The Easyway to Stop Smoking

[psychoslice]

The only way to stop smoking is to stop, that easy, don't carry on about how hard it is, just stop, and keep remembering how it will **** up your health and life.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

How often do you vape?

Not very often. I take in a few puffs at a time, a few times a day, and I'm use 6 mg (or 5 mg, depending on where I get it from) of nicotine, down from 18 mg.

The only way to stop smoking is to stop, that easy, don't carry on about how hard it is, just stop, and keep remembering how it will **** up your health and life.

If that were the case, there wouldn't be people who have "quit a thousand times." It's hard to do. In all likeliness there probably is no "better way" to quit, and each smoker will have to find what works for them best. I've known a few who do it cold turkey, and many who don't; I've known some the patches have worked, and I've known many who keep smoking while using the patches. It's probably really just what is going to work for that individual person.

 

[psychoslice]

Not very often. I take in a few puffs at a time, a few times a day, and I'm use 6 mg (or 5 mg, depending on where I get it from) of nicotine, down from 18 mg.

If that were the case, there wouldn't be people who have "quit a thousand times." It's hard to do. In all likeliness there probably is no "better way" to quit, and each smoker will have to find what works for them best. I've known a few who do it cold turkey, and many who don't; I've known some the patches have worked, and I've known many who keep smoking while using the patches. It's probably really just what is going to work for that individual person.

The ones that I have seen who gave up smoking easily were the strong and most intelligent, but that's my observation.

 

[Poisonshady313]

It's hard to do.

The point of this thread is that it doesn't have to be.

In all likeliness there probably is no "better way" to quit, and each smoker will have to find what works for them best.

I wouldn't discourage a smoker trying to quit from trying anything he or she thinks might work for them. But my first recommendation, especially for those who have struggled with other methods, is Allen Carr's Easyway. I believe that it is a better way to quit.

It's amazing to think that even on this very forum, one particular individual had reacted with hostility and anger at the very suggestion of an "easy way" ... until health concerns took over. That individual ordered the book, read it, and is now (more than 6 months later) still a happy ex-smoker.

Does it work 100% of the time? No. But it works far better than any other method. Willpower works from 0% to approx 10%. Nicorette Gum works about 9-13%. Easyway clinics record better than a 90% success rate based on their money back guarantee, and independent scientific studies give it at 51% success rate. And, the vast majority (to be specific, all but three) of the people who take my recommendation seriously enough to actually read the book end up succeeding.

If you're happy to go on vaping, by all means do so. But if you reach a point where you decide it's not worth the money, but have a hard time dropping your nicotine level down to 0, you might consider trying Easyway. In addition to the fact that the original book can work for e-cigs as well as regular cigs, there's another title from Easyway called Easyway Express: Stop Smoking and Quit E-Cigarettes.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

If you're happy to go on vaping, by all means do so. But if you reach a point where you decide it's not worth the money, but have a hard time dropping your nicotine level down to 0, you might consider trying Easyway. In addition to the fact that the original book can work for e-cigs as well as regular cigs, there's another title from Easyway called Easyway Express: Stop Smoking and Quit E-Cigarettes.

I doubt I give it up entirely. Nicotine on its own really isn't that bad, being about on par with caffeine in terms of risk, and has some benefits for various conditions, including depression (which I have), ADD, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia, and it also helps to improve some areas of cognitive functioning.

 

[4consideration]

I like how he said to keep smoking until you finish the book. It helps remove the panic feeling, while you're dealing with the brain-washing you allowed, and you did to yourself.

I finished the book and my last cigarette late morning, on Saturday May 9.

Thanks.

Hi @Poisonshady313,

Today is the 1 year anniversary of quitting cigarettes -- both me and my husband. It also happens to be our son's birthday, which was part of the reason we picked the exact date of May 9 to quit.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Hi @Poisonshady313,

Today is the 1 year anniversary of quitting cigarettes -- both me and my husband. It also happens to be our son's birthday, which was part of the reason we picked the exact date of May 9 to quit.

That is awesome!

Happy birthday to your son!

How have you felt going through this past year as a non-smoker?

Feels good, doesn't it?

 

[crossfire]

This month marks two years off cigarettes for me. E-cigs (vapor) helped me to quit. Just the thought of smoking a cigarette is unappealing.

 

[atanu]

I quit 35 year old habit sometime in early 2012, no doubt helped by Mr. Carr's book. I have gifted the hard copy or passed on the e book to some friends but do not know of positive outcome in those cases.

 

[Aštra’el]

All it takes is willpower.

 

[atanu]

All it takes is willpower.

The book teaches the easy way, leading to joy of freedom from a bondage.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I was a very heavy addicted smoker, Inhaled pipe smoke. 1 OZ a day tobacco habit.
Started smoking at 16.
Aged 30 I went out and bought a new 4oz pack Put it by my chair, and never smoked again.
It sat there with my pipe for several years till I eventually threw them away.

Will power works if you can't stand failure. ( though the process is very hard)

I am now 81 and have never smoked again.

 

[4consideration]

That is awesome!

Happy birthday to your son!

How have you felt going through this past year as a non-smoker?

Feels good, doesn't it?

Thanks for the happy birthday to my son. He told me on his birthday that us quitting smoking was the best birthday present he ever got -- even better than Xbox1.

It does feel good. I am having a much easier time breathing.

I don't think about smoking much, so it surprises me sometimes when a thought about it pops up. I find it helpful to still internally say, "Yay, I don't have to do that." when I see someone smoking. It helps me remember to keep thinking of it as something to celebrate, rather than a sad, unfulfilled longing. I don't experience the longing feeling for more than a second or two, and only rarely. Other times I had quit the longing was a regular feeling that prompted sadness and made it tough to stay quit.

A week ago I was in my home town at a visitation/funeral, and a group of 3 friends I've known all my life were talking with me. I said I wanted to go outside because it was so crowded and I wanted some air. One of them was surprised to see me go outside, but not for the purpose of smoking, and even commented that she had come outside since I had always been her "smoking buddy." When I told my friends I had quit, they were interested in how, so the rest of our conversation ended up being about the book.

I think some, or all, of them will try it. My little sister has a copy of it, too.

Thanks.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Thanks for the happy birthday to my son. He told me on his birthday that us quitting smoking was the best birthday present he ever got -- even better than Xbox1.

It does feel good. I am having a much easier time breathing.

I don't think about smoking much, so it surprises me sometimes when a thought about it pops up. I find it helpful to still internally say, "Yay, I don't have to do that." when I see someone smoking. It helps me remember to keep thinking of it as something to celebrate, rather than a sad, unfulfilled longing. I don't experience the longing feeling for more than a second or two, and only rarely. Other times I had quit the longing was a regular feeling that prompted sadness and made it tough to stay quit.

A week ago I was in my home town at a visitation/funeral, and a group of 3 friends I've known all my life were talking with me. I said I wanted to go outside because it was so crowded and I wanted some air. One of them was surprised to see me go outside, but not for the purpose of smoking, and even commented that she had come outside since I had always been her "smoking buddy." When I told my friends I had quit, they were interested in how, so the rest of our conversation ended up being about the book.

I think some, or all, of them will try it. My little sister has a copy of it, too.

That's wonderful.

In the last page, Allen says "There is a wind of change in society. A snowball has started that I hope this book will help turn into an avalanche."

We're a part of that.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

This month marks two years off cigarettes for me. E-cigs (vapor) helped me to quit. Just the thought of smoking a cigarette is unappealing.

Once I switched to vaping I couldn't stand the smell or taste of cigarettes anymore, and I found it hard to believe it was something I tolerated and even actually enjoyed. But my lungs have cleared up, my stamina and lung function has improved, and I find that I don't get irritable if I forget my vape box like I would if I forgot my smokes.

 

[Poisonshady313]

All it takes is willpower.

Most people don't have that kind of power. Most people who try to quit using willpower alone will fail.

Here's why.

Will power is defined as:

control deliberately exerted to do something or to restrain one's own impulses.

impulse is defined as:

a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.

If we strip away the unnecessary words, will power is basically the effort to restrain one's own desire.

In this case, the desire to smoke. That desire is based on a belief. A belief that comes from the perception of smoking as being either a pleasure or a crutch.

You can spend a lot of time and energy fighting the desire to indulge in a pleasure or experience the relief of your crutch.

Fighting against your pleasure or relief results in a feeling of deprivation. Deprivation begets frustration, anxiety, desperation, and depression (among other things, I'm sure.)

How long do you figure most people can keep that up?

As long as the belief that smoking is a pleasure or crutch persists, the feeling of deprivation persists. It's like going to war against an army that has an infinite number of soldiers. A very small number of smokers will put up with the aggravation of being deprived long enough to never smoke again, and we'll hear from them how very hard it has been. An even smaller number of smokers (and I do mean it is incredibly rare) will be able to just stop. Turn if off like a light switch and wonder why other smokers also won't just stop.

For the most part, however, most of those who fight their desire to smoke lose. Either by being completely unable to abstain from smoking for any significant amount of time.... or those on again off again smokers who quit for a few weeks, then go back. Quit for a few months, then go back. Quit for a few years, then go back. They may have been able to resist for a while...but the desire persists, and occasionally launches a devastating strike to one's will power.

I categorize those who vape in the category of those who lose the willpower battle. They may not be under enemy fire, but they're like prisoners of war who develop Stockholm Syndrome. They'll live longer and healthier than smokers, but (for the most part) they're still slaves to nicotine addiction, and they'd rather indulge for the rest of their lives instead of fight it.

The easy way (i.e. Easy Way) is to change the perception of smoking, which changes the beliefs about smoking. When the illusion is shattered, the belief is destroyed, and there is no enemy. There is nothing to fight. No reason to exert any will power. There is no deprivation. That's when the relief comes from not smoking, instead of the perceived relief that comes from smoking. That's when being a non-smoker is viewed as freedom, rather than torture.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I'd like to apologize for my use of the word "alone" in the above post. The sentence should read "Most people who try to quit using willpower will fail."

It is wrong to imply that willpower used in conjunction with an aid or another method would work any better than willpower alone.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I'd like to bring this up again, as it has been over a year since I last spoke on this subject. Maybe it might help someone who hasn't heard of this before. Easyway is a program designed to help those who wish to stop smoking find it easy to do so. It is not an anti-smoking program. Allen Carr never insisted that people who wish to go on smoking read his book or attend his seminar. It is only recommended for people who are trying to stop, and are finding it hard to do so.

Personal update: my uncle, who I've mentioned in the early pages of this thread, has been a non-smoker for the last 7 and a half years after reading Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, and he doesn't have any cravings, and he doesn't have to avoid all mention of the subject in order to avoid relapse. After numerous other methods failed him, the book worked. It has worked for friends, family, and even the occasional member of religiousforums.com.

If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Poisonshady313]

Here's what's on a page in the "about" section of allencarr.com

(Last time I posted this information, it was 2008. I haven't checked to see if the site updated itself, but this is an excellent "in a nutshell" explanation of Easyway.)


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 realize 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.

 

[Poisonshady313]

I gave a copy of the book to one of my coworkers. It'll be a week tomorrow since I handed it to him, next time I see him I'll ask if he has started reading it yet. I gave him the same instructions as I gave my uncle...

1. Read the whole thing.
2. Keep an open mind.
3. Follow his instructions.

It really can be that easy.

Different people go through it at a different pace. Listening to the audiobook takes 6 hours. Some people will read through it in one shot. Some people break it up into a few days.

I gave my uncle the book on Thanksgiving Day 2009. And shortly after New Years Day 2010, he became a non-smoker. And to this day he doesn't miss it, he doesn't struggle with it, he doesn't have to avoid talking about it...he just lives his life as if he never started smoking, even though back in 2009, nobody thought he would ever stop. He has even recommended the book to some of his friends.

One of the most important instructions is to smoke as you normally would while you read. The point of the book is to read and understand what is being said, and if you spend the whole book being distracted by the thought "I GOTTA HAVE A CIGARETTE!", there's no chance for the information to be absorbed. The author gives instructions on how to proceed with your final cigarette, which you'll only be ready for after you've finished the book.

Here's hoping that my coworker has at least gotten started.