How to Quit Smoking Using the Allen Carr Method

Last Updated: January 27, 2023 References Approved

Reading Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking can be a positive experience if you're looking to end your relationship with tobacco. The book, written by a former chain-smoker, has sold 15 million copies in its 30 years on the market. The techniques Carr suggests have worked for many looking for help quitting smoking.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Taking Preliminary Steps

1
Familiarize yourself with Allen Carr. Before you begin the process of quitting using Carr's books, familiarize yourself with who Allen Carr was and the effectiveness of his technique.
- Allen Carr was a former accountant who created a method for stopping smoking - which he later applied to a host of other addictions and issues. He was a former 100-a-day chain smoker and successfully quit smoking after 33 years. First he helped some friends quit smoking and eventually hosted seminars that enabled those who attended to quit smoking with ease. He was so inundated with clients (who heard about him via word of mouth) that he shared the method in (what turned out to be) a worldwide bestselling book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.
- The effectiveness of Carr's method has been boasted over the years, and spread largely through word-of-mouth. While scientific studies on the Carr method are limited, a 2014 study did show smokers using the Allen Carr method were six times more likely to abstain from tobacco after 13 months in comparison to smokers using other methods.^{[1]
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- In 2017 a study initiated by the Irish Government/Health Dept showed results that strongly support the use of Allen Carr's Easyway method. A full, large scale randomised controlled trial into Allen Carr's Easyway is currently underway (2017).
2
Purchase a copy of The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. Allen Carr's book is still widely available both online and in bookstores. You can also likely find a copy at the library. Before you can begin using the Allen Carr method, you need to obtain a copy of the book (assuming you'd rather do that than attend a live seminar - use the online course).

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3
Set a date and time to stop smoking. The first step Carr advises is to set a specific time and date to quit.
- You should pick a time in the near future. Mark it on your calendar as the day you will quit smoking.^{[2]
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- You should not try to cut down beforehand. Carr aims to sever the relationship smokers have with nicotine by showing smokers cigarettes do nothing to enhance their enjoyment of life. Cutting back before the date you've set calls more attention to the fact you're quitting, making cigarettes seem more precious.^{[3]
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4
Understand cigarettes do nothing for you. One of the motivators Carr uses in The Easy Way to Stop Smoking is pointing out the absurdity of cigarette use itself. The method suggests that you ignore the poor effects cigarettes have on your health, wealth, lifestyle, and self esteem and instead examine what you think the benefits of smoking are.
- Carr points out giving up cigarettes is essentially giving up nothing. The addiction provides no genuine pleasure. This seems hard to believe but the method explains how smokers are conned into believing the exact opposite. The only purpose nicotine serves is to keep users addicted. You are giving up nothing and simultaneously making a tremendously positive change to your health and lifestyle.^{[4]
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- Cigarettes are very dangerous to your health. You know this already and this is why Allen Carr says to ignore the harm cigarettes do to every organ in the body and the fact that they cause a litany of diseases including lung cancer, and reduce the overall health of the user. Stopping smoking will dramatically and quickly reduce your risk of lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.^{[5]
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  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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5
Light your final cigarette. Once you have worked through the method Carr advises that when you light your final cigarette you make a vow you will never smoke again no matter how difficult the process of quitting becomes.^{[6]
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- Keep track of your quitting date. Don't put off the day you plan to quit.
- Record what it was about your life as a smoker that made you want to quit. It's easy to forget what it was that made you want to quit - so a reminder for the future is useful.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Beginning the Process

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Prepare for nicotine withdrawal. In the first days especially, your body will go through very mild feelings of withdrawal. As long as you understand the principle of Allen Carr's method, these feelings are hardly noticeable.
- Remember that withdrawal is temporary and will pass within a few days. Also, keep in mind smokers suffer nicotine withdrawal every day of their lives. It makes them feel lousy at in situations where they cannot access cigarettes. As you are now a non-smoker, you don't have to endure those symptoms anymore.^{[7]
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- Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are often listed as anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping, increased appetite, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and weight gain. But with Allen Carr's method these are easily avoided. These unpleasant symptoms, rather than being caused by nicotine withdrawal, are in fact, physical feelings resulting from a thought process. Of thinking "I want a cigarette"...."Damn I can't have one!!"...and so on. As long as you're happy not smoking - you don't have any unpleasant feelings. In fact thinking about cigarettes is pleasant rather than unpleasant. This link shows what smokers think of as being the inevitable discomfort of nicotine withdrawal. ^{[8]
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- The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, which are really mild, usually disappear within a few days (if, in fact, you are even aware of them). This is the case - no matter how much or little you have smoked - regardless of the misinformation published on this issue - such as on this link. ^{[9]
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2
Cope with situations and stimuli that make you crave cigarettes. Carr does not recommend avoiding the parts of life that remind you of smoking. Rather, Carr advises that you enjoy going out and doing what you normally do. You won't feel tempted to smoke at those times - whereas if you hide away from friends and social situations, then you will feel deprived of friends and company.
- Throughout the day, there will be times when you might be reminded that you used to smoke. If you always had a cigarette with your morning coffee, for example, you might suddenly think about having one then. If that happens it's important to remember that you've escaped from something awful and that you're happy to be free rather than think "I can't have a cigarette right now." Instead think, "Isn't it great I'm free!"^{[10]
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- Do not shy away from social occasions. Go out and see people. If you notice people smoking, you won't envy them - you'll have compassion for them. You are freeing yourself from an addiction and making a commitment to a healthier future.^{[11]
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- If someone offers you a cigarette, simply say, "No thanks, I don't smoke" rather than "No thanks, I quit." You do not need to launch into a lengthy explanation. ^{[12]
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3
Do not try to avoid thinking about cigarettes. If you try not to think about something -you'll think about it even more. Just make sure that you're thinking the right thing about it. Allen Carr's method makes this very easy.
- If you feel something that feels like a craving instead of thinking, "I can't smoke" think, "It's great I'm a non-smoker now." ^{[13]
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- If you ever feel like you are struggling, remember Allen Carr's organisation offers free of charge advice to book readers. If you visit the website - click on CONTACT US and then click on SUPPORT you can get free of charge advice from a senior Allen Carr's Easyway Therapist/Facilitator.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Ending Your Relationship with Nicotine

1
Understand there is no such thing as "one cigarette". Many smokers feel overconfident after refraining from smoking for a few weeks or months. You might think it's safe to go back to smoking socially once in awhile, but this is not the case.
- Quitting smoking means totally severing your relationship with an addictive substance. One cigarette can quickly draw you back into the trap. Never think of one cigarette as one cigarette. Think of it as part of a lifelong deadly habit.^{[14]
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- Nicotine is one of the most addictive narcotics in existence. This is why social smokers or casual smokers tend to eventually become chain smokers. Nicotine affects the brain in many ways - the most serious being that it convinces the addict that cigarettes provide pleasure or support - when in fact - the opposite is true. There are all sorts of studies that look at how the brain does this - but the truth is - it doesn't really matter - as long as you follow Allen Carr's method - you'll find it easy to escape.^{[15]
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  National Institute on Drug Abuse
  Agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services devoted to researching drug and drug abuse and educating the public
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2
Do not use any substitutes - including those which contain nicotine. Carr advises against nicotine substitutes, such as nicotine gum or the nicotine patch.
- Substitutes encourage you to think in terms of sacrifice. You are not making a sacrifice by getting rid of nicotine but rather respecting yourself and your body enough to quit.^{[16]
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- Also, substitutes keep the nicotine addiction alive. The sooner you can break the feeling of dependency, the easier it is to stop smoking.^{[17]
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- Avoid other substitutes like vaping or smoking other substances besides cigarettes since they can still affect your lung health.
3
Do not keep emergency cigarettes on hand. Many people attempting to quit smoking keep emergency cigarettes in the house in case of a powerful craving. You should not keep any cigarettes in your home after you've had your final cigarettes. You won't need them and keeping them to hand creates and stimulates doubt about your decision.
- Keeping cigarettes on hand implies doubt. In order to successfully quit, you need to proceed with the knowledge this is the best choice for you and your loved ones.^{[18]
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- Remember, you are a non-smoker the moment you finish your last cigarette. You have no need for tobacco anymore. Don't worry if you live with a smoker - as long as you don't retain your own cigarettes - they won't bother you. ^{[19]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Completing the Process

1
Prepare for life to return to normal. After a while, not smoking will cease to feel abnormal. You will begin to return to your usual routine and establish new rituals and habits around your life as a non-smoker.
- You might still have a fleeting thought about having "just one cigarette," especially as normalcy resumes. Remember, it's never just one cigarette. It's a lifelong chain of misery which you have escaped from. ^{[20]
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- Congratulate yourself on those moments, such as social situations, where you feel happy to be free. Take pride in yourself and the fact you've given up smoking.^{[21]
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2
Seek professional help if you're having issues. If you're having trouble quitting on your own, you might need to seek additional professional help alongside your Allen Carr book. The obvious option, if you are wanting to quit using Allen Carr's method, is to contact his organisation via their website. They offer free of charge support to book readers.
- Support groups are usually available in psychiatric clinics, where a trained physician or therapist leads discussions with other people attempting to quit.
- Narcotics Anonymous is a non-profit organization that hosts meetings for recovering addicts to provide support. You can find meetings in your area through NA's website.^{[22]
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- If you're struggling to quit smoking, talk to your physician. You could also seek out the help of a professional therapist to see if any underlying emotional issues fuel your addiction.
3
Ask for continued support from friends and family members. Remember, you cannot quit smoking alone. As you continue in your recovery, talk openly with friends and family members about your decision to quit and ask that they support you.
- Ask the smokers in the family not to smoke in front of you or offer you cigarettes.
- Ask a few friends or family members if you can call them when you're getting a craving. Pick people who are empathetic and easy to talk to.
- If someone does not support your decision, it's best to temporarily sever ties from that person. Negativity fuels addiction.

Expert Q&A

Question

How soon will I feel the difference after stopping smoking?

Ni-Cheng Liang, MD
Board Certified Pulmonologist
Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang is a board certified Pulmonologist and the Director of Pulmonary Integrative Medicine at Coastal Pulmonary Associates affiliated with the Scripps Health Network in San Diego, California. She also serves as a Voluntary Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine while volunteering for the UCSD Medical Student-Run Free Clinic for uninsured patients. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Liang specializes in pulmonary and respiratory medical concerns, mindfulness teaching, physician wellness, and integrative medicine. Dr. Liang received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Liang was voted as a San Diego Top Doctor in 2017 and 2019. She was also awarded the 2019 American Lung Association San Diego Lung Health Provider of the Year.

Ni-Cheng Liang, MD

Board Certified Pulmonologist

Expert Answer

Your lungs will start feeling less inflamed within the same day that you quit smoking.

Warnings

Any major lifestyle changes should be done with the advice of a physician. Keep in mind that if you are on medicare or medicaid that smoking cessation products are regularly covered, so long as you have a prescription. The great thing about Allen Carr's method is you do not need any of these aids in order to get free. In fact be sure to avoid them.

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