Soooo...Allen Carr

[nsd_user663_61085]

Just wondered as I brace myself for a restart if any members had tried Allen Carr online or been to an Allen Carr clinic/workshop? And if it had been a success

Thought it might help with sorting out my somewhat reluctant head!

M

[nsd_user663_29008]

Hi Mina

I tried to read his book years ago but for me it never seemed to sink in and I never got that lightbulb moment.

Hopefully someone will be able to share their experiences with you.

All the best for your quit x

[nsd_user663_59644]

Hi, Mina, all I can add is we can read, post, re read' re post, but it is you or I that decides if we want to try and quit. I do love that we have all the aids to help us , but ultimately it is up to. Us. If we want to try and quit.

I do know you want to quit, so I hope you have a leap of faith and take the plunge, you can do this, I know you can.

Just may be start again, hour by hour.

Please up date x

[nsd_user663_62023]

Glad to see you're still here Mina. I used to quit 20 times a day, like Karri said it's staying quit is the problem. I've read Allen Carr but never done an online course.

I didn't have the lightbulb moment either but I think it's been a build up of things for me. I also read the nicotine trap which filled in some of the holes left by Allen Carr. This is a little strange as they are quite contradictory.

I would explore every avenue, sometimes it's one thing that's said that keeps us quit. You just never know where you're going to find that one piece of information.

My lightbulb moment did arrive finally on day 67 of my quit and the nicotine trap (recomended bt Kat) saved my quit round about day 50.

Good luck

[nsd_user663_61085]

Thank you all for your insight and encouragement - I do appreciate it.

Since January, I have indeed found myself back on day 1 far too many times :mad:

In the early days this was really because I wasn't taking responsibility for my quit and expected the ups and downs of life to stand still whilst I sorted it out - when they didn't it was easy for me to blame anyone/anything but myself for lighting up again,

I got my head round this, or so I thought.

I managed the bad day, bad news, no sleep triggers - this time it was the feeling good ciggie got me, I won't say by surprise, since, at least for me, quitting is a bit of a split personality thing. Part of me seems to be wired in such a way that it is constantly looking for a reason that will justify to my logical head a re-engagement....

Other times, whilst I have failed insofar as it has been a return to Day 1, I have pretty much held my quit together by a quick refocus - this time I am wearied and discouraged - I was nicotine free, for nearly 50 days and blew it :eek:

I haven't found the guts to pick myself back up and for the first time have bought fags on days following the failure - no longer a blip, and somewhat depressing to contemplate.......

[nsd_user663_60964]

Hi Mina,

Glad you've posted again as I have been thinking about you a lot (as I am sure many of us have).

I think you broke the record with the most recent quit didn't you? 50 days is pretty damn impressive and it seems to me that that in itself indictes you're in a much stronger place now than you were in January. It may be a cliche but we really do learn from every failure.

I'm not sure how it works with the Allan Carr clinics but it seems to me that perhaps what you need is a mentor or similar, to act as an additional incentive to stop you finding a reason to blow your quit. I know that for me, using the NHS smoking cessation service was a wonderful tool to prevent me from failing because I knew I had to meet with my (lovely) stop smoking lady every week and couldn't have born the thought of having to tell her I had smoked. It really did help a lot, so if the Allan Carr clinics allocate you with a personal coach, as it were, than I think it might well be worth doing.

Anyway, whatever you decide to do Mina, please don't go away even if it takes a while before you try again. I'm sorry it didn't work out last time but do tell yourself over and over again that you stayed quit for 50 days and there are hoards of smokers out there who would give their eye teeth to have achieved that.

[nsd_user663_61085]

So - getting geared up again - Wednesday is pencilled in...

Allen Carr is dusted down and ready to be re-read

Found a link to the Allen Carr dvd on youtube - ready to be watched

Reminded myself of why I wanted to do this way back in January, need to recover that motivation

Realised I had stopped rewarding myself for quitting so will remember to do so

Realised I had stopped distracting myself and wallowed in the pity of not smoking when craves came, so have jigsaws at hand, books to be read, seeds to be sown, cakes to be baked

Had stopped deep breathing through the craves, and started crying :eek:

Had stopped the warm bubble baths and started moping :eek:

Had stopped posting and started pitying :rolleyes:

I was determined to be weak, so guess what? I was

Been smoking since Thursday, thought it worth noting to myself that I'm actually only enjoying (if that is the correct word!) about 3 or 4 of the 15-20 a day I'm smoking, for all I have spent weeks mourning thier loss...

mouth tastes horrible

clothes smell

hair smells

dining room smells

car smells

and it costs me near enough £10 a day :confused:

Lost sight of the benefits, and in doing so, lost my way....

M

[nsd_user663_2681]

Mina we are fighting a lot of battles here my friend and we will eventually win the war, interesting that you only enjoy 3 or 4 of the cigs you have each day I can relate to that when I "blipped" too. All of the others just made me feel utter self loathing but I did it anyway or rather the "addiction" did.......

Hope it goes well Wednesday will keep an eye out for you xx

[nsd_user663_60964]

Well- I reckon if you, Mina, and Debbie and Melby are all quitting more or less simultaneously you'll be every bit as powerful as the Three Witches in Macbeth, not to mention significantly scarier.

Go girls and I shall be cheering you on.

[nsd_user663_2681]

Well- I reckon if you, Mina, and Debbie and Melby are all quitting more or less simultaneously you'll be every bit as powerful as the Three Witches in Macbeth, not to mention significantly scarier.

Go girls and I shall be cheering you on.

I think your right Skids, we will be a force to be reckoned with

[nsd_user663_61085]

Very clever Max - I love that

M

[nsd_user663_60964]

Nice on Max!

[nsd_user663_61429]

Great reflective post lovely Mina - you CAN and WILL do this.

It is all part of the learning curve we are all on

I wish you all the VERY best for tomorrow.

POST, POST, POST

Lots of love

xxxx

[nsd_user663_60964]

We'll all be here, Mina, as always...

Will be thinking of you tomorrow.