I failed after reading Alan Carr...I BELIEVE I enjoy smoking!

girlbiker

Allen Carr..I was sure he'd work, I even read the fat book rather than the small one because I though it would be better. I considered him my magic cure!
I wanted to belive everything he was saying and in a way I did but as I was smoking my last ciggerette I did feel happy or excited but nervous too.
Alan said that in order to succeed you have to believe that smoking does nothing for you!

I believe him that fags dont relieve my stress
That they dont help me concentrate

But I believe they do give me pleasure!!

I was off them for a week before some, now i'm so angry with myself. I wasted my cure!

How do I get around the fact I think I get pleasure from smoking????
How do I stop feeling like i'm missing out with his method?

He says its supposed to be Easy peasy! I'm an idiot.

JRann

I believe you are right. Smoking is pleasurable! I love smoking!! I'm off them 6 weeks now and I believe I will always miss smoking to some degree.

But I also believe that they are bad for you and your families health, so that is why I gave them up. I want to live a longer and healthier life.

But I am going to start smoking again when I'm 80.:D

girlbiker

JRann wrote: »

I believe you are right. Smoking is pleasurable! I love smoking!! I'm off them 6 weeks now and I believe I will always miss smoking to some degree.

But I also believe that they are bad for you and your families health, so that is why I gave them up. I want to live a longer and healthier life.

But I am going to start smoking again when I'm 80.:D

But wont you go through the rest of your life wanting ciggerettes?? Are you not afraid you'll start smoking again? I think I'm an all or nothing type of person and I'm pretty bad at self denial!

JRann

No I don't believe I will go through the rest of my life wanting cigarettes.

I believe there will be times when I will want one, but I won't have one because I don't want to smoke anymore. I know people who are off them 20 years and they say they still get pangs for a cigarette - not very often but the odd time it happens.

As I said, I am now off them 6 weeks and the cravings are getting less and less (down to about 1 or 2 a day now) and I am not going through those 6 weeks again, ever!!

antiskeptic

girlbiker wrote: »

Allen Carr..I was sure he'd work, I even read the fat book rather than the small one because I though it would be better. I considered him my magic cure!

I wanted to belive everything he was saying and in a way I did but as I was smoking my last ciggerette I did feel happy or excited but nervous too.

Therein lies the problem, I think.

What Allen says is either true or its false. And you either believe (as in know) it's true or you don't. If you don't you'll either not believe it altogether (ie: you'll believe what he says is false) or you'll believe its true in a "wishful thinking" kind of way - or as you put it above: in a "wanting to believe" way. Which is the same as believing it's false.

You believe the world is round. You haven't been out in space to see for yourself but you believe it because the evidence supplied to you is so compelling as to convince you. You believe this so strongly you actually say that you know the world is round. If someone tried to convince you that the world was flat you'd laugh and walk away. You don't want to believe the world is round

So it goes with the various truths about nicotine addiction. If you know it's true, for example, that cigarettes don't relax you but are in fact only replenishing decaying nicotine levels then when cigarettes try to convince to you smoke them by using this lie... you can laugh and walk away. In order to be convinced as to this truth you only have to read what Allen says is the manner by which we became to be addicts - that case is simple and compelling. Ditto all the other lies attaching to nicotine.

What Allen does is take all the lies and show you truth. If one or more of the lies hasn't been made clear to you as being a lie, if you still think there is something to be got from some or other aspect of smoking then all that's wrong is that you haven't fully seen the truth yet.

It is easy if you do as he says: follow all his instructions. Before the end of the book he says that if you're not clear on any point then go back and read the relevant section until you are clear. Failing to obey his instructions will result in failure.

1) Identify the supposed pleasure
2) Read up the relevant section
3) Ask yourself are you now looking forward to quitting
4) If not go back to 1)
5) If so..quit.

But I believe they do give me pleasure!!

Could you be specific?

I was off them for a week before some, now i'm so angry with myself. I wasted my cure!

Not so. You haven't been cured yet to loose it.

How do I get around the fact I think I get pleasure from smoking????

Could you be specific

How do I stop feeling like i'm missing out with his method?

Missing out on what?

He says its supposed to be Easy peasy! I'm an idiot.

True. Easy Peasy that is. You're not an idiot - you're just not doing what he says you should do: follow his instructions.

henryporter

Totally agree with antiskeptic - more than wanting to believe Alan Carr, you need to want to become a non-smoker. Thats the only step you need to take on your own - leave the rest to Alan. I'm off them 5 years thanks to him so I absolutely agree with his method. Try it again - maybe try the Alan Carr Clinic instead. Best of luck in becoming a non-smoker

NOGMaxpower

girlbiker wrote: »

Allen Carr..I was sure he'd work, I even read the fat book rather than the small one because I though it would be better. I considered him my magic cure!
I wanted to belive everything he was saying and in a way I did but as I was smoking my last ciggerette I did feel happy or excited but nervous too.
Alan said that in order to succeed you have to believe that smoking does nothing for you!

I believe him that fags dont relieve my stress
That they dont help me concentrate

But I believe they do give me pleasure!!

I was off them for a week before some, now i'm so angry with myself. I wasted my cure!

How do I get around the fact I think I get pleasure from smoking????
How do I stop feeling like i'm missing out with his method?

He says its supposed to be Easy peasy! I'm an idiot.

Dude fair play to you for trying to give up the smokes. Unfortunately you're not ready to give them up and no book or magic cure will help you out.

Its the "i dont want to smoke any more" mindset that you're missing. As you say yourself you enjoy it so why stop if you enjoy it? It answers the question why do you smoke and its better than "i duno".

I used to smoke 20 a day and double that when i was drinking. I've tried patches, gum, Alan Carr and other methods to no avail. Why? Because like you i enjoyed smoking it gave me pleasure/relief. Until the day i gave up!

I conciously cut down on how much i was smoking got it to 10 a day. I was travelling at the time in Oz and I was working in a pub as you do. I woke up one morning and had my ritual cup of coffee and a smoke. Upon taking a drag it felt like my first toke... i retched and thought jasus thats horrid. I wondered if it was a bad smoke? So i lit up another and guess what the same wretched taste was in my mouth again and i said "I dont wan to smoke any more". From that day on I haven't smoked again and i never will, its been 5 years now.

I still get tempted now and again during piss ups or moments of stress but the physical lighting up moment disgusts me ergo I dont smoke any more.

I suppose im saying its cool that you failed and look at it posetively you're trying and you know its bad for you. You're just not ready to give up yet... you will in time when its right so dont be so hard on yourself keep trying and never stop tyring.

Eoin

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I just started reading Alan Carr's book today, and I'm at the part where he says not to stop smoking until I finished reading the book.

However, I've not smoked since Friday, and bought one of this inhaler things today which has gotten me through so far, but it's not been fun.

So, the choice is between ditching the inhaler, smoking while reading the book - or ignoring the book altogether and continuing with the inhaler (which has not worked on any of my previous attempts:()...

siobhan.murphy

yup yup yup!
love smoking hate coughing!
hate shouting at the Children but love the way I feel calm and relaxed after a smoke!
I was off them 18 months,a drink was never the same:mad:
I think when u are ready to quit u will actually feel taht u want to give up.no pint in doing so until u reach that point!
*sits back and inhales deeply*:eek:

antiskeptic

eoin wrote: »

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I just started reading Alan Carr's book today, and I'm at the part where he says not to stop smoking until I finished reading the book.

However, I've not smoked since Friday, and bought one of this inhaler things today which has gotten me through so far, but it's not been fun.

So, the choice is between ditching the inhaler, smoking while reading the book - or ignoring the book altogether and continuing with the inhaler (which has not worked on any of my previous attempts:()...

He says that if you've quit already and are reading the book then stay off them (and he'll deal with the residual difficulties you'll no doubt face if cold-turkey/willpower is the way you've applied). And if smoking then stay smoking.

You don't sound like you're dealing with residual difficulty (a big willpower push would sound a lot more positive at this early stage) so I'd side with Allens view that you continue smoking so that your not distracted from taking in his message by the desire to smoke.

Spark up and start the book from the start again. Slowly and carefully .. taking your time to consider what he's saying and reflecting on it. It's an easy read but that doesn't mean you should skim it. You've the added advantage that you can observe all that he says of smoking whilst actually doing it..

God bless

thebouldwhacker

eoin wrote: »

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but I just started reading Alan Carr's book today, and I'm at the part where he says not to stop smoking until I finished reading the book.

However, I've not smoked since Friday, and bought one of this inhaler things today which has gotten me through so far, but it's not been fun.

So, the choice is between ditching the inhaler, smoking while reading the book - or ignoring the book altogether and continuing with the inhaler (which has not worked on any of my previous attempts:()...

LOL don't come here looking for permission to go back smoking.... Keep reading the book, by the end you'll realise that the cig and the inhaler are essentially the same thing... I reckon don't smoke
Sorry to disagree with you antiskeptic;)

And girlbiker OF COURSE YOU THINK SMOKING IS GREAT YOUR ADDICTED TO IT

Jump in here

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1015


Change the word drink for smoke and tell me that being addicted to cigs is any different to being an alcoholic...
People talk about stopping smoking like their going on a diet or giving up sweets for lent, its not, giving up nicotine is the same as not consuming alcohol, coke, heroin etc if your addicted to them...

Remember your body will do everything it can to change your mind so you will ingest the drug... It will trick you, make you have withdrawal symptoms, make you think you want to ingest it etc etc

Read around the different threads in this forum, The Gall has a great diary, start one of your own but never forget YOU ARE A DRUG ADDICT!

3 Dollar Bill

I conciously cut down on how much i was smoking got it to 10 a day. I was travelling at the time in Oz and I was working in a pub as you do. I woke up one morning and had my ritual cup of coffee and a smoke. Upon taking a drag it felt like my first toke... i retched and thought jasus thats horrid. I wondered if it was a bad smoke? So i lit up another and guess what the same wretched taste was in my mouth again and i said "I dont wan to smoke any more". From that day on I haven't smoked again and i never will, its been 5 years now.

Congrats on the 5 years milestone, I also quit while I was travelling through Oz. I'm currently off them since May 2007 and long may it continue. The funny thing before I went travelling my mother said to me "I bet you come back here a non-smoker". At the time I just laughed it off and told her she was crazy. Lo and Behold I arrived back 13 months later a non-smoker.

I initially tried to give them up as a new years resolution while based in Sydney, I thought I was doing quite well. It didn't bother me while drinking and then I started looking for a job spending hours in Internet Cafe's. One day after spending a couple of hours searching through job listings on the net, the stress became too much and I caved in. I bought 25 Benson, and gradually began to work my way back from 1 a day back to my normal 20.

Then a friend from home suggested that I read Allen Carr's book, so I bought "The Easyway to quit smoking". The initial stages of reading the book were tough, pick it up, read a chapter, put it down for a week. It wasn't until I left Sydney and travelled up the East Coast that I really started to read it.

I finally finished the book after 4 weeks of travelling up the Coast. I lit up my last cigarette on a Tuesday evening and knew it was going to be my last. I haven't smoked since and long may it continue.

Don't get me wrong there will be times that you go through in life such as stress from tough day at work and you will question yourself. You just have to ask yourself, what will it do for me, the answer is always the same........nothing!