The Easyway to Stop Smoking

[blackout]

The easy way to stop smoking

Glue your mouth shut?


:sorry1:

 

[Poisonshady313]

Glue your mouth shut?


:sorry1:

It's funny you mention that...

 

[Poisonshady313]

I liked this one too...

 

[cablescavenger]

Have any of you heard of this method before?

Do you know people who have tried it?

Do you have any questions about it?

I read the book it didn't help. I know a few people who read it and it didn't help them either.

A course of a prescribed drug called Champix got me off cigarrettes.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I read the book it didn't help. I know a few people who read it and it didn't help them either.

A course of a prescribed drug called Champix got me off cigarrettes.

I'm sorry that Easyway didn't help you. I'm happy that you found something that worked for you.

 

[cablescavenger]

I'm sorry that Easyway didn't help you. I'm happy that you found something that worked for you.

I am mistaken, it was a different Allen Carr book I read, called 'The Only way to stop smoking permanently'. An earlier version from the 90's.

I didn't find giving up easy, I wish there was an easy way. I decided I wanted to give up when I was 19 and was 41 when I finally managed it.

I tried cold turkey many times, patches (twice), gum (three or four times), artificial cigarrette with nicotine cartridges (twice for a few months at a time), fake molded cigarrette, herbal cigarrettes, lozenge tablets, Allen Carrs book, hypnotherapy, self hypnosis, zyban and finally Champix. (I think that's everything).

I stopped smoking two weeks into taking Champix (that is how the program works) and haven't had a cigarette since.

 

[atanu]

I am mistaken, it was a different Allen Carr book I read, called 'The Only way to stop smoking permanently'. An earlier version from the 90's.

I didn't find giving up easy, I wish there was an easy way. I decided I wanted to give up when I was 19 and was 41 when I finally managed it.

I tried cold turkey many times, patches (twice), gum (three or four times), artificial cigarrette with nicotine cartridges (twice for a few months at a time), fake molded cigarrette, herbal cigarrettes, lozenge tablets, Allen Carrs book, hypnotherapy, self hypnosis, zyban and finally Champix. (I think that's everything).

I stopped smoking two weeks into taking Champix (that is how the program works) and haven't had a cigarette since.

Do you have to keep taking Champix?

 

[cablescavenger]

Do you have to keep taking Champix?

There are high dose and low dose tablets.

You start taking the tablets, then two weeks in you stop smoking, a few weeks later you go on to a lower does of Champix, then after 12 weeks total you quit the Champix.

In the UK we just walk in the doctors and ask for it. The programmes are state funded so they are free.

You will have to look into it over there in the US.

Champix attaches itself to the same receptors in the brain that give the high and drive the craving, so the craving just disappears. I am staggered at how easy it was to give up.

 

[atanu]

There are high dose and low dose tablets.

You start taking the tablets, then two weeks in you stop smoking, a few weeks later you go on to a lower does of Champix, then after 12 weeks total you quit the Champix.

In the UK we just walk in the doctors and ask for it. The programmes are state funded so they are free.

You will have to look into it over there in the US.

Champix attaches itself to the same receptors in the brain that give the high and drive the craving, so the craving just disappears. I am staggered at how easy it was to give up.

Thank you cablescavenger

Actually I just quit easily, surely helped by Carr's book. On earlier occassions it used to be a struggle and the craving would increase and increase.

I must admit that Allen Carr's book and the discussions therein helped me to understand the root of the craving and give up just like that. It is also true that many of my smoker friends have not yet benefited.

To me, many of the points of Allen appealed solidly because of my knowledge of Vedanta, which is rich with the theme of renunciation. The point is that renunciation is the joy, contrary to the notion that renunciation entails painful sacrifice. No one has any pain in deep sleep where everything is automatically renunciated.

Best wishes and regards

 

[cablescavenger]

Thank you cablescavenger

Actually I just quit easily, surely helped by Carr's book. On earlier occassions it used to be a struggle and the craving would increase and increase.

I must admit that Allen Carr's book and the discussions therein helped me to understand the root of the craving and give up just like that. It is also true that many of my smoker friends have not yet benefited.

To me, many of the points of Allen appealed solidly because of my knowledge of Vedanta, which is rich with the theme of renunciation. The point is that renunciation is the joy, contrary to the notion that renunciation entails painful sacrifice. No one has any pain in deep sleep where everything is automatically renunciated.

Best wishes and regards

I have over the years met people who were able to quit without any aids. I always envied them and could never understand how I struggled with my addiction where others didn't.

My will to give up was there but my ability to fight the cravings was not.

 

[Draka]

I'm assuming that Champix is the same thing as Chantrix (correct me if I'm wrong). That being the case, it's great that does work for some, but for some others it has horrible side effects. Turk was on it for a while and started to develop heart issues with it. He felt really badly while on it and when he started having issues with his heart racing and sweating and such...it was time to stop taking it.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I'm assuming that Champix is the same thing as Chantrix (correct me if I'm wrong).

You're right. It is the same thing. They call it Champix in Europe.

 

[atanu]

I have over the years met people who were able to quit without any aids. I always envied them and could never understand how I struggled with my addiction where others didn't.

My will to give up was there but my ability to fight the cravings was not.

But that is the point, friend. One need not struggle. One need not exert will power.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I have over the years met people who were able to quit without any aids. I always envied them and could never understand how I struggled with my addiction where others didn't.

My father was one of those who quit without any aids... He woke up one morning and decided that he didn't like the way smoking made him feel. So, he finished the pack he had, and never bought another pack again. No cravings, no withdrawals. He never smoked again, and he doesn't miss it.

Thing is... not everybody can do it that way. Very few people can. That's why most people you hear talk about their attempts to quit smoking tell you how they tried many different ways, many different times.

It is very fortunate that Champix worked for you. Not many people can say that. You're likely to hear other people say "I'm gonna try Champix again. It worked last time." Obviously, for that person, it didn't.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to be discouraging. I'm not. I don't say that you shouldn't have used Champix. I'm glad that you found something that worked, and I'm proud of you for not giving up when some other methods didn't.

I just prefer to recommend that smokers who want to quit give Easyway a shot first, like you did. Because it's true, Easyway doesn't work 100% of the time, nor does it claim to (although Easyway therapists are always available to provide guidance/extra support for free, even for those who didn't attend an Easyway clinic). But unlike most other methods, it works more often than not. And even when it doesn't work, it doesn't come with the risk of any side effects.

My will to give up was there but my ability to fight the cravings was not.

The way it's supposed to work is that by the end of the book, you're not expected to have to fight cravings. The chemical withdrawals are not that powerful. The powerful cravings are the result of a mental process, and the goal of the book is to put you in the right frame of mind to stop craving cigarettes altogether even before you extinguish your final cigarette.

While I've heard some people have indeed quit just using the Only Way book, it's usually a good idea to start with the Easy Way book (Typically, the Easy Way book by itself is enough). It's possible that might be a factor why Allen Carr's book didn't work for you.

But now that you've succeeded using Champix, I say congratulations!

 

[cablescavenger]

My father was one of those who quit without any aids... He woke up one morning and decided that he didn't like the way smoking made him feel. So, he finished the pack he had, and never bought another pack again. No cravings, no withdrawals. He never smoked again, and he doesn't miss it.

Thing is... not everybody can do it that way. Very few people can. That's why most people you hear talk about their attempts to quit smoking tell you how they tried many different ways, many different times.

It is very fortunate that Champix worked for you. Not many people can say that. You're likely to hear other people say "I'm gonna try Champix again. It worked last time." Obviously, for that person, it didn't.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to be discouraging. I'm not. I don't say that you shouldn't have used Champix. I'm glad that you found something that worked, and I'm proud of you for not giving up when some other methods didn't.

I just prefer to recommend that smokers who want to quit give Easyway a shot first, like you did. Because it's true, Easyway doesn't work 100% of the time, nor does it claim to (although Easyway therapists are always available to provide guidance/extra support for free, even for those who didn't attend an Easyway clinic). But unlike most other methods, it works more often than not. And even when it doesn't work, it doesn't come with the risk of any side effects.

The way it's supposed to work is that by the end of the book, you're not expected to have to fight cravings. The chemical withdrawals are not that powerful. The powerful cravings are the result of a mental process, and the goal of the book is to put you in the right frame of mind to stop craving cigarettes altogether even before you extinguish your final cigarette.

While I've heard some people have indeed quit just using the Only Way book, it's usually a good idea to start with the Easy Way book (Typically, the Easy Way book by itself is enough). It's possible that might be a factor why Allen Carr's book didn't work for you.

But now that you've succeeded using Champix, I say congratulations!

I used to say "Giving up smoking is easy, I have done it loads of times"

 

[Protester]

The brain's receptors are not that strongly attached to nicotine. It's true that nicotine works faster to get a person hooked than heroin, but it is not that strongly attached. The chemical addiction to nicotine is the easiest part to overcome. Most people, including doctors, don't see it that way because they don't understand nicotine addiction that well. Hell, a lot of doctors who tell people they shouldn't smoke are smokers themselves.

Allen Carr figured it out. The difficult part is the psychological aspect. As long as a smoker feels like stopping smoking will deprive them of some sort of pleasure or crutch, it will be hard for them. The anxiety caused by that feeling of deprivation is what's responsible for what are commonly referred to as nicotine withdrawal. The intense cravings, the insomnia, the irritability... all physical symptoms created by a mental process, not a chemical one.

Actual nicotine withdrawal is what smokers go through all the time between cigarettes. At work, while asleep, at the movies, etc... that slight, subtle, empty feeling that registers as "I want a cigarette". It's the only thing that compels a smoker to smoke the next cigarette. It's not painful, it's not torturous. It's easily dealt with. It's similar to hunger. You can sleep through the night or spend several hours at work not eating because you know you'll eat soon enough. You don't start to suffer anxiety (or claim to be starving) until you've gone a long period without eating... worse if you're told you can't eat. Similarly, a smoker can sit through a movie without smoking, sleep through the night, etc... and be just fine. It's when a smoker is told "you can't smoke", or when a smoker tells himself that when he tries to quit, that's when the anxiety kicks in.

Once you eliminate the desire to smoke, the chemical addiction fades away easily.

My uncle is not unique in how easy it was for him to quit smoking. Allen Carr, his clinics, and his books have helped millions of smokers quit easily and permanently over the past 20 years. The book is the most popular and best selling quit smoking book worldwide.

Allen Carr's program is mostly about exposing the myths, misconceptions, and illusions regarding smoking and quitting smoking. It's like when a magician reveals how he does his trick, it doesn't seem that mysterious anymore. When you see how the trap/trick of nicotine addiction really works, it's easy to step outside of it and never fall for it again.

The only problem with Allen Carr's Easyway method is that more people aren't aware of it.

I wonder how many people substitute another habit, for a one like smoking such as over eating. I hear that some people, well especially women people will smoke, as a substitute for eating? to keep their weight down. So are there are a lot of pudgy people out there who were once slim and trim, when they smoked?

 

[Poisonshady313]

I wonder how many people substitute another habit, for a one like smoking such as over eating.

A lot. For two reasons:

1. Most smokers don't understand that smoking cigarettes has absolutely nothing to do with an oral fixation. It is nicotine addiction. Nobody is addicted to going through the motions of putting rolled up paper in their mouths, lighting it on fire, and sucking. They're addicted to a drug.

Because of this misunderstanding, they figure they need to satisfy this oral fixation to keep their mouth busy, as if this will make their body think that nothing has changed and will therefore avoid going through withdrawal. Problem is, the body doesn't think. The brain does. But the brain isn't addicted to the motion. It's addicted to the drug.

So, some chew on toothpicks, some chew on gum, some chew on carrots... some just chew on anything that'll keep their mouth busy. Combine that with the fact that stopping smoking improves the function of your taste buds, foods are tastier and you'll probably end up eating more than you should.

2. Because smoking does cause a decrease in appetite, smokers figure that smoking can satisfy a hunger craving. And when they try to quit, they reverse it... they try to use food to satisfy a nicotine craving. Trouble is, neither is true, and believing them can lead to very negative consequences.

The main error here is the belief that nicotine gives you something that must be replaced when you quit smoking. This reinforces the feeling of deprivation most smokers feel when they attempt to quit, which causes the anxiety which manifests itself as "withdrawal".

So are there are a lot of pudgy people out there who were once slim and trim, when they smoked?

I don't have any statistics on this, but I imagine so, since weight gain is one among the main concerns of a lot of people, especially women, when it comes to quitting smoking.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Just wanted to bring this up again in case there's currently anyone at RF that's trying and struggling to quit smoking.

It's inexpensive, it's easy, and it works.

We've already seen a couple of people who have succeeded in becoming non-smokers by using Easyway as a result of hearing about it in this thread.

You could be next.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Just re-posting this to spread awareness. If you or anyone you know is trying to quit smoking and is having a difficult time of it, perhaps you ought to look into The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. Here's a bit of info from the website:

Using psychotherapy, the method works in the opposite way to the “willpower” method. It does not concentrate on the reasons the smoker should not smoke: the money, the slavery, the health risks and the stigma. Smokers know all that already. Instead it focuses on why smokers continue to smoke in spite of the obvious disadvantages.
It is fear that keeps smokers hooked!

Fear the smoker will have to give up their pleasure or crutch. Fear the smoker will be unable to enjoy life or handle stress. Fear the smoker will have to go through an awful trauma to get free. Fear the smoker will never get completely free from the craving.

The Method removes these fears

Smokers quit smoking with Allen Carr’s Easyway Method as happy non-smokers, not feeling deprived but with a huge sense of relief and elation that they have finally achieved what they always wanted….
TO BE FREE!

What about the terrible withdrawal pangs from nicotine?

The physical withdrawal from nicotine is so slight that most smokers don’t realise that they are addicts. What smokers suffer when they try and quit using other methods is the misery and depression caused by the belief that they are being deprived of a pleasure or a crutch.

Allen Carr’s Easyway Method removes this feeling of deprivation.

It removes the need and desire to smoke. Once the smoker is in the right frame of mind and they follow the simple instructions, the physical withdrawal from nicotine is hardly noticeable.

No Gimmicks!

The Method does not use any gimmicks, useless aids or substitutes. No nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, tabs, inhilators or nasal sprays! No needles! No lasers! No drugs! No herbs! No shock treatment!

Allen Carr’s Easyway Method is successful because:

• It removes the smokers’ conflict of will.

• There are no bad withdrawal pangs.

• It is instantaneous and easy.

• It is equally effective for long-term heavy smokers and light smokers.

• You need not gain weight.

• You will not miss smoking.

I've read the book several times... given the book/recommended the book to several people who once thought they couldn't stop smoking, and now are happy non-smokers, as if they had never started. Even a few folks here at RF have read the book and successfully quit smoking after hearing about it from this thread.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[Poisonshady313]

(Typically, the Easy Way book by itself is enough).

The various different forms of Easyway each can work by itself...

There's the Easyway clinic/seminar, the book/audiobook, the webcast, the DVD... there's even an Allen Carr video game for Nintendo DS, as well as an Allen Carr iPad/iPhone/iPod App.

Some people may find it hard to believe as it is that a book can show them the way to quit smoking easily and permanently... imagine being set free by a hand held video game! It sounds unusual, but it works.

Certain people might respond better to different versions of the method. Someone who the book didn't work for might succeed with the video, or the webcast, or the clinic... or maybe just a free chat with an Easyway therapist over the phone or on facebook might provide what's necessary to turn a failing attempt into a successful one. Sometimes re-reading the book once or twice will do the trick... the clinic offers free back-up sessions.

Whatever way one chooses to go about this, there is a tremendous amount of support available. Quitting smoking doesn't have to be a painful or otherwise unpleasant experience. It can even be enjoyable if it's done the Easy Way.