In many countries, statistical studies have not been carried out to confirm the effectiveness of Allen Carr's methods. But perhaps every smoker has a friend who at least once recommended that he read the book "An easy way to stop smoking". She helped a lot. Less popular is The easy way to stop drinking. The subject of alcohol dependence is very sensitive. Not everyone who managed to overcome it, will not hesitate to recommend the work of the founder of the clinic "Easy Way" to friends and acquaintances.
Why the method is unique
Quitting smoking is no easier than climbing Mount Everest. But Allen Carr - the creator of a unique technique - has managed to refute this myth. When the book “Easy Way to Stop Drinking” was released, many doubted it. 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 severe intoxication, enthusiastically studying the book "An easy way to stop drinking".
Interestingly, Carr's method, first used in the fight against smoking and published in the mid-1980s, is universal for all types of addiction. That's what one of the former patients at the “Easy Way” clinic says.
The disease is easy to defeat
Alcoholism is a chronic disease that cannot be eliminated. Remission is possible, complete healing is not. Many doctors adhere to this view. The author of The Easy Way to Quit Drinking was an opponent of accepted dogma. But he was not competing with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Allen Carr believes that alcoholism should not be counted among incurable diseases. In addition, he believed that it was possible to get rid of this disease in just four hours if you underwent a treatment session at his clinic. With Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Stop Drinking, the addict can overcome it. But first of all, you need to find the strength to get this book in your hands. This is not so easy for those who drink alcohol regularly, but do not consider yourself an alcoholic. But for those who realized they were stuck and decided to read The easy way to stop drinking, all that's left is to read each chapter carefully and thoughtfully.
"Carnivorous Plant"
This is the title of one of the chapters of The easy way to stop drinking. We will not retell the book's content here. Here 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 relaxed. There are no strict guidelines. During reading, the illusion of sincere friendly conversation is created.
The easy way to stop drinking is psychological 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 is 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 also shame. Every person who suffers from an irresistible desire for alcohol, at least once in their life, finds themselves in an absurd situation. Often, addiction 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 desire for alcohol, from which you have no strength to get rid of yourself. But Allen Carr's book is also worth reading for those who rarely drink, "on major holidays". It is a kind of prevention, a short course that will allow you to not make mistakes in the future.
Carr writes: "I hate the word alcoholic, but this hatred does not extend to addicts. " The drinker feels pain in his conscience and this prevents him from getting rid of the desire for alcohol. Carr presents the information very correctly. And this is an important advantage of your book.
In captivity
Alcohol addiction is captivity. 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 the prejudices that prevail in society. Often, doctors, trying to dissuade patients from drinking alcohol, provide a complete list of illnesses that develop as a result of regular alcohol consumption. This is not the best way.
Yes, a person who drinks can compile a list of terrible diseases and look at it every time they want to take a sip. But sooner or later, and this is what happens in most cases, he will tear 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 Conde Monte Cristo's cell and, after examining the prisoner, said to him: "Being here does not reflect in the best way on your health, you should leave here, or at least go out for fresh air more often. ". Monte Cristo already knows that being in prison is not going to lead to anything good. This advice is stupid and useless. The prisoner of the novel will eventually come out of his dungeon. But can a drinker do that? The problem is that he acts both as a prisoner and as a jailer.
In the alcoholic, the alcoholic seeks relief from problems. When he realizes that the 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 held captive by the prejudices generated by society.
Allen Carr rules
There are three simple things you must understand to get rid of a dependency:
- The person who drinks should eliminate the factors that interfere with limiting the amount of alcohol. One of these factors is the misconception that no holiday party will take place without alcohol.
- Trying to limit the amount of alcohol ingested by thinking about its damage, a person finds himself in the same trustworthy prison as the prisoner in Dumas's novel.
- The last thing an alcoholic wants to hear is how pathetic and unhappy he is. To get rid of addiction, you need to stop blaming 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 want to. Carr argues that the negative side of alcohol does not outweigh the positive. But he insists: drinking alcohol has no advantage. Alcohol systematically destroys will and dignity. It has no other effect. In the book, which was published in 1985, the author does not insist on urgent smoking cessation. 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. Furthermore, 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, the disadvantages of alcohol intoxication. In the other, dignity. When compiling the first and second lists, you need to be extremely honest with yourself.
Brainwashing
Anti-alcohol campaigns were carried out in different countries in the 20th century. However, alcohol advertising has always been very effective. Alcohol gives pleasure, relaxes. There are many interesting topics to discuss.
Allen Carr argued that all of these are misunderstandings. He adhered to the same point of view when writing his first book, in which he argued that nicotine addiction is beneficial only to 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 has the impression that they are doing nothing but stuffing themselves with cheap whiskey.
Readers of the book can remember more than one comedy as an example. The heroes of popular films, being drunk on alcohol, do not lose their charm, and it turns out that they even find themselves in funny situations that do not complicate life as much as they solve various problems. The question arises, “What is the harm of alcohol, then? ” The basis of the Allen Carr method lies in the rejection of the delusions to which we have been accustomed since childhood and take for granted.
Reviews
Interestingly, readers in many countries speak positively about the British author's book. These evaluations confirm that the method developed by a man who was considered a scammer and swindler in his homeland in the 90s by adherents of traditional methods of treatment really works.