Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking?

[grotbagz]

Hi all,

Has anyone read this? What did you think? Did it help you or someone you know quit smoking?

Equally, if anyone's in the process of reading it let me know what you think so far! Would be nice to discuss it with others in the same boat!

I am currently on chapter 3 and not sure how I feel about it!

[Whatalotofpiffle]

I stopped smoking with this 4.5 years ago. Loved it

[Sallystyle]

Sorry that was meant to say and while I do occasionally walk past someone smoking and get the odd craving I never, ever want to go back to the nicotine trap.


I wish there was an edit button here

[Sallystyle]

I have read it but it didn't help me quit, but and it's a big but, I was cutting down while reading it and that isn't the way you should do it. My husband loved it and he did quit for a while but he started again. He has a long history of quitting and starting again though.


I ended up using the e-cig to quit in the end but the book is a good read and very effective for most people it seems.

Can I just say that I now love being a non-smoker. I no longer feel trapped and I actually pity smokers like my husband who can't enjoy the cinema or a meal out because they are just counting down the time until they can smoke. I feel a great sense of freedom that I didn't have for years as a smoker and I do occasionally walk past someone smoking and get the odd craving I never, ever want to back to the nicotine trap and have it control me like it once did.

[newfashionedmum]

I smoked for about 13 years, tried giving up a couple of times and didn't manage - then read the book, and quit, never had one since, over 10 years now. Occasionally I whiff one in the summer sunshine or see someone smoking glamorously in a film and have a brief pang - for about a minute - then think of the phrase which goes something like, 'every one you have makes you want the next one more' and know that it's best to leave it. It very soon passes.

I realised it seemed like brain washing but i was choosing to be brainwashed to stop me behaving addictively IYSWIM. There's also some mild religious content and despite being a staunch atheist i just let it slide for the same reason.

I think the key is, you have to want to give up. If you really want it then I think this book will work for you. If you're not sure then have a big think about why that is - but it seems you are!

Don't expect instantly to feel healthier, I didn't and was disappointed - but DO expect to feel almost instantly free! Especially of things like - going to the cinema and wondering if you can enjoy the whole film without wishing you could have a cigarette, or coming home in the evening after a long day and then wondering if you need to go back out in the cold to the corner shop or will those 4 cigs last you the night?

WARNING - giving up smoking can seriously affect the rest of your life - I found once I had become a non-smoker, having thought I was a 'smoker', I was able to challenge loads of other preconceptions I had about myself and made some big life decisions (all positive) because of it.

Good luck, but you don't need luck - you just need to be glad about what you're doing and enjoy it!

[Mrcrumpswife]

Keep on reading. I started using champix and reading the Allen Carr book at the same time. I had to ditch the champix because of the side effects but read the whole book and havent touched a fag in 37 days. I have smoked 20-30 a day for 27 years and tried every single nicotine replacement therapy and none have worked.

Its not been easy but i know i will never pick up a cigarette again purely because having now read the book i understand the psychology of smoking rather than having the obvious health risks thrown at me that we all know anyway. My friend read the book 20 months ago and hasnt touched a fag since so it does work. If you want support, pop over to Loops champix thread, not many of us are on champix now, its all cold turkey and misery

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1652275-Champix-quitting-support-thread

Stick with it and goodluck.

[itsakindarabbit]

Smoked for 10 yrs. Read it. Not smoked for 9 years since and hand on heart never been tempted.

I can still remember smoking my final cigarette (as you are directed to by the book) and choking and spluttering and wondering wtf i was smoking this vile tasting thing and how i could have found it so appealing for so long.

[TheEscapeGoat]

Went on a seminar 15 years ago. Haven't smoked since. Easiest thing I've ever done, best £80 I've ever spent!

[sebsmama]

My dad who I thought would never give up read this book and quit after probably 30 odd years of smoking. It was the only thing that worked, seemed to just click. He hasn't smoked for 4 years now, and I am so pleased. Good luck, I hope it works for you.

[CuriousMama]

I think I'll buy this for my friend. I'm an ex smoker who had the odd few when drunk. But have non at all now. I found it cheap on ebay here.

[FlouncingMintyy]

grotbagz its quite simple: all you have to take on board is that you will feel better for not smoking. It won't be like you are craving cigarettes for the rest of your life but you have to do this pesky giving-up thing because its expensive and bad for you, you will actually be free of cigarettes, you won't think about them, you won't crave them, you will go to the pub and have a drink and cigarettes won't even cross your mind.

All of the above is guaranteed if you can get through the slight twitchiness of the first few weeks without the fags.

[Norem]

Grotbagz I saw this thread in active last week, downloaded the book, read it in 2 days and have given up.
I smoked about 15 a day for years.
It made a lot of sense to me and I now feel happy that I don't have to smoke bloody fags any more.
Keep reading you can do it.

[grotbagz]

tricky that's interesting that you did it that way! I completely get what you mean, it actually makes sense - mine was the £40,000 cigarette! I haven't quit yet - I'm going to give it another read through as I 'got' it but I think I read it too quickly trying to fast track and missed something! Congrats on giving up! I'm still in the phase where anyone who can give up is amazing to me haha! One day !

[trickydickie]

Good luck with giving up Grot

[trickydickie]

I had given up for a few weeks and I read the book as was getting desperate to smoke again. So I know he recommends reading the book and then stopping but I did it the other way round.

I believe that if I hadn't read his books a few weeks into my 'quit', I would still be smoking. I loved taking all the phrases on board (though many think it is crappiness)." I loved the I am only ever one cigarrette away from 40 a day."

I think I have a very addictive personality though. I smoked for over 20 years and smoked 40 a day. I haven't had a cigarrette in over 8 years now.

[grotbagz]

2cats i'm glad there was some balance - starting to think it was madness! i really hated it also, yeah i want to give the book to my mum but i think she'll be the same as you! glad you've stopped though! and thanks!

dothraki thanks for the advice - i finished the book, and even at the end thought 'this isn't going to work for me' but actually I'm not interested in smoking right now and i usually like the morning one (as he says haha) - strange, i feel like he's been inside my brain haha!

[Dothraki]

2cats and grotbagz I didn't finish the book then throw my cigs away. I finished the book (and I agree - it has alot of crapityness ! ) buta few weeks later I was watching a tv programme and they were discussing the risks of strokes. The people who were being told were all really shocked - and I watched thinking - I am high risk. That was the day I quit. It also helped that a good friend said "you'll never give up" - that was like the extra push I needed. So- read the book - ignore the shit and style - then pick your day carefully.............goodluck

[2cats222]

To give some balance, I read it, hated it and didn't stop. Am now stopped after 16 years smoking. I stopped thanks to electric cigs. Different things work for different people I guess, and also if the time is right and you REALLY want to stop

[grotbagz]

sofathrows, dothraki and too much rain congrats on quitting!

I see what you mean now - chapter 15 was around half way through and I'm now at chapter 30 and have for the last 5-10 chapters been thinking I'm not so convinced! Not sure if that's because he keeps trying to sell me his other books though... Hopefully it'll click for me too!

Thanks everyone!

[Dothraki]

It worked for me. 20 a day for over 20 years. 5 years this month

[TooMuchRain]

I found it very unreadable and repetitive and disliked him immensely but it works precisely because it is so repetitive, it just brainwashes you basically. I stopped with it and then started again a few years later (the old, 'just the one' argument) but have now been a non-smoker for several years and love it

[SofaThrowsAreTheWorkOfTheDevil]

I was a 20-30 a day smoker. REad it in an afternoon 13 years ago and haven't had one since.

I often smell fresh smoke and think how lovely it would be to have a cigarette but I know inside a) it wouldn't just be one and b) I really don't want to be a smoker.

I remember not really feeling any urge to actually quit until right at the end of the book - not sure how near the end chapter 15 is.

[grotbagz]

thanks for all your feedback everyone, and congrats to you all for quitting! you inspired me to push through and am now on chapter 15 - i think i was put off by the first part because although he's english all i can visualise is a pushy, too loud, american infomercial... after a few more chapters i started to 'get' it!

minty that's ok then! i'm glad you're back on track with not smoking!

sickof sorry to hear of your loss. i can imagine that playing a big role - my mother smokes like a chimney but plays sport constantly and appears to be perfectly healthy, i think that's partly why i haven't been able to properly quit sooner - i am planning on giving the book to my mum after I've read it if it helps me, hopefully she will take it on board also.

tealady and annie so pleased for you, i can't wait to quit!

mummybare i quit, or thought i had, when i found out i was pg but as soon as i was no longer i couldn't help but start again - just like it said in the book it was just the 'I'm too stressed, not the right time, do it tomorrow' thing! glad you're now smoke free!

thanks again everyone!

[annieatno4]

Hey ...

Yep I used it to give up 9 years ago ... Never looked back. Smoking about 25 a day!

[mummybare]

I read it, quit, slipped a la FlouncingMintyy and started again - smoked for another few years until I found out I was pregnant when I dug it out again, read it, listened to a couple of hypnosis CDs and haven't smoked for nearly 18 months. Give it a go - it's worked for quite a few people I know. :)

[tealady]

Smoked for 15+ years (20 a day). Read this book over 15 years ago. Gave up and have never smoked since. It helped me!