On July 15, 1983, Allen Carr, a heavy smoker with thirty years of experience, put out a freshly smoked cigarette and announced the discovery of a new method for quitting nicotine. A method that allows any smoker to give up a bad habit once and for all - without voluntary effort, gimmicks or substitutes, without suffering from withdrawal syndrome, without gaining excess weight and, most importantly, without spending the rest of his life in a hard struggle with the desire to smoke in secret fear, which at a party without a cigarette wouldn't be so much fun, and stress without a cigarette would be impossible to cope with.
At that time, few people could believe in the reality of such a magical healing. After all, everyone knew that quitting smoking requires enormous willpower, as a rule, accompanied by weight gain and the painful consequences of abstaining from nicotine. In general, quitting smoking is as difficult as conquering Everest. Unfortunately, millions of smokers continue to suffer from this delusion.
Considering thousands of hours of work and millions of dollars spent by doctors looking for an effective method of quitting nicotine, it is quite understandable how hard it is for them to believe that a former smoker without any medical training alone has faced a problem that professionals they cannot overcome. This is more likely to be believed by members of the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous. As a former Alcoholic Anonymous, I am well aware that millions of us owe their lives not to doctors, but to fellow sufferers.
Allen Carr is now widely recognized around the world as one of the leading experts in helping smokers break free from their bad habit. His first book, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking, has been a bestseller since 1985, when it was first published by Penguin. This book has been translated into more than 20 languages and became the bestseller in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Based on the Allen Carr method, a worldwide network of clinics was created.
I first heard about Allen Carr from friends who underwent treatment at his clinic and were delighted with the results. I was skeptical of these enthusiasms, as most of them at that time had quit smoking just a few days ago. I had no doubt that they had paid a fortune for the latest "magic" remedy and that they would try to persuade me to fall in love with the same lure. Now I don't believe it myself, but then I wanted them to go back to the old habit. It bothered me that they didn't care at all when I smoked in their presence, and gradually I realized that they were really enjoying their new life. Instead of liking that they lost the pleasure of smoking, I began to envy them.
For many years I felt like a pariah because I continued to smoke. As an ever-wobbly member of the "brotherhood, " I was fully aware that alcohol was ruining my life. My excuse was that I viewed alcohol as essential social support. Now, due to my addiction to alcohol, I felt like a pariah again. So I ended up at the Allen Carr clinic. Trusting that he wouldn't help me, I didn't say a word about my intentions even to my wife, let alone my friends. Four hours later, when I left the clinic, I couldn't wait to tell the whole world about it.
Carr states that his method is equally effective for all types of addictions. I am delighted to be able to testify that this method not only saved me from smoking, but also helped me wake up from the nightmare that has ruled my life: alcoholism. I was once convinced that alcoholism was incurable. Carr proved me wrong. My only regret today is that I didn't know anything about Allen Carr before. Don't worry if you're skeptical at first. This is exactly what Allen expects of you. I'm not going to talk about how his method works and what his effectiveness is. I can only say one thing: when you finish this book, it will be a mystery to you, because before you did not understand such obvious things. Enjoy your book!
Emanuel Johnson
An easy way to quit drinking
More than twenty years ago, I was able to prove that any smoker can easily quit smoking. Having discovered this method, I seriously expected that smoking would be a thing of the past in a few years. In fact, since then, according to the most conservative estimate, thanks to my method, more than five million people have got rid of this habit. For most of them, quitting smoking was fun and easy. However, there are millions of other people in the world who have not heard of Allen Carr or his method. I see the reason for this only in the fact that it takes some time to abandon the generally accepted dogma. After all, everyone knows how difficult it is to quit smoking.
For much of our history, we have believed the Earth to be flat and at the center of the universe. It is well known that it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to overcome alcohol addiction, including several failed attempts to quit drinking. It is also believed that controlling one's drinking habits is more difficult for those who need it most.
If I find it difficult to convince people that there is an easy and pleasant way to quit smoking, how much effort will it take to convince you that anyone can solve the alcohol problem themselves easily, permanently and immediately? If you suspect you are addicted to alcohol, or already consider yourself an alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous (A. A. ), known for its authority on alcoholism, is unlikely to do me a favor with its categorical statement:
"Alcoholism is a chronic disease for which there is no known cure. "
Unfortunately, this view enjoys the active support of many well-known medical specialists, the media and society at large. The belief that alcoholism is incurable is so ingrained that I won't be offended if you throw this book in the bin without even opening it. But please don't. Many doctors do not share the views of A. A. and other similar organizations, but are very reluctant to speak on national television with their objections.
One of the most disastrous consequences of alcoholism is that the victim is left penniless. Sufficiently affluent people whose alcohol situation is out of control can go to rehab, but for the vast majority of alcoholics, AA is the only way to get effective help. So why am I questioning the core of A. A. 's strategy: the idea that alcoholism is a disease for which there is no known cure?
Because it is based on illusion!
What attracts me most about AA meetings is that any speaker who has been given the floor can make outrageous statements, feel free to sob or express their anger, use expressions that would make a construction battalion sergeant blush, and all this without public protest. . . . Politicians should be required to attend A. A. 's meetings to learn how to debate.
I understand that some of my judgments can cause you various feelings, from relief to anger, from fear to disbelief. But whoever you consider yourself, a person with a mild alcohol addiction or a full recovery from alcoholism or vice versa, I have only good news for you. I ask only one thing: do me the same service as any speaker at an A. A. meeting.
Let me clarify that, whatever I say about A. A. , I am by no means an opponent or competitor. For most alcoholics, A. A. is the only source of help available. But according to the doctrine of this society, alcoholism is incurable and the path to recovery can be long and painful. Imagine if there was a universal, simple and inexpensive medicine for anyone with an alcohol addiction that:
- I acted immediately!
- It worked all the time!
- It required no voluntary effort!
- Suffering from withdrawal symptoms eliminated!
- It made it possible to get more pleasure out of the holidays!
- Helped to cope better with stress!
- It did not evoke feelings of sacrifice or deprivation and the need to constantly fight temptation!
It is probably easier to believe in fairy tales. But let's imagine for a moment that there is such a medicine. Suppose A. A. uses it. How long do you think alcoholism will plague our planet? What sane person would refuse to use such a remedy?
But it exists. It is in your hands. If you've read this far, you're a little worried about the problem of alcohol abuse. In my opinion, in that case, it would be unwise not to read the book to the end. It is natural to ask about a remedy, especially if it is said to have an immediate and permanent effect, that it is easy and easy to apply.
Why should you trust me? And I'm not asking you. On the contrary, I am ready to accept your skepticism. An important part of my method is that you should question not only every statement I make, but all your attitudes related to alcohol and alcoholism, which you have so far perceived as an immutable truth.
When I first announced that my method would make it easy for anyone to quit smoking, my family and close friends thought it was a joke. They were kind enough not to laugh at me, but it was clear that I was considered a potential patient in a psychiatric hospital.
No wonder when you consider that I had tried to quit smoking countless times before and made this claim by putting out a freshly smoked cigarette. Today passersby stop me on the street and thank me for saving their own life, that of a dear friend or relative. Every day I receive letters in which they write to me that I am a genius and offer to knight me or even to canonize me. I was even offered a place on the royal podium at Ascot, but personally I think it's too much. Such honors exceed my merits.
Like all great discoveries, Easy Way is more a manifestation of luck than a genius of my nature. In truth, the honor and respect that surround me still embarrass me today. But like any normal person, I can't help but feel pleasure from this. All of this has helped me to establish myself, and I will not put my reputation at risk in the slightest by making claims that I cannot prove.
If you are an insightful person, you have probably already asked yourself the question:
"If Allen Carr's method is as unique as he claims, why isn't it used by AA, ASH, QUIT, authority figures, etc.? Undoubtedly, with modern media, this method of healing could spread around the world as a hurricane".
You may be interested in why people come from all over the world to consult this humble loner with no medical experience who doesn't even advertise his method and why he is widely recognized as the world's leading expert in the field. There is only one simple answer:
The simplest way is effective!
Perhaps you have the impression that mainstream medicine is opposed to my method as such. In fact, at first I was considered an impostor and a charlatan. But today it is doctors who seek help from our clinics more often than representatives of other professions, and you will listen to most of our recommendations from doctors and nurses. The medical profession is extremely responsible and stressful, so doctors are more vulnerable to drug traps than ordinary people, especially when you consider that they have free access to drugs.
If a normal general practitioner had decided to apply my method to his patients, he would have failed. The entire course of treatment takes at least four hours of therapy, and it takes a year to train a specialist. Organizations such as DRINKLINE, [ASH and QUIT are charities run by well-meaning amateurs, most of the time unfamiliar with these issues. Their advice boils down to the mundane platitudes that have already caused your past failures and breakdowns.
However, I am confident that the members of A. A. who have been in this pit have sufficient experience, competence, motivation and enthusiasm. If you add the necessary information to their advice, perhaps in a few years alcoholism will remain only in the history course of the school.
Does this mean that Easy Way cannot operate without the support of an organization like A. A.? No it does not. Patients come to our clinic in desperation, convinced that they will be free of their addiction only after weeks, months or even years of torture. Most of them believe that even with a successful solution to the problem, the holidays will no longer be so fun, there will be nothing to relieve stress, and they will have to fight temptation for the rest of their life.
"Wait a second! Wait. I've been abusing alcohol for over 30 years. Don't consider me a fool. I can't be cured in just four hours. "
I never said you can heal in four hours. I said your problem can be solved in four hours. Have you noticed that a toothache that has afflicted you for several weeks miraculously disappears as soon as you find the courage to go to the doctor? This is the "law of meanness".
Have you paid attention to the unhappy expression on the faces of people walking into the dental office and how they can hardly hold back a happy smile when they leave the dentist's chair? Toothache can be relieved by inserting a filling or removing a tooth. The recovery period after such pain may take longer. The gums remain inflamed for several days. But regardless of the inflammation, leaving the doctor's office, you feel happy, especially if this is the last visit to him.
This goes for any problem, physical or mental - you feel a surge of strength and confidence if you know the solution. The more serious the problem, the longer it torments you, the more convinced you are of his despair, the more relieved you will feel when you find a solution.
"But how can there be a quick and easy solution to problems as long and complex as alcoholism? "
Imagine being imprisoned in a cell with a combination lock. You can spend years choosing the code and getting nowhere. But if I give you the code, you are immediately, easily and forever free.
"But alcoholism is something else entirely. "
Alcoholism is exactly that, and the easy way out is the key to prison constipation.
So this book is just an advertisement for Allen Carr's clinics? No. It offers the same course of treatment and alone is sufficient. Clinics and a book are different ways of performing the same treatment. The advantage of the clinic is the ability to ask questions of an experienced therapist and discuss controversial issues with him on the spot. Unfortunately, this is not possible with a book.
Your doctor can also tell if you missed something important. Of course, the book cannot do that. I state that the treatment is immediate. Of course, it only gives an immediate impact upon completion of the course. Treatment in the clinic involves a session lasting four hours. The book healing continues until you read it to the end. The advantage of the book is that you can read it in your spare time. But in practice, this can be a disadvantage. I often get emails with such comments:
"My daughter bought your book for me three years ago. I finished reading it ten days ago. How right you were! It's so good to be free. Why have I lost these three years? "
Indeed, why? There are many reasons why a person will not take this book in any way. In the clinic, the patient will most likely go through the entire session. I have personally treated more than 25, 000 people who have come to me for help. Only one patient left the session because her husband tricked her into visiting us.
Like many people, I hate manuals and instructions, most of which are as exciting to read as watching dry paint. Therefore, I have made every effort to make the book fun. I hope I did well enough for you to read to the end, as this book will ensure you get over your drinking problem on your own.
In principle, your problem can be considered solved as soon as you assimilate the information contained here. To do this, you need to have a cool, sober head so that it is easy for you to focus on the task at hand. Some people read a book at once, but I wouldn't recommend doing that.
I have already said that healing is guaranteed. In the clinic, in case of bankruptcy, we return the money to the patient (you will find information about this at the end of the book). I'm sorry I can't promise to refund your money when you buy the book. No doubt you are wondering why failures happen and if you become one of those failures. Luck or failure has nothing to do with this.
A cure is guaranteed to any person, provided that all rules are followed. After following all the instructions, you will be able to get rid of alcohol addiction incredibly easily. Many people do it with pleasure. Now you might be thinking:
"There is something wrong here. Probably, your rules look like this: take a solemn oath that you will never touch alcohol again, be true to this oath and as soon as you feel tempted, say to yourself: " How good it is to be free! ""
In principle, if you follow this simple instruction, it will definitely help you stay in control. But I doubt it will make your life happier. Also, we wouldn't get that many positive reviews and we wouldn't get more than 90% performance if the method were all of these. Now you might be thinking:
"Understand. The problem is that the rules are so complex that only Einstein can follow them, and Allen Carr will accuse me of being too stupid to properly understand and successfully apply his method. "
Nothing of the kind. If you have been smart enough to read this book, you must be smart enough to be successful. Think of each rule as a number on a combination lock. Losing or confusing a number and the lock will not open.
So the first rule:
Follow all the rules.
Remember, over 90 percent of patients who visit our clinic stop drinking. This is due to the fact that during the session they follow all the prescribed rules. You should do the same while reading a book. I have already said that I hate instructions and manuals; if you don't like them either, I'm happy to report that there are only seven rules in total and they are listed on the following pages.
The second rule says:
Be patient.
When I say "be patient", I mean that you shouldn't go to the next sections of the book without reading all the previous material. Treat the book like a detective. In fact, this is a detective. The drug trap is the biggest fraud in human history. In the words of Abraham Lincoln:
"You can fool all people for a while, or you can fool some people all the time, but you can't fool all people all the time! "
This is what could be said about drug addiction until I discovered the easy way out. This does not mean that everyone has become addicted, but all this time people have been prisoners of illusions. Like any fraud, a drug can make a cruel joke even with an intellectual. But the revealed deception cannot deceive even a weak-minded person.
Unlike other thrillers, this book may have a different ending. For some, reading it may prove sad, even tragic. But for the most part, this is the happy ending of their life. The choice is yours. For a happy ending, you just have to follow all the rules. The third rule says:
Start reading in a good mood.
How can you do this if you are one of those who believe that alcohol addiction is in principle incurable, not to mention easy cures? Of course, it is the primacy of the hen or the egg. If you could travel forward in time and experience a second time the euphoria that will arise after reading this book, your mood could not be different.
It's like learning to jump in the water. The depth of the pool is 2. 5 meters, but it seems that the bottom does not exceed half a meter. The board you're standing on is only 50 centimeters above the water, but you get the feeling that everything is 2. 5 meters below you. You have no doubts that you will smash your head and, despite the coach's efforts and safety assurances, you must muster all your courage to decide to jump.
The thought of getting rid of drunkenness sometimes seems to a person who has already made several unsuccessful, no less frightening attempts. You can experience the feeling of a beginner diver before jumping. But you are not a diver. You are in a much more enviable position to gain everything without losing anything. The worst thing that can happen is failure. In this case, your situation will not get any worse than the one you started with. Follow the rules and you'll be fine.
Some people think the easiest way is to train positive thinking. Know yourself: if you believe in the goal, you will achieve it. This is not necessarily the case. I've always thought positive, but that didn't help me escape the drug trap, just as it wouldn't help me avoid a jail cell. However, positive thinking greatly increases your chances of success, and the opposite position is almost doomed to failure. Therefore, the fourth rule reads:
Think positive.
We discard all pessimistic thoughts. There is no point in feeling unhappy and deprived. You have to find something incredible, something that others consider impossible - a lasting cure for alcoholism. Think of your journey through this book as the thrilling endeavor it really is. Imagine how proud your friends and family will be.
The advantage of the Easy Method is that you can continue drinking throughout the course of the treatment. It probably sounds unbelievable, but I promise you that everything will gradually become clear. So your fifth rule says:
Don't stop drinking or cut back on alcohol until you've finished reading the book.
There is an exception to this rule. If you are in rehab or have abstained from alcohol for more than a day, try to stay in control as much as possible. Sixth rule:
Read this book only with a sober head.
The last, seventh rule is the hardest to follow:
Be objective and open to new ideas.