Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking

[Giulia]

This is simply an Amazon link to Allen Carr's book which is talked about and recommended all over this site.  Wanted to make it easy to find.  What a better place than in Best of EX.  (You can find a free pdf of it which you can download  if you do a search on the internet.)

EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING

[Treehugger85]

Yeah I think he has one that's like the easy way to loose weight? I'm wondering if he wasn't on DRUGS to say that and easy to quit smoking!

[Trisha76]

Changed my thinking about cigarettes.  

[Giulia]

Mine too Trisha76‌.

[Mandolinrain]

Was GODSEND for me

[Lisastiner]

Can anyone advise why/how it was such a help? Implying that quitting is easy just sounds... well, obviously not true, at least not for the majority of smokers. Is the book more about the science of nicotine addiction, or more about willpower? 

[Giulia]

I don't think Carr's book is about the science of addiction, nor do I think it's about will power.  I think it's all about mindset.  What I took away from the book (and I must admit I read it a year or two after I had already quit cold turkey), is that it's all about how we "think" about cigarettes and how we let them impact our daily lives.  For me, the book changes the way we perceive smoking.  It's about our ATTITUDE towards this habit/thing/addiction.  It teaches us to look at it from a totally different perspective.  And when we are able to take a long step back and actually look at ourselves with this "thing" in our hands that we suck on and inhale and exhale and do it until the thing is depleted and then we throw it away until the next time we need to do it again....

Quitting is only easy when you get to that right mindset.  That right mindset being (MOO:  my opinion only) agreeing to the rules.  The rules being 1) you don't put a cigarette/vape/chaw in your mouth - NO MATTER WHAT.  2) THERE ARE NO EXCUSES 3) ALL OPTIONS TO SMOKE ARE OFF THE TABLE.    (When you think about it -  it's really just ONE rule.)  But it's more than that.   It's AGREEING, ACCEPTING the rules and the choice we've made.  When you keep holding out hope that there's SOME WAY you can smoke with no penalty - you keep the THE POSSIBILITY DOOR  option to smoke alive in your brain.  And until you kill that hope, that option, you will be haunted by cravings and relapse will be your forever nearby friend.

I think quitting is only easy when you've said "THAT'S IT, I'M DONE!"  And you really experience that "feeling" in a visceral way.  It's not a rational, intellectual agreement.  It's the kind of agreement that you feel in your bones, if that makes any sense.  And even then, I agree with you -  it's not easy.  But it sure is eas-ier!

I hope somebody else chimes in and offers their opinion, @Lisastiner on how and why this book may have  changed their thinking and had an influence on their quit. I read it a LONG time ago after I had already quit.  So I'd be really interested in hearing how others found it helpful.  

[Barbscloud]

Good morning @Lisastiner   The premise of the book that "it's easy", never appealed to me.  In fact, he has books about quitting various addictions being easy.   I learned some things about nicotine addiction when I read it, but don't see it as an  instrumental part of my quit.  I read it because so many quitters on here said to.

The one important take away from the book is how cigarettes were designed with the effects of nicotine being short lived.  That's why we need another fix every hour or so.  That's what keep us addicted.

I'm happy it was easy for some quitters, but I would hate to see quitters not attempt to quit because they feel there is something wrong with them for not finding it easy.  I quit after 50 years and celebrated 3 years recently.   It took work and I would not describe the process as easy.   In the beginning I  didn't decide I was never going to smoke again.   The thought of forever was overwhelming.   When I realized it was a choice and I could smoke again if I choose to, I was able  to quit one day at a time.  As I progressed through different milestones, I knew it was possible to  never smoke again.  

Many people have found his book helpful in their quit.  People disagree on the best way to to quit.  Some only believe in cold turkey, while other's see the benefits in using aid.  It's whatever method works for you that's important.  The goal is the same for all of us--to become an ex-smoker

Barb

[nicotine_free]

I committed to quitting but was having problems with slipping and smoking one here and one there until I finally broke down and bought a pack. I read and reread the Easyway until I had the necessary shift in my attitude. I was able to commit to being an ex smoker and I'm currently on day 2 with no symptoms at all. I credit the book with the ease of this quit. I am fortunate to be smoke free today.