lucyloo14

I am reading lots on quitting drink forever - Rational Recovery and now I am reading Allen Carr how to quit alcohol for good, he believes alcohol is a poison and does not have any advantages; "It will shorten your life, debilitate your immune system, impede your concentration, destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to truly relax and on average cost you about £100,000/ $142,000 in your lifetime and do absolutely nothing for you whatsoever!!!"

So I have moved on from cutting down to quitting full stop.

- this snippet made me think:

Client: "Could you teach me how to have the occasional drink and not get hooked again?"

Allen: "of course I could, I could even teach you to take the occasional dose of arsenic"

Client: "Why on earth would I want you to do that?"

Allen: "Exactly!"

Quote from the book "I can remember this fear about never being able to drink again .... turning into the JOY of never HAVING to drink again."

Happy Friday!

PurpleKnight

Yeap it's a great outlook and perspective change to have!!

Great post Lucy!!

jryan19982

"I can remember this fear about never being able to drink again .... turning into the JOY of never HAVING to drink again." BAM.

tnman1967

That's exactly what needs to happen, until you get to a point where you don't wan to drink anymore, you will always fall back in to old ways. It really doesn't matter what program on no program you follow. Harsh yes, but I spent thirty plus years trying to quit. I know now that it was futile until I was willing to accept that I can't drink no more and I don't want to drink anymore. Simple yes, but not easy to arrive at.

wheresthefun

As an example of "we are all different", I too have read (or tried) to read many of the books mentioned on this site, but Allen Carr's book did not resonate with me, including the above. Alcohol did work for me, of course until it didn't, so I can't buy that there was "nothing there whatsoever" for me, again, until there was nothing there whatsoever for me. But, it took quite a while to get there.

And the arsenic comparison, TO ME, MY OPINION, is just... silly.

Now, the quote below - exactly, I mean I literally had that moment.

And yes, Happy Friday, even with another #&^%ing blizzard coming to the NE US, this weekend!!!!

suki44883

Oops, wrong thread.

JadedGirl

Love this...thankyou xx

SoberLeigh

Great post lucylou; thank you.

Creekryder

Lucyloo, I believe truly realizing and accepting the fact that alcohol is a poison and does nothing to enhance or benefit my life has been the greatest motivation for me to drop the addiction. I have meditated long and hard on this concept and it has become an epiphany in my long battle against the bottle. I don't know why it never sank in before, during my other attempts at sobriety. But that doesn't matter. I hold it in my consciousness now, and that is what is important. I no longer battle the addiction, I just choose for it and alcohol to no longer exist in any part of my life. And, for me, with that simple statement, I am truly free. I don't need to make a choice because there is no longer anything there to choose.

If I, a very heavy drinker for over 40 years, can reach this state, I feel it is attainable for anyone who grasps the concept and pulls it into their true self. We are a lot stronger than we sometimes think.

Peace.

Fluffer

Alan Carr was a beautiful man. I was really sad when he died of lung cancer from his former 100 cigarette a day habit. They said he continued to breathe second hand smoke while leading his smoking cessation clinics fully knowing the additional risks.

BackOnMyHorse

Reading the Allen Carr book was what stopped me smoking and you have just reminded me to dig out his stop drinking book too. A lovely man indeed.

Dee74

I got a lot from the Allen Carr book - specifically the bit about asking yourself what you expected this drink to do for you, whether that was a realistic expectation, and whether there were other healthy positive ways to achieve the same objective.

D

goose333

"the JOY of never HAVING to drink again"

I was thinking about how stressful the whole drinking thing was for me. I had to hide it. I had to make sure I had sufficient available. I had to go to different bars, stores, etc. I had to sneak around the house. I had to dispose of the empties. I felt crappy almost all the time. I had to hide the DTs. I was totally ashamed at times. Other times I was very depressed. I had to try so hard not to say anything that would prompt my wife to say, 'Don't you remember that. We had a conversation yesterday?'

Not having to deal with all that baggage is truly a JOY!

ru12

Allen Carr's book changed the way I looked at alcohol. I Now don't envy drinkers one bit I have compassion for them as they are still trapped in the pitcher plant.

Creekryder

Love that.