No statistical studies have been conducted in many countries to confirm the effectiveness of Allen Carr's methods. But maybe every smoker has a friend who has recommended him to read the book “An Easy Way to Quit Smoking” at least once. She helped a lot. Less popular is Easy way to stop drinking. The topic of alcohol addiction is very sensitive. Not everyone who has managed to overcome this, will not hesitate to recommend to friends and acquaintances the work of the founders of the clinic "Easy Way".
What makes the method unique
Quitting smoking is no easier than climbing Mount Everest. But Allen Carr - the creator of the unique technique - managed to disprove this myth. When the book "An Easy Way to Stop Drinking" was published, many doubted it. A passionate 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 severe intoxication who enthusiastically studies the book "An Easy Way to Stop Drinking".
Interestingly, Carr’s method, first used in the fight against smoking and then published in the mid-1980s, is universal for all types of addictions. 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 doctors adhere to this view. The author of The Easy Way to Stop Drinking was an opponent of accepted dogma. But he did not compete with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Allen Carr believes that alcoholism should not be considered an incurable disease. Moreover, he believed that these diseases could be cured in just four hours if you underwent treatment at his clinic. With Allen Carr’s book, An Easy Way to Stop Drinking, an Addict Can Overcome It. But above all, you need to find the strength to take this book into your own hands. It is not so easy for someone who drinks alcohol regularly, but does not consider himself an alcoholic. But for those who have realized that they are trapped and have decided to read The Easy Way to Stop Drinking, all that remains is to read each chapter carefully and thoughtfully.
"Herbivore"
This is the title of one of the Easy Way to Stop Drinking chapters. We will not retell the contents of the book here. Here are the most interesting points. Positive reviews of Allen Carr's book "An Easy Way to Stop Drinking" often say that the author's style is light and relaxed. There are no strict guidelines. During the reading, the illusion of a sincere friendly conversation is created.
The genre of an easy way to stop drinking is psychological counseling. The author jokingly calls his book a detective. Finally, we are talking about an addiction that kills a man.
Carnivorous plant - a trap for small insects. It’s like the illusion that alcohol alleviates problems and relieves stress. Carr makes such comparisons in “The Easy Way to Stop Drinking”.
One of the goals of the author is to help readers get rid of not only addiction but also shame. Every person who suffers from an irresistible craving for alcohol, at least once in their life, finds themselves in an absurd situation. Addiction often leads to job loss, family and other serious problems.
It's not enough to just open Allen Carr's book. The main thing is to admit that there is a problem: a craving for alcohol from which you do not have enough strength to get rid of. But Alen Carr’s book is also worth reading for those who rarely drink, “on the big holidays”. 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 alcohol, but that hatred doesn’t apply to addicts. ” The singer experiences a guilty conscience, and that prevents him from getting rid of his cravings for alcohol. Carr presents the information very accurately. And this is an important advantage of his book.
In captivity
Alcohol addiction is captivity. Maybe everyone will agree with this interpretation. But Allen Carr's technique is quite unusual. The author of the book "Easy Way to Stop" claims that the prison where people who drink alcohol are kept was created by prejudices in society. Often doctors, trying to dissuade patients from drinking alcohol, give a whole list of diseases that develop as a result of regular drinking. This is not the best way.
Yes, a person who drinks can compile a list of horrible ailments and look at it every time he wants to take a sip. But sooner or later, and this happens in most cases, he will tear this horrible list into small pieces and throw it away.
Allen Carr gives an interesting example in his book. Imagine that a doctor came to the cell of Count Monte Cristo and, examining the prisoner, told him: "Being here does not reflect in the best way on your health, you should get out of here or at least go out into the fresh air more often. " Monte Cristo already knows that stayin prison will not lead to anything good. Such advice is stupid and useless. The prisoner in the novel will eventually come out of his dungeon. But can a person who drinks do so? The problem is that he acts both as a prisoner and as a jailer.
In alcoholism, the alcoholic seeks relief from the problem. When he realizes that drunkenness has gone too far, he can’t decide to fight it.
Doctors say it is impossible to get rid of alcoholism, and the road to remission is long, difficult, and also negatively affects the psyche and well-being. The drinker is trapped by the prejudices created by society.
Allen Carr Rules
There are three simple things to understand to get rid of addiction:
- A person who drinks must remove the factors that interfere with limiting the amount of alcohol. One of these factors is the misconception that no holiday feast will take place without alcohol.
- Trying to limit the amount of alcohol consumed by thinking about its harm, a person finds himself in the same reliable prison as a prisoner in Dumas ’novel.
- The last thing an alcoholic wants to hear is how miserable and unhappy he is. To get rid of addiction, you need to stop beating yourself.
Benefits of alcohol
In his book, Allen Carr does not criticize alcohol as much as he tries to find its positive aspects. And he doesn't. Carr argues that the negative side of alcohol does not outweigh the positive. But he insists: drinking alcohol has no benefits. Alcohol systematically destroys will and dignity. There is no other effect. In a book published in 1985, the author does not insist on an immediate cessation of smoking. Allen Carr did the same when he wrote about alcoholism. He did not recommend limiting the amount of alcohol during 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. Moreover, people who drink lie not only to others, but also to themselves. To get out of the alcohol trap, you have to stop lying to yourself.
Allen Carr recommends readers make two lists. In the first place the disadvantages of alcohol intoxication. In another, dignity. When compiling both the first and the second list, you have to be extremely honest with yourself.
Brainwashing
Anti-alcohol campaigns were conducted in various countries in the 20th century. Still, alcohol advertising has always been very effective. Alcohol is pleasant and relaxing. There are many interesting topics to talk about.
Allen Carr claimed these were all misconceptions. He took the same view when writing his first book, in which he argued that nicotine addiction was only beneficial to tobacco manufacturers. When it comes to alcohol advertising, Allen Carr cites American westerns as an example. The heroes of such films spend most of their time in bars. They seem to be doing nothing but pumping cheap whiskey.
Readers of the book can recall more than one comedy as an example. The heroes of popular movies, in alcoholic alcohol, do not lose their charm, and it also happens that they find themselves in funny situations that do not complicate life so much as they solve numerous problems. The question arises, “Then what is the harm of alcohol? ” The basis of the Allen Carr method lies in rejecting the misconceptions to which we have been accustomed since childhood and consider to be true.
Reviews
Strangely, readers in many countries speak positively about the book by a British author. These reviews confirm that the method developed by a man who was considered by fraudsters of traditional methods of treatment in their homeland in the 90s as a fraud and a fraud really works.