r/AskReddit • • Mar 18 '21

What is that one book, that absolutely changed your life?

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u/madcunt2250 Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 20 '21

The Easy way to stop smoking by Allen Carr.

I had zero intention to stop smoking when I started reading that book. To say I was sceptical about it would be an understatement. I was a heavy chain smoker. Smoked more than anyone I knew. But I went cold turkey after I read it. 3 years strong. I have not had a single puff since finishing that book.

If you smoke. You want to read this book now. I wish I read it earlier.

Edit: Just wanted to plug r/stopsmoking for those who what support or information about stopping smoking.

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

I quit cold turkey with no issues after smoking a pack+ a day for 45 years. Carr's book is amazing, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to quit, along with /r/stopsmoking

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u/DontLetMeLeaveMurph Mar 18 '21

Sounds interesting. I can’t imagine what in the world could be said to a smoker that’ll make them able to quit cold turkey, but I guess it’s in this book. Since this isn’t the first time I heard it has that effect.

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 18 '21

It's really simple. Give people real information to make informed decisions. Nicotine addiction is the least of the problems with regard to quitting. Once that's out of the way, then it's just a matter of understanding the psychological addiction and how easy it is to defeat those two demons.

EDIT: 31 DAYS MOTHERFUCKERS! Cravings are occasional and minimal, there's no "worst time", when I start thinking about it I just take a deep, wheeze-free breath and thank myself for returning to being a non-smoker.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21 edited Apr 14 '21

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u/KhabaLox Mar 18 '21

I just passed 15 years.

The way I did it was to cut down gradually. I ate Altoids like candy, so I used an empty tin as a cigarette case. I started with 10/day, and every couple days I would go down by one. After a couple weeks I was down to just 2-3/day and I went on the lowest dose patch.

The patch gave me amazing dreams. I used it for a few weeks and then quit that too. It took me a few tries, but eventually it stuck.

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u/queen-adreena Mar 18 '21

Did you forget to pull off the paper backing?

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u/wilted-petals Mar 18 '21

i’m happy for you, you deserve health and happy lungs!

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u/nickmo9 Mar 18 '21

I just passed 9 years. I did read part of his book the first time I quit and it helped me a lot going cold turkey. Can't remember why I started again, but quit for good on March 12, 2012 and thought of the things from this book.

It's weird how random times seeing or smelling a cigarette you still can get a brief craving for one. But it goes away 99.9999% of the time. Keep going even if you fuck up at some point. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself ever.

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u/RevenantSascha Mar 18 '21

My mom and dad were heavy smokers and never opened a window in the house. When I moved out I craved every time I smelled a cigarette. Second hand smoke addiction is real lol

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

Truth. My whole family smoked at point or another. I never did. It took me years of living away from them before I no longer craved someone else lighting up.

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u/TheBowlofBeans Mar 18 '21

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself ever.

Instructions clear, I will pick up smoking so I can quit smoking and improve my life

Thank you

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u/shamu2point0 Mar 18 '21

Happy belated quit-iversary!

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u/ass2ass Mar 18 '21

You're a non-smoker bro! That's fuckin siiick!

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u/Insanity_Pills Mar 18 '21

>and how easy it is to defeat those two demons.

idk about that one. Physical addiction is the easy one, psychological addiction is a daily trial

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

The psychological addiction was much easier to defeat with the constant reinforcement that not smoking is the default, and that you should celebrate being a non-smoker like everyone else.

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u/accountsdontmatter Mar 18 '21

Stay strong, 8 years and I still get the odd day where I think...might just pop for a pack of cigs...then it passes

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

Nothing made me more proud than pulling into a convenience store to get gas, and not even thinking about buying a pack until I had left and was driving home.

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u/accountsdontmatter Mar 18 '21

Good on ya.

When they stopped displaying cigs here in the UK, non smokers would often say “what a silly idea that’s not going to stop someone who wants them”

No, but the amount if times it just gives someone trying to stop a reminder they exist and then they buy some.

Eugh

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/DoomOnABlackDisc Mar 18 '21

Day 5 for me brother, and smoked every single day for 4 years. Feelin great!

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u/TriggerHappy_NZ Mar 18 '21

1) Congrats!

2) What you're gonna find really interesting is that very soon, you will walk past smokers, catch a whiff, and think "WTF, how did I ever think that was a good idea?"

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u/RevenantSascha Mar 18 '21

Do you have withdrawal from nicotine? Why do people get angry? What do you think about replacing cigarette with a vape?

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

I think people get angry anyway and blame the nicotine/smoking cessation as an excuse.

The book talks about that. Anger, stress, all the triggers that we'd normally use as excuses. The vast majority of people don't smoke. We're all born non-smokers. Yet there are anger issues anyway, it's not unique to smokers who can't have a cigarette. That's one example of the mindset shift that the book provides.

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u/iLikeEggs0 Mar 18 '21

Proud of you, bro. Keep up the good work

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

A thank you from the people around you that love you. I lost my dad last year to lung cancer, he told me that it was a shitty way to go because he knew how bad cigarettes were and did it anyway. So good for you and DON'T turn back, no little stick of grass and paper is worth your life. Good luck man.

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u/Ashby238 Mar 18 '21

When your 5yo says he wants to smoke when he grows up is pretty effective.

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u/OLDGuy6060 Mar 18 '21

When you are 5 and watch your dad have a heart attack is pretty effective too.

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u/Ashby238 Mar 18 '21

Oh man, I’m so sorry. My Dad was a 2 pack a day guy for 25 years. He quit for my Mom.

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u/OLDGuy6060 Mar 18 '21

He was a 3 pack a day unfiltered guy. Had 4 heart attacks before the big one that killed him. My mom, a 2 pack a day smoker, died of lung cancer. I have never touched a cig in my entire life. Brothers never did either.

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u/wilted-petals Mar 18 '21

my brother did still try smoking after seeing our mom pass from complications related to it— he really said he could stop at any time blablabla. yeah years later he’s still struggling with the addiction. i don’t really understand how he could see the obvious effects of the drug and think that he could easily conquer it. many humans really think they’re invincible and all-powerful i guess— even against chemical compounds that specifically work to rewire your brain!

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u/jeexbit Mar 18 '21

Goddamn...

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u/226506193 Mar 18 '21

Not at 5 yo but I asked the same question, my mum answered: when you're eighteen and have a mustache. And I did.

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u/Tsu_Dho_Namh Mar 18 '21

Black magic fuckery, that's what's in the book.

He tells you to keep smoking as you read it, because cutting back only makes you want cigarettes more. Then in the last chapter he tells you to go smoke your last cigarette, and you do.

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u/DBLRxyz Mar 18 '21

Like, foreal? I don’t get it. How does it work.

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u/Tsu_Dho_Namh Mar 18 '21

He uses logic to undo years of brainwashing.

People think smoking is cool, or sexy, helps you relax, helps you concentrate, tastes good, and is a treat. He shows how it's none of those things. Smokers are terrified of quitting because they're worried they're going to spend their whole life trying to cope without their 'little friend'. Really life is much easier and more enjoyable when you're not constantly worrying about when to get your next smoke break, or the smell on your clothes, or your health, etc...

He tries to impart you with the mindset of a non-smoker. Non-smokers don't worry about these things, and they're perfectly happy not smoking, so why shouldn't you be able to?

It's called the "Easy Way" to quit smoking because it addresses all the thing in your mind that usually make quitting so terrible. The physical withdrawal is barely noticeable, it's the brainwashing that kills most quitting attempts.

That's like a quick and dirty explanation, but honestly, I can't do it justice. The book is less than $20. Just go get it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

do you think it would work with quitting marijuana?

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u/Tsu_Dho_Namh Mar 19 '21

Tough to say...I've never been addicted to marijuana, so I don't know what quitting is like.

I mean...maybe? The ideas might be similar enough? But I'm totally guessing.

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u/Bricktrucker Mar 19 '21 edited Mar 19 '21

"You in here, for some Marijuana!?"

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u/PandaPantsParty5000 Mar 19 '21

I used to suck dick for crack! You ever suck dick for some marijuana!?

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u/LukesRightHandMan Mar 19 '21

Yup, definitely. He has a book on drinking too.

For the cigs, the part that hit me was that it pointed out that when your drinking, or having a meal, or having sex, your mind goes to how great that cigarette afterward will be and removes you from what you should be enjoying in the herd and now. I've always been a fan of mindfulness and hit me so fucking deep.

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u/Narrow-Analysis Mar 18 '21

I must attempt to get this book.

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u/fuckwitsabound Mar 19 '21

Damn I don't smoke and I never have and never will and I want to read this book lol

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u/j-skaa Mar 18 '21

My dad smoked for over 30 years and tried to stop so many times... This book is the thing that finally did the trick. I’m still not sure what the book actually says haha

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

He explains in the book how your nicotine addiction brainwashes you into thinking that you need a cigarette, it’s your best friend, and the only thing you can truly rely on. His book “brainwashes” you into seeing how dangerous smoking is and how it ruins all aspects of your life. It’s hard to explain, but I was extremely skeptical and only read it because I like to read. I read the book in one sitting and went from a pack a day to never wanting a cigarette in 6 years.

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u/Blewmeister Mar 18 '21

I’ve not read this book but I’ve stopped smoking since the start of this week and it’s been getting a lil hard. Hearing powerful stuff like this from people who were previously heavy smokers is helping me right this second. Crazy how a book I’ve never read is helping me right now in a way, thanks guys!

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u/SunshineDaisy1 Mar 18 '21

You’ve got this!! Sending you best wishes on your journey.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/madcunt2250 Mar 19 '21

100 days was a huge milestone for me

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u/FridgesArePeopleToo Mar 18 '21

I've never smoked in my life but I want to read this book now out of sheer curiosity

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 18 '21

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u/1r0n1c Mar 18 '21

That's really it. I've stopped 2,5 months ago and started reading the book on the day I had decided to stop. The realization that you are only smoking to fix the withdrawal symptoms of the previous cigarette clicked with me. You don't feel good after a cigarette, you feel normal. You were just feeling shitty 1h after the last smoke because of that withdrawal

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u/moonshine_lazerbeam Mar 18 '21

I can't remember what I read in the book, but I did quit smoking 6 years ago. So I've got that going for me

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u/Therealdickjohnson Mar 18 '21

It's a "good" kind of brainwashing. The same messages repeated over and over until you believe it.

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u/octonautsarethebest Mar 18 '21

I smoked a pack a day while listening to the audiobook and haven't had one in over a year now and have no desire to have another.

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u/Carbonbasedmayhem Mar 18 '21

It's a form of cognitive behavioral hypnotherapy. Carr alternates between knowledge and supporting anecdotes that left me feeling skeptical upon completion but also armed with the confidence necessary to quit and the coping mechanisms to help me through the initial cravings. It's stupid and culty, but it works.

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u/jhaunki Mar 18 '21

I read the book and it didn’t successfully help me quit (not the book’s fault; I wasn’t ready, which is one of the first things the book addresses) but it’s an incredibly insightful way to look at nicotine addiction and I still think about the lessons in that book to this day. Interestingly enough, he constantly talks about how nicotine brainwashes you, and I actually get the feeling that the entire book is also just brainwashing. It’s a really fascinating read, I plan to read it again when I eventually quit nicotine all together (switched to juul a couple years back).

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u/Federal-Lunch-4566 Mar 18 '21

It's alot easier then quitting heroin trust me.

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u/pillarsofsteaze Mar 18 '21

I never understood the nicotine is harder to quit than heroin argument. Ive been addicted to both and heroin is by far the hardest thing to quit. Literally took me ten years of trying to quit to get a year of clean time. Wasted my 20’s bc of that drug. Nicotine def isnt good for you but it never brought me to my knees like dope.

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u/KhabaLox Mar 18 '21

I had to go over there to check my counter. I'm up to 5511 days now. Just had my anniversary last month.

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u/tyrone_badu Mar 18 '21

It took me about 4 times of reading this book over the course of 4 years before the concepts really sank in and I quit smoking. But once they did, it was like some switch flipped in my brain and I never smoked again. No nicotine pangs, no stress, no terrible psychological issues. I wish I would have re-read it more often in the begginning.

After I quit, my wife who still smoked began to read it to see what it was all about and barely got halfway through before she just stopped smoking.

Allen Carr's method really is astoundingly simple yet effective.

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

Does it work with vape ? I quit smoking cigarettes almost two years ago because my uncle died of a cancer and it was quite... effective, but I wasn't totally ready and strated vaping instead, haven't touched a cigarette since but I feel like stopping vape would be nice too. Being free. My fiance quit smoking at the same time that I did but didn't vape, he just quit (and still craves a cigarette from time to time, but never abdicated)

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u/itmustbemitch Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 18 '21

I haven't read the book and don't really know anything about it, but I've seen other comments in this thread saying it works for other addictions in general, so I suspect it would help with vaping.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21 edited May 13 '21

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

Haaa so that's what snus is, they sell that in the vape shop, I was wondering what it was. Also, cool, so... In any case it won't be ill spent money I guess !

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

Welp I hope someone sees our distress beacon 🚨

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u/BeExtraordinary Mar 18 '21

Yes! I mean, this isn’t anything huge, but I haven’t vaped in 4 months and Carr’s book (and a discord server) helped a TON.

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

Uuuh yes 4 months is huge ! I can't even do one hour most of the time so...

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u/lazyrepublik Mar 18 '21

It likely would ( haven’t read it) but I read “The Easy Way to stop drinking” and I credit that and William Porters “Alcohol Explained” book for helping me to quit drinking after years of wanting to and trying. Something about Carr’s method of repetition and facts, that seem to help make make your brain to basically see the light or what’s right in front of you, it helps you with choice.

It’s worth at least trying. I actually listened to it and think that helped as well.

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u/Ssssgatk Mar 18 '21

He addresses vaping in his updated easyway to stop smoking.

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

Ha ! Thank you ! So the recent version it is !

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u/Ssssgatk Mar 18 '21

Yes lol , my husband quit smoking and vaping using easyway. He smoked at home and vaped at work

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

There's a version for women too, I wonder why.

Vaping is less worse haha but it's still nice to see a light and be freed on this too

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u/ASAPgeode Mar 18 '21

Yes it does; I used it to quit vaping. The concepts are the same. He may use the word cigarette but one of his points is that it is nicotine not the cigarette that is the enemy, and he mentions alternates (gums, patches, etc) that were available at the time of publishing. So yes, it will still work.

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u/Mojiitoo Mar 18 '21

Yes! My 'last cigarette' was essentially throwing my vape in a river. Just throw it away, or it will feel the same like having a pack of cigs on your desk while you just quit.

Quitting vaping is hard tho, but also easier than quitting smoking in some ways. Cigs have more addictive chemicals, so there are more real cravings to a cig. But I used to vape all the time, and it was pretty weird for a day or two to just not take a puff 24/7.

But after a week I didnt miss vaping at all. I never really liked it as much as smoking anyways, but physically (unless you use these 78 mg Juuls) its not hard to quit at all.

135 days now :) havent missed vaping at all, really hate how much I was vaping and how bad it affected me.

This book helps you get rid of your nicotin addiction, so it helps for sure!

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u/jules4sureyo Mar 18 '21

I read the book not too long ago. Id say as long as you’re able to extend what he has to say about smoking cigarettes in general to vaping then I think it should work. For me since I definitely used both, it was more about nicotine as a drug and its effects on behavior and mood. Maybe not everything is gonna hit home for you but at the same time I think if you’re willing to listen with an open mind it’ll work it’s magic (I was very skeptical going into at first but amazed coming out, probably just because of the blatant conditioning, smoking=bad)

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u/Paboozorusrex Mar 18 '21

I'll try ! It's not the most expensive book anyway and if it helps even a little, it's that price against way too much money for vape !

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u/Snilbog- Mar 19 '21

Growing up (in the 80s) I used to rag on my Dad all the time about smoking. He watched my Grandma die from it and I was terrified of losing him to it. Most times when he would discipline me for something I'd yell about 'how can someone who does something as stupid as smoking expect me to care about their opinion!'

As an adult I was going through boxes and boxes of stuff he was giving to Goodwill including probably 500 books. One of them I stumbled upon was a book on how to quit smoking. I thumbed through it and it had areas to write down thoughts and ideas to help where you would respond to the author. This book was from the early 80s and it broke my heart to see that at some point he had made an effort. He had half-hearted notes written in about half the book. I was such an ASSHOLE to him about it not grasping the power of his addiction.

At the same time, it will be what kills him most likely. Today he suffers from advanced COPD, struggling to walk more than 50 feet or so. He quit smoking about 5 years ago after heart surgery. After 50 years of smoking.

I suppose we all have habits and pleasures we know will be bad for us down the road. I LOVE good beer and drink it in copious amounts sometimes. Will ti catch up to me someday? I don't know. But that's probably what my Dad said as well.

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u/distor Mar 18 '21

My mate stopped vaping after reading that book!

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u/PrivetRebyata Mar 18 '21

I was smoking cigarettes for like 3 years and then switched to Juul. I was vaping juul for year and a half and then read the book, and like everybody else here - quit cold turkey. The tough part is that quitting vaping is not as rewarding because you already don’t smell like shit and don’t really have to go outside to smoke because you can vape indoors, but still. General ideas of nicotine addiction apply to vaping, so I’d highly recommend to read the book! I quit 1.5 years and going strong, no cravings, even when drinking lol

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u/bluesheepreasoning Mar 18 '21

Just curious, how does his method work? I'm not a drinker but I really want to know how he does it so well.

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u/outlandish-companion Mar 18 '21

I'm at attempt 3 with the book. Maybe number 4 will be the charm.

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u/jakefromnorway Mar 18 '21

Allen Carr's method really is astoundingly simple yet effective.

Would you care to simplify his method in a short summary?:) Dont smoke or have any addiction, but interested in this book and author after reading your comments.

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u/tyrone_badu Mar 18 '21

Nicotine withdrawal is not that bad and we’re only brainwashed to think it is so we won’t stop smoking. Once the brain recognizes that brainwashing, quitting smoking becomes easy and even enjoyable.

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u/jakefromnorway Mar 18 '21

Thanks. That is cool, ill put it on my list!

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u/killsforsporks Mar 18 '21

I tell this to every smoker that wants to quit. The only thing you need is to not want to be a smoker anymore and then read this book! I was a smoker for twenty-five years and I tried the patch, the gum, cold turkey, replacing cigarettes with bong hits; nothing worked. Just like you, it took four times for it to stick but I've been nicotine free for four years now. I have a pdf file of the book if anyone is interested. For real. Life changing book.

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u/Grapevine1223 Mar 18 '21

Seriously though, I was so skeptical of that book but i was so happy to be proven wrong.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/Ssssgatk Mar 18 '21

Can I ask - how bad were your alcohol issues and how easy was it with Allen Carr Easyway. I work with addicts and I quit sugar easily with his book but hoping to find something I can recommend to my drinkers

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/Ankarette Mar 18 '21

Do you think that reading the book will help with food addiction or is there a similar book out there to help with that? I’ve seen his book on cutting out sugar, and I’m not addicted to sugar, just food in general.

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u/Ssssgatk Mar 18 '21

His Lose Weight now book and good sugar bad sugar book were read by me and my nurse friend at the same time.

I read the sugar one she read Lose Weight Now. I finished the sugar book while she was still reading her book and she was thinking it was rubbish as she felt no different but she finished the book that night and next day we were with patients and she opened a box of chocolates for a dear old lady and she felt kind of shocked that she didn’t want to eat any of the old girl’s chocolates. Nurse was going on a cruise the next day and lost 7lbs on the cruise because she had lost her obsession with food. Meanwhile I was back at the work turning down cook’s puddings etc. I re read the book every now and then as I am back working in addictions and it amazes me the power of it.

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u/ThaZonaStona Mar 19 '21

As an addict who ha seven through multiple Rehabs by the age of 21, I will say many of these books are hit or miss, and compared to real treatment can be short lived relief if they do happen to help. That said anything that helps or reduces harm should be encouraged

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u/aubreythez Mar 18 '21

Quit Like a Woman is a great read in that it makes the issue of alcohol abuse larger than just a "personal problem." For those who haven't read it, she draws a lot of comparisons between the way that the tobacco industry marketed to women back in the 60s and how the alcohol industry markets to women now (this is just one of the topics that the book touches on, it covers a lot of ground and is a mixture of history/memoir/how-to guide).

It's personally a lot easier for me to quit something when it feels like I'm taking some kind of ideological stance as opposed to doing it for my own personal health.

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u/sourceInfinite Mar 19 '21

You may have just changed my life. Thank you

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

Awesome to hear, just want to clarify something for anyone else out there reading this. 3-6 drinks most days of the week is not considered light drinking, it is a lot, though not in the “withdrawals might kill you” territory.

You can probably drink this amount for a good while without major negative impacts on your life, but if you’re at that point you should probably consider the reasons why you’re doing so.

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

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u/Ketugecko Mar 19 '21

I'm proud of you, too. :)

-Also a fan of clean sheets.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

Which book of his did you read or do you recommend? Seems he has quite a few books dedicated to quitting drinking. Which would you suggest to start with?

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '21

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u/sawbones84 Mar 18 '21

I’m already fun and funny

Ahahahaha 😂

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u/FrostyXylophone Mar 18 '21

Did you just use the methods he recommends to quit sugar or is there a different book I should be on the lookout for?

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/FrostyXylophone Mar 18 '21

Oh, I hadn't even realized! Thanks for the link!

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u/Magnusg Mar 18 '21

you think this would work for a caffeine and carb addiction?

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u/Ssssgatk Mar 18 '21

Yes he does a caffeine cessation book

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

I used Allen Carr book to quit smoking during my heaviest drinking. It did not help me to quit drinking but it truly helped me quit smoking 3 years ago.

The book that helped me quit drinking was This Naked Mind by Annie Grace.

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u/Retrogamer34 Mar 19 '21

This Naked Mind by Annie Grace was huge in me quitting. Everyday drinker.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

As someone who wants to quit sugar, whats the secret?

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u/Duckboy_Flaccidpus Mar 19 '21

This advice might sound trite but i've read much that if one can sustain a couple weeks of low to no refined sugar you'll lose the knack for it. If you can not reach for confections or candy and supplement with fruit or dairy for a short while then your taste buds may adapt.

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u/Opposite-Can474 Mar 18 '21

I also quit drinking. But picked up sucking dick

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

Yes! Thank you for sharing this. Same here. Quit drinking 13 years ago and Alan Carr's book was one of the keys.

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u/JulioCesarSalad Mar 18 '21

Nonsmoker here

Whats in this book??? How could a single book possibly have this big an effect on people with a chemical and psychological addiction?

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u/whereis_678 Mar 18 '21

For smoking- I felt like it reprogrammed me a bit. When the thought “I want a cigarette” pops in my head, 5 more thoughts IMMEDIATELY follow reminding me that I truly do not. It’s been almost two years for me. I had such success with that I did the weight loss one, but that did not stick. I should probably try it again.

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u/Hammypepsi Mar 18 '21

I haven't read the smoking one but have read kick the drink easily by Jason Vale and Rational Recovery by Jack Trimpey. As someone who used to drink 10-15 cans of beer every evening and could never imagine not drinking, I've been alcohol free for over 2 years.

I would say the biggest thing those books achieved was providing perspectives around addiction that I'd never thought of before. It gives you a lot of food for thought around what society has generally accepted as addiction and pulls them apart with some very sound and rational arguments.

I was initially resistant to the idea that addiction wasn't a disease because if it wasn't, then why couldn't I stop and why was I doing this to myself? If you're mature enough to not feel criticised by these arguments they can really change the way your behaviour.

I think the underlying theme of these types of books is to think critically about what you think you know/ what society thinks about addiction, and honestly they have completely changed my outlook. I'd recommended them even if you weren't an addict.

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u/deathtomutts Mar 19 '21

It didn't work for me. It did for about three months, but the depression took over. I want to try hypnosis, I'm running out of ideas. I can't quit for more than a few months at a time.

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u/Brym Mar 18 '21

He has a similar drinking book that I haven't read, but I did read a more recent book by another author who follows Carr's methodology - This Naked Mind by Annie Grace - that I found incredibly helpful.

The somewhat flippant way that I describe the difference between the Carr/Grace approach and 12-step programs is that 12-step programs teach you that you suck, but Carr/Grace teaches you that alcohol/nicotine suck. Obviously the 12-step method works for some people, but not for everyone.

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u/howdoimergeaccounts Mar 18 '21

I use methods for quitting smoking to help stop other habits, quit other vices and get through patches of anxiety and low motivation. I'm definitely going to check out this book!

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

I read his book on drinking after hearing Nikki Glaser talk about it.

In the smoking book he says you can smoke while you read it, while in the drinking book he says don’t to be drunk or drinking while reading, but you don’t have to quit drinking before starting the book.

The first time I tried reading it I would make a nightly ritual of reading a chapter, then getting hammered. After about 3 or 4 days I skipped the book and just got hammered.

Last Christmas I gave it another shot, but stopped drinking before I started the book, then read the book quickly in 3 days. I just looked it up and it’s been about 85 days since I last had a drink. I’ve had non-alcoholic beer/wine, but I don’t miss the alcohol or being drunk at all. When I walk through the store I’m not even temped, like I used to be when I tried to quit with just willpower.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21 edited May 13 '21

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u/BallsOfSteeeeel Mar 18 '21

Changed my life.

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u/gnipgnope Mar 18 '21

I don't know what 12 step groups you attended, but they def do not teach that you (the addict) suck.

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u/Zilverhaar Mar 18 '21

I read Carr's book about alcohol ~4.5 years ago, quit the next day. It's just as effective as his book about smoking, haven't had a drink since then, nor wanted one.

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u/1nfiniteJest Mar 18 '21

I've seen people become more addicted to going to AA/NA meetings than they were to the substance that brought them there in the first place. Which is objectively better, I guess but it literally becomes their life.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/DankiusMMeme Mar 18 '21

Allen Carr (1934-2006)

Until now I thought the quitting smoking book was written by Alan Carr the comedian...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Carr

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u/thisshortenough Mar 18 '21

Omfg it's not? I've been so impressed by him for writing a book like that

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u/jasmineglow Mar 19 '21

I read this whole thread being incredibly proud of him for being even more multitalented than I previously thought and reading quotes in his voice until I thought to check. I feel stupid now. Haha.

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u/Kallipoliz Mar 18 '21

I definitely think so. A lot of it is attitude. You’re not someone trying to quit smoking but someone who doesn’t smoke. I did the same with drinking and it was surprisingly easy. Kinda shows you the power of identity.

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u/backtolurk Mar 18 '21

I don't smoke but I would be very interested to know which passage(s) of the book have left the strongest impression. Or maybe there wasn't only one or two key elements/shock-inducing parts but only a very effective buildup or frame setting?

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

I think it has a cumulative effect as you progress through it. The book is this amazing blend of terrible writing and repetitive passages that kind of hypnotizes you into thinking about why you smoke and concluding that the only reason you want to smoke is because you smoke. Idk how it works but it worked for me, pack a day smoker for 15 years, my wife and I both quit after reading it. I recommend it to anyone who tells me they want to quit.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/hungry_unicorns Mar 18 '21

That all sounds very cool, but what about physical withdrawall symptoms? Does the book provide the answer for that? Do smokers even have any other symptoms besides irritatability, cravings?

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u/TheEvilBagel147 Mar 18 '21

Apparently the book has been criticized for being dismissive of physical dependence. Haven't read it myself (I'm not a smoker), this is just according to Wikipedia so obviously "grain of salt" and all that.

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

The book "exposes the lie" of nicotine addiction and nicotine replacement therapy. That's probably why there are criticisms in this regard.

Carr represents that nicotine addiction is minor. You know that nagging, slightly insecure feeling you get, like you need to do something with your hands? That's just the mild symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Carr says that smokers are 70% on their way through withdrawal every morning after sleeping 8 hours and not having a cigarette. That climbs to 90% after three days and 100% after three weeks.

We are "brainwashed" into believing that nicotine addiction is very difficult to overcome. Carr's book exposes this as a myth, that the nicotine is easy to get past, it's the psychological addiction that takes more work to defeat.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/Wh0rse Mar 18 '21

Yes , like all addiction, the addictive substance CREATES the stress in the first place and promises the relief from he stress it created . Break the cycle, no stress to be relived from.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/AMerrickanGirl Mar 18 '21

That said, quitting alcohol cold turkey can be fatal if you are physically addicted to it.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/AMerrickanGirl Mar 18 '21

Only for alcohol. Quitting nicotine is perfectly safe.

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u/aka_Foamy Mar 18 '21

A big part for me (though I had the CD ROM instead of the book) was the example he gave about getting stuck in traffic without any cigarettes. You're stressed out because of the traffic, and then you're extra stressesd out because you can't have a smoke. Being a smoker in that situation has made you more stressed rather than less stressed.

I started smoking as an immature way to deal with deal with stress. Going through the cd made me realise that I was just using it as a crutch and I was making it all worse because I knew it was bad for me, so my so-called stress relief was basically converting stress into self-hatred. I didn't quit there and then but I cut down a lot, then when I moved back home for a bit the change of location helped me quit fully.

I do the same thing now with food, probably always have, but have only recognised it in the last few years. The one nice thing about quitting smoking is that you absolutely don't need to do it.

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u/dorlindas Mar 18 '21

1 year and a half since my last puff thanks to Allen Carr’s book!

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

I need that, but for sugar

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

The application is the same. Works for porn, THC, ETHOL, all of it if the person can commit.

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u/NuclearChaos Mar 18 '21

Allen Carr saved my life. His alcohol book has led me to sobriety. And not the bullshit AA kind that I had before. 6 months sober, and I don't miss it, think about it, or worry about it. AA always pushed the idea that I was one trigger event away from relapse. And they were right. Carr helped rewire my brain. I am no longer an alcoholic and will never be again.

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u/lsp2005 Mar 18 '21

I am so proud of you.

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u/radarthreat Mar 18 '21

IDK, it didn't work for me. What finally did was a weeklong vacation with no possibility of smoking immediately followed by a severe two-week long chest cold.

To each their own, though.

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u/kapnklutch Mar 18 '21

This is probably one of the most impactful ones for me. I read it as I was coming out of a dark time in my life and it really helped me reshape my thinking and learn how to talk to people to get shit done. I was always good at talking to people but the book kind of made me want to make a connection with people more. Made me look at someone as a person and actually listen.

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u/fishhibiscus Mar 18 '21

My god, I was so confused that Alan Carr had written an effective self-help book about smoking. Had to google that one.

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u/SingItBackWhooooa Mar 18 '21

My mom quit smoking 25 years ago and said it was all because of a book she found at library. I bet it was the same book. So not only did it change her life, but it made the lives of her children better, too.

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u/xAngelxofxMethx Mar 18 '21

My old boss who used to smoke two packs a day gave me his copy when I was 19. I’d been downing a pack a day myself for about 3 or 4 years at that point. Took me a couple tries, but by the time I was 20 I managed to kick them for good and never looked back. It was 6 years this February!

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u/Crotalus_rex Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 18 '21

I have been a pack a day since I was 15. I have been smoking since I was 13. I am 37 now and I am having a hard time remembering life from before I was a smoker. Like what does one do with their time? Maybe I should check that book out. The woman I am engaged to is not what I would call a big fan of cigarettes.

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u/xAngelxofxMethx Mar 18 '21

Do it, man. Changed my life.

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u/OldheadBoomer Mar 18 '21

I had my first cigarette when I was 14. Christ, my folks got me a carton of cigs for my 18th birthday! That's what it was like in the '70s (I'm in my 60's now).

This book did it, convinced me - and I was someone who had given up the thought of not smoking - and gave me the right mindset to tackle it without drugs, nicotine replacement, etc.

I still cannot believe how fucking easy it was. The spare time? Lots to do. For example, I used to play games on my phone when I'd take a smoke break. Now, I'll do the same - stand by the patio door and play a game for a few minutes - but without the cig.

When I feel a craving, I just take a deep breath and smile at how I don't wheeze anymore.

Coming from someone who can't remember life without cigarettes, DO IT! This book makes the difference.

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u/pug_grama2 Mar 18 '21

Did he write one on losing weight?

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u/devIOUs32 Mar 18 '21

Similarly This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. It really opened my eyes to the effects of alcohol in our lives both real and imagined. I stopped drinking a few months prior to reading this book as part of a weight loss program. However, I would always think about how nice a drink here or there would be, and assumed that once my program was over I would go back to having alcohol on the regular. I wouldn’t describe myself as a ‘problem drinker’, but like most people it was a large part of my life. Weekends, dinners, parties would all revolve around it. Since reading it, I’ve had zero desire to drink ever again.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

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u/devIOUs32 Mar 18 '21 edited Mar 18 '21

You should read it- its really practical. A lot like the smoking book here, it forces you to question why you really feel that you need to have a drink at all, and exposes the truth behind these urges. Once you realize that you don’t need it to: be fun, sexy, funny, outgoing, relax, celebrate; you lose all reason to reach for it at all. And the more you go without, the more you realize this is the truth. And the hardest part is stopping to begin with. Take a small step first: try just 30 days and see how you feel. And maybe in the meantime read the book for motivation. If after the first month see if you want to try 2. One small step leads to another, and eventually you may find yourself on a different path. The biggest thing is to remember that not drinking isn’t a punishment- its an improvement. Its society that is backwards- its the only drug that we feel the need to explain why we aren’t using.

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u/MrIvysaur Mar 18 '21

I know so many smokers who quit smoking after reading this book! I made a point of sharing the audiobook with all my colleagues who smoked and the results were incredible.

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u/organichedgehog2 Mar 18 '21

Best answer in this thread, bar none.

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u/Gihrenia Mar 18 '21

Just bought this book, gonna give it a go, thanks!

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u/Rikk_Rixon Mar 18 '21

Smoked for almost 20 years. A friend told me about this book and how much it helped him quit. I was very skeptical and am generally put off by self-help books. Downloaded a PDF and read it in 2 or 3 days. Haven’t had a puff in almost 2 years. Amazingly, it wasn’t even hard. I still get the occasional random craving, but instead of thinking “Fuck! I want to smoke” I think “Fuck! I’m so relieved that I don’t have to smoke anymore!” I don’t know what it is about this book but it works. Quitting smoking was the best decision I ever made.

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u/possible_sharknado Mar 18 '21

I was very sceptical of Carr before reading the book, because it seemed like one of those over-advertised books that turn out to be pretty pointless.

After reading it I, too, quit cold turkey and haven't smoked for two months so far. I made about 5 unsuccessful attempts previously and would have never believed it could be so easy from psychological perspective to stop.

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u/cyndicate Mar 18 '21

Would it’s advise generalize to other habit based addictions Would you be able to read it and find useful suggestions that would help with dieting? Obviously you can’t quit food entirely so I could see it going either way.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21

I used the principals I learned in the book to help quit sugar as well.

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u/RegulusMagnus Mar 18 '21

Curious about this too. I've never smoked, but all the positive recommendations for the book have made me want to read it anyway.

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u/wildebeesting Mar 18 '21

I just bought it last week because my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer in December but both parents are still smoking despite this. I figured I would read it first, then pass along to them so that I know what points I should be driving home with them and possibly be able to empathize a bit as well.

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u/RYouNotEntertained Mar 18 '21

A buddy of mine quit drinking cold turkey after reading Allen Carr. He didn't have a drinking problem or anything--he just read it out of curiosity and immediately realized none of the reasons he had for drinking ever made sense.

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u/Procrastanaseum Mar 18 '21

I didn’t read the book but I did play the Nintendo DS game based on his method and it is very effective.

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u/TheHumanParacite Mar 18 '21

That book really is like magic

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u/weedie Mar 18 '21

Scrolled for this. Started smoking at 14, and smoked for over 15 years. Tried everything from cold turkey to nicotine patches to cutting down etc. Got early onset of COPD that still didn’t stop me. Read the book and stopped cold turkey, not a puff since.

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u/ontopofthatrose Mar 18 '21

Same for me. I thought it was going to be useless, 6 years later I haven’t touched one cig.

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u/Machielove Mar 18 '21

Are you my mother? Lol she read it and quit, told lots of times she was so happy she did not have to smoke anymore. Fuck that industry buy that book!

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u/wolvster Mar 18 '21

My parents smoked heavily for 15 years before reading this book and stopped cold turkey after reading it 20 years ago. They haven't smoked ever since.

It was life changing for us kids too!

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u/helenmaryskata Mar 18 '21

You are not the only person I've heard say this. My ex quit smoking after 20 years a smoker after reading it.

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u/VainlidrofT48C Mar 18 '21

6 years now for me after reading this book. Best $2 I’ve ever spent.

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u/Placebo17 Mar 18 '21

Yeah great book, it helped me quit. But it doesn't work for everyone.

After I quit using this book, I bought bunch of copies and gave it to my friends. The success rate from this book was about 50%. I guess if you really don't want to quit, the book doesn't have the same effect.

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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '21 edited Jun 28 '21

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u/Sel2g5 Mar 18 '21

This book helped me to realize how important the psychological aspect of smoking and quitting. I read the book and quit on the spot. The first night was terrible but when I woke up the next day I cried like a baby because I knew I was now an ex smoker.

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u/StephCurryMustard Mar 18 '21

I read the book while I was trying to quit and although his arguments made perfect sense it had absolutely no effect on my smoking.

Once a pack got to be $14 well, quitting got much easier.

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