addiction is very sensitive. Not all those who managed to overcome it will not hesitate to recommend to friends and acquaintances the work of the founder of the "Easy Way" clinic.
What makes the method unique
Quitting smoking is not easier than climbing Mount Everest. But Allen Carr, the creator of a unique technique, managed to disprove this myth. When the book "An Easy Way to Stop Drinking" came out, many doubted. An avid smoker can hold a cigarette in his hand and read, gradually imbued with thoughts about the dangers of nicotine. However, it is difficult to imagine a person in a state of severe intoxication, enthusiastically studying the book "An easy way to stop drinking.
Interestingly, Carr's method, first used in the fight against smoking and later published in the mid-1980s, is universal for all types of addiction. So says one of the former patients of the "Easy Way" clinic.
The disease is easy to beat
Alcoholism is a chronic disease that cannot be eliminated. Remission is possible, complete cure is not. Many physicians adhere to this point of view. The author of The Easy Way to Quit Drinking objected to accepted dogma. But it was not in competition with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Allen Carr believes that alcoholism should not be counted among the incurable diseases. Furthermore, he believed that it was possible to get rid of this ailment in just four hours by undergoing a treatment session at his clinic. With Allen Carr's book, The Easy Way to Stop Drinking, the addict can get over it. But first of all, you need to find the strength to take this book into your hands. This is not so easy for someone who drinks alcohol regularly, but does not consider himself an alcoholic. But for those who realized they were stuck and decided to read The Easy Way to Quit Drinking, all that remains is to read each chapter carefully and carefully.
"Carnivorous plant"
This is the title of one of the chapters in The Easy Way to Stop Drinking. We will not retell the content of the book here. These are the most interesting points. Positive reviews of Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Stop Drinking often say that the author's style is light and laid-back. There are no strict guidelines. During the reading the illusion of a sincere friendly conversation is created.
The genre of the easy way to stop drinking is counseling. The author jokingly calls his book a detective. After all, we are talking about an addiction that kills a person.
Carnivorous plant: trap for small insects. It's like the illusion that alcohol relieves problems and relieves stress. Carr makes these comparisons in The Easy Way to Stop Drinking.
One of the author's goals is to help readers get rid of not only addiction, but shame as well. Every person who suffered from an irresistible craving for alcohol, at least once in his life, was in an absurd situation. Addiction often leads to loss of job, family, and other serious problems.
Opening Allen Carr's book is not enough. The main thing is to admit that there is a problem - the craving for alcohol, from which you do not have enough strength to get rid of yourself. But Allen Carr's book is also worth reading for those who rarely drink, "at big parties. "This is a kind of prevention, a short course that will allow you not to make mistakes in the future.
Carr writes: "I hate the word alcoholic, but that hatred does not extend to addicts. "The drinker experiences pains of conscience and this interferes with the elimination of the craving for alcohol. Carr presents the information very correctly. And this is an important advantage of your book.
In captivity
Alcohol addiction is bondage. Perhaps everyone agrees with this interpretation. But Allen Carr's technique is quite unusual. The author of The Easy Way to Quit argues that the prison in which drinkers find themselves is created by prejudice in society. Often doctors, trying to dissuade patients from drinking alcohol, provide a comprehensive list of diseases that develop as a result of regular consumption. This is not the best way.
Yes, a person who drinks can compile a list of terrible ailments and look at it every time they want to take a sip. But sooner or later, and this happens in most cases, you will break this terrible list into small pieces and throw it away.
Allen Carr gives an interesting example in his book. Imagine that the doctor arrived at Count Monte Cristo's cell and, having examined the prisoner, said: "Being here does not reflect your health in the best way, you should get out of here, or at least go outdoors more often. "Monte Cristo already knows that being in prison will not lead to anything good. That advice is stupid and useless. The prisoner in the novel will eventually emerge from his dungeon. But can a person who drinks do this? The problem is that he acts as both a prisoner and a jailer.
In alcoholic, the alcoholic seeks relief from problems. When he realizes that drunkenness has gone too far, he cannot decide to fight it.
Doctors say that it is impossible to get rid of alcoholism and that the road to remission is long, difficult, and also negatively affects the psyche and well-being. The drinker is captive of the prejudices that society generates.
Allen Carr's Rules
There are three simple things to understand to get rid of an addiction:
- The person who drinks must eliminate factors that interfere with limiting the amount of alcohol. One of these factors is the misconception that no alcohol-free parties will take place.
- In trying to limit the amount of alcohol drunk with its harm in mind, a person finds himself in the same trustworthy prison as the prisoner in Dumas' novel.
- The last thing an alcoholic wants to hear is how pathetic and unhappy he is. To get rid of addiction, you must stop beating yourself.
Benefits of alcohol
In his book, Allen Carr is not so critical of alcohol, but rather tries to find its positive aspects. And it does not. Carr argues that the negative side of alcohol does not outweigh the positive. But he insists: drinking alcoholic beverages has no advantages. Alcohol systematically destroys the will and dignity. It has no other effect. In the book, which came out in 1985, the author does not insist on urgently quitting smoking. Allen Carr did the same when he wrote about alcoholism. He did not recommend limiting the amount of alcoholic beverages while reading. This is the specificity of the method.
Stop fooling yourself
All alcohol addicts lie. Not because they are dishonest. We can say that this is one of the symptoms of alcoholism. Also, people who drink lie not only to others, but also to themselves. To get out of the alcohol trap, you must stop lying to yourself.
Allen Carr recommends that readers make two lists. First of all, the disadvantages of alcohol intoxication. In the other, dignity. When compiling the first and second lists, you must be extremely honest with yourself.
Brainwash
Anti-alcohol campaigns were carried out in different countries during the 20th century. However, the advertising of alcoholic beverages has always been very effective. Alcohol is nice and relaxing. There are many interesting topics to discuss.
Allen Carr argued that these are all misconceptions. He adhered to the same point of view when writing his first book, in which he argued that nicotine addiction is beneficial only for manufacturers of tobacco products. When it comes to alcohol advertising, Allen Carr cites American westerns as an example. The heroes of these films spend most of their time in bars. One gets the impression that they do nothing but cheer up on cheap whiskey.
Readers of the book may remember more than one comedy as an example. The heroes of popular films, being intoxicated, do not lose their charm, and it happens that they even find themselves in funny situations that do not complicate their lives so much as they solve a number of problems. The question arises: "What then is the harm of alcohol? " The basis of the Allen Carr method lies in the rejection of the delusions to which we are used from childhood and take for the truth.
Reviews
Interestingly, readers in many countries speak positively about the British author's book. These reviews confirm that the method developed by a man who was considered a con man and a con man in his homeland in the 90's by followers of traditional treatment methods really works.