A nod in the direction of Allen Carr

antiskeptic

He's dead now, is Allan. But he'd turn in his grave if he saw this piece of information nested within advice aimed at people trying to quit.

the Frequently Asked Questions sticky at the top of this forum wrote:

Quitting smoking may be one of the hardest things that you will ever do. This is primarily because smoking is actually a three-fold problem: it is a psychological, social, and physical addiction to the drug nicotine.

I see from the poll regarding Quitting Methods that cold turkey represents 40% and Allen Carr represents 30%. What the poll doesn't tell us is how many people who quit by either method ended up back on cigarettes. Neither does it say anything about how folk are finding things 1, 2 3 years ... down the line - assuming they've stayed off the ciggies. Every poll is limited.

A plug for Allen Carr then.

His method is simple. What he does, in essence, is deconstruct the myth of smoking. He tells people the truth about smoking in other words: why they started to smoke, why they continue to smoke, why they continue to smoke in the face of all the downsides, why they think they get something from it, why they don't actually get something from it and why what they think they get is really an illusion.

It's powerful stuff. Some would say it's brainwashing stuff. But seeing as brainwashing is what helped folk think there was something good about smoking in the first place it's only fair that the same technique be allowed to reverse the lie. All that happens really is that people are exposed to the truth about their smoking and the truth itself is what sets them free. There's not a gimmick about it.

His book arrived in my house when I was about 18. My sister bought it. She quit. Then her boyfriend quit. Then my other sister quit, then my mate quit, then his brother. By the time the book came back it was quite tatty around the edges. Then I quit. It's as easy as falling off a log quitting - with none of the downsides and effort and struggle that come when trying to quit by the cold turkey method.

This method doesn't require willpower. It requires listening to what's being said - s'all. And you can even continue smoking whilst you read the book.

What a method:

- cheap
- quick
- simple
- no withdrawal (or virtually none)
- no missing smokes
- knowing your free from the start
- no patches, gum, e-ciggies
- no brainer!!

freeatlast

I quit on 24 Feb 2001 using the Allen Carr method and haven't looked back since. His method worked for me since I have an open mind and am generally a positive thinker but it may not suit people who are very negative or skeptical (closed mind).

bluecell99

I quit using this method as well.It has worked for many people but not for some.I think he does highlight the need for the person to actually decide they want to stop - any doubts or prevarication about this and the person will fail.

I found interesting as well how he is not in favour of the nicotine replacement therapy,be it patches,gum,or the inhaler.I have a friend who is addicted to the inhaler for four years and three acquaintances who depend on the gum.In one case for seven years.

As hard as it is initially cold turkey is the only way inho.

antiskeptic

bluecell99 wrote: »

I quit using this method as well.It has worked for many people but not for some.I think he does highlight the need for the person to actually decide they want to stop - any doubts or prevarication about this and the person will fail.

I'd agree. You have to want to stop smoking. Which is a ways away from feeling that your able to do so via willpower.

Wanting to quit is the main thing - which any smoker worth his salt will want to do.

I found interesting as well how he is not in favour of the nicotine replacement therapy,be it patches,gum,or the inhaler.I have a friend who is addicted to the inhaler for four years and three acquaintances who depend on the gum.In one case for seven years.

It's a bit of a no brainer really. If realising that brainwashing is what holds you smoking then nicotine itself (whatever the delivery devidce) can't hold that much attraction afterwards. Was it that your mates gave up by other means?

As hard as it is initially cold turkey is the only way inho.

Which is not, of course, Allens method. If you think quitting smoking is hard then you're following some method based upon the lie of smoking. The lie being that it's hard to quit smoking, I mean...

Test For Echo

Stopped smoking in May 1996 using Allen's method. Haven't looked back since. Pity he's not here anymore to enjoy his millions because IMO he deserved every penny. Fair play to him...

antiskeptic

Test For Echo wrote: »

Stopped smoking in May 1996 using Allen's method. Haven't looked back since. Pity he's not here anymore to enjoy his millions because IMO he deserved every penny. Fair play to him...

It wasn't really him - he says himself. The truth about smoking just hit him between the eyes and that was that. It'd be almost impossible NOT to have done what he did - given what he stumbled upon. It'd be like discovering the cure for cancer and keeping it to yourself. You couldn't, you'd have to shout it from the rooftops

Talk about plain as day: the easy (as opposed to all the other ways) way to quit smoking. All for about a tenner.