In many countries, no statistical studies have been conducted to confirm the effectiveness of Allen Carr's methods. But perhaps every smoker has a friend who has recommended at least once that they read "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking". She helped a lot. The easy way to stop drinking is less popular. The subject of alcohol addiction is very sensitive. Not everyone who has 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. However, Allen Carr - the creator of a unique technique - managed to refute this myth. When the book “Easy Way to Stop Drinking” came out, many doubted it. An avid smoker can hold a cigarette and read, gradually filled with thoughts of the dangers of nicotine. However, it is difficult to imagine that a person with severe intoxication would study the book "An Easy Way to Stop Drinking" with enthusiasm.
Interestingly, Carr's method, first used in the fight against smoking and then published in the mid-1980s, is universal for all types of addiction. One of the former patients of the clinic says "Easy Way".
The disease is easy to defeat
Alcoholism is a chronic disease that cannot be eliminated. Remission is possible, but complete cure is not. Many doctors hold on to this point of view. The author of The Easy Way to Quit Drinking was an opponent of accepted dogma. But he didn't compete with Alcoholics Anonymous.
Allen Carr believes that alcoholism should not be considered an incurable disease. In addition, he believed that if you underwent treatment in his clinic, it would be possible to get rid of this disease in just four hours. An addict can get over it with Allen Carr's book, The Easy Way to Stop Drinking. But first you have to find the strength to pick up this book. This is not so easy for someone who drinks alcohol regularly but does not consider themselves an alcoholic. But for those who realized they were trapped and decided to read The Easy Way to Stop Drinking, all that remains is to read each chapter carefully and thoughtfully.
"Carnivorous plant"
This is the title of one of the chapters in The Easy Way to Stop Drinking. We will not retell the contents of the book 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. While reading, the illusion of genuine friendly conversation arises.
The easy way to stop drinking is through psychological counseling. The author jokingly calls his book a detective. After all, it is an addiction that kills a person.
Carnivorous plant - trap for small insects. It's like the illusion that alcohol relieves problems and stress. Carr makes such 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 shame as well. Anyone who suffered from an irresistible craving for alcohol at least once in their life found themselves in an absurd situation. Addiction often leads to loss of work, 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 cravings for alcohol, from which you do not have enough strength to get rid of. But Allen 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 prevent you from making mistakes in the future.
Carr writes, “I hate the word alcoholic, but that hatred doesn't extend to addicts. ” The drinker has remorse, and this affects the cravings for alcohol. Carr presents the information very correctly. And that's an important advantage of his book.
In captivity
Alcohol addiction is imprisonment. Perhaps everyone will agree with this interpretation. But Allen Carr's technique is rather unusual. The author of The Easy Way to Quit argues that the prison that drinkers find themselves in is created by prejudice in society. Often times, doctors trying to discourage patients from consuming alcohol give a list of diseases that develop from regular drinking. This is not the best way.
Yes, a person who drinks can make a list of terrible ailments and go through it every time they want to have a drink. But sooner or later, and this happens most of the time, he'll tear this awful list into little pieces and throw it away.
Allen Carr gives an interesting example in his book. Imagine if the doctor came to Count Monte Cristo's cell and after examining the prisoner said to him: "Being here does not reflect your health optimally. You should go out here, or at least get some fresh air more oftengo. "Monte Cristo already knows that there is no good in being in prison. Such advice is stupid and useless. The prisoner in the novel will eventually escape from his dungeon. But can a drinker do that? The problem is that he appears as both a prisoner and a prison guard.
In alcoholics, alcoholics seek relief from problems. When he realizes the drunkenness has gone too far, he can't choose to fight it.
Doctors say that it is impossible to get rid of alcoholism, and the road to remission is long, difficult, and also has a negative impact on the psyche and well-being. The drinker is held captive by the prejudices of society.
All Carr's rules
There are three simple things that you need to understand in order to eliminate a dependency:
- The person who drinks must eliminate the factors that affect limiting the amount of alcohol. One of these factors is the misconception that no festival will take place without alcohol.
- When trying to limit the amount of alcohol by thinking about its harm, a person is in the same reliable prison as the prisoner in Dumas' novel.
- The last thing an alcoholic wants to hear is how pathetic and unhappy he is. To get rid of the addiction, you need to stop beating yourself.
Benefits of alcohol
In his book, Allen Carr doesn't criticize alcohol so much as trying to find out its positive aspects. And he doesn't. Carr argues that the negative side of alcohol doesn't outweigh the positive. But he insists: there are no benefits to drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol systematically destroys will and dignity. It has no other effect. In the book published in 1985, the author does not insist on an 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're dishonest. We can say that this is one of the symptoms of alcoholism. In addition, drinking people lie to not only others, but also to themselves. To get out of the alcohol trap, you need to stop lying to yourself.
Allen Carr recommends readers make two lists. First and foremost, the cons of alcohol poisoning. In the other dignity. When putting together both the first and second lists, you need to be extremely honest with yourself.
brainwashing
In the 20th century, anti-alcohol campaigns were carried out in various countries. Even so, alcohol advertisements have always been very effective. Alcohol is pleasant and relaxing. There are many interesting topics to talk about.
Allen Carr argued that these are all misunderstandings. He held onto his point of view when he wrote his first book, in which he argued that nicotine addiction is only beneficial for tobacco product manufacturers. With regard to alcohol advertising, Allen Carr cites American Westerns as an example. The heroes of such films spend most of their time in bars. One gets the impression that all they do is pump themselves up with cheap whiskey.
Readers of the book can recall more than one comedy as an example. The heroes of popular films who are in alcohol intoxication do not lose their charm, and it happens that they even find themselves in funny situations that do not complicate life so much, but rather solve a number of problems. The question arises, “Then what is the harm of alcohol? ” The basis of the Allen-Carr Method is to reject the delusions to which we become accustomed from childhood and which we believe to be the truth.
Reviews
Oddly enough, readers from many countries speak positively of the British author's book. These reviews confirm that the method, which was developed by a man who was considered a cheat and cheat in his homeland by the followers of traditional treatment methods in the 90s, really works.