Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol by allen carr

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

This book was ridiculous: full of false analogies and misuse of the word “schizophrenia.” The “easy way” boils down to knowing alcohol is a poison that offers you no benefit and therefore deciding to never have another drink. Wow, thanks Allen

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Chaos_Theory12

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

This is literally just CBT.
That being said, he brings up super interesting points and it’s worth a read.

Alcohol is one of those drugs that I sometimes wonder why it even has a place in my life. It’s not like I use it get over anxiety, I have pretty high confidence without it, and I’ve never done a sober social event and thought to myself “man I wish I was drunk right now”.

In 2020, I got drunk 26 times (about every other weekend). I cut down because I noticed my sleep getting significantly worse and my anxiety rising.

In 2022, I got drunk 14 times. I cut down because shingles ravaged my face. In fact, I went the first 9 months without drinking. My mom’s house burned down and I lost every object I cared about. While mourning, my friends offered me whisky. They meant well. Looking back, I should have just booked a therapy session.

This year (2024) I’ve gotten drunk 4 times and that’s much better than before.. but like.. why at all? This book did a really good job at making me critically examine what few “benefits” I thought alcohol had in my life. I feel so stupid. Well, I was being stupid. I don’t need to hate myself 4 times a year.

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84DaysWithout

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

Samopomocowa amerykańskość oczywiście wylewa się z tej książki na boki ale autor naprawdę potrafi pokazać jakimi bzdurami jesteśmy karmieni jeśli chodzi o spożycie alkoholu. Polecam jak ktoś rozważa rzucenie alko

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NixNyx

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

sound advise

I pretty much quit drinking in 2006,just stopped. I drank quite a bit and I now consider my self as being an alcoholic. I wouldn’t call it the will power method because health was the main reason. I like most of what he had to say here, but some of it becomes repetitive. Still much of it reminds me of what I used to think about quitting and what a loss it would be. It never had been a loss, more of a revelation actually. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an alternative to AA or that just wants to quit.

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SMARTINEAU

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

I read Allen Carr’s Easyway to Quit Smoking many years ago, and swear by it as the best method for quitting smoking.

When I saw this book, I decided to give it a whirl, see how it goes. While it definitely breaks down drinking in the same manner as smoking, I was mildly disappointed in the overall delivery.

Carr comes across rather pompous in both books, and it grates a bit in Control Drinking.

I do recommend it, but it’s harder to get through than Quit Smoking.

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Komirai

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

I actually think there is more positive in this book than not. It did help me have a shift in thinking about alcohol as an addictive substance just like all other 'vilified' addictive substances out there (think heroin, nicotine). Best I can explain - I don't use heroin because I have decided at some point in my life that the high is not worth the risk of using it. I'd imagine that it's vilification and it being illegal played a large role in that. The other way I'd conceptualize it is comparing it to smoking cigarettes- i don't smoke bc I've decided that the health risk of cigs are not worth the health effects of smoking cigarettes. Now I understand alcohol in a similar way- addictive and dangerous. Of course I knew these things about alcohol on some level but I do feel like this book made a shift in my mind regarding alcohol. I also agree that for most people there is a psychological addiction to alcohol (what he calls The big monster) and that the physical addiction is for most people minimal. I do believe this to be true but he also bases a large portion of the book on the premise that most people get that restless, antsy, anxious and "I want a drink" feeling because alcohol is leaving their system this they are, on some level, physically addicted (he calls this The little monster). He states that once one stops drinking it will only take days (up to 10) to 'kill the little monster' (i.e. Withdraw) and that any withdrawal symptoms on has are mostly psychological and that even physical symptoms of withdrawal are psychological. This is where I have a MAJOR issue with the book. While I agree that likely most people are not so physically addicted that they will be at rush for 'the shakes' as he calls them (Read potential seizures or DT's) he majorly minimizes this and this could be dangerous and potentially life threatening for a portion of people who are THAT physically addicted. He is irresponsible in not mentioning this. Period.

That said, I could see how this book would be very helpful on a journey to sobriety in many ways. So I'm not saying don't read it- I just had to speak my thoughts on the potential dangers of unmonitored withdrawal for some people.

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wildheartz18

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

This book is very tricky to review. So I will make it easier and bullet point as best I can:
Pros:
Very relatable and interesting stories/observations.
Extremely good points which put you off drinking.
Interesting facts about alcohol.
This book will definitely make you question your drinking and view it in a very different light to the point it will likely inspire you to cut down or quit.
Cons:
Do not be fooled by the title. Toward the end Carr makes very clear that it's 'impossible' to cut down and you must quit. He lost me at this point, not because I disagree with his points on the subject, I can see how it's actually much easier to quit than it is to cut down, but because it's not why I brought the book.
It can come across as very preachy in parts.
He preaches that every single person who drinks is an alcoholic at a different stage of the disease. I completely disagree with this statement. I work with people who very rarely drink alcohol but have an extremely clear sugar addiction. Being a person who rarely dips into the cookie jar, I find it difficult to view myself as a sugar addict 'at a different stage of the disease' and therefore cannot agree with this point.

Overall, the book is good and I would not discourage anyone from reading it. It's insightful and helpful but the few issues I had really put me off and when you're put off something, it loses its sparkle.

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tazzythetiger

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

April 26,2025

A very thought provoking listen full of sound advice to help contextualise your relationship with alcohol.

Allen Carr (not the British comedian) is more famous for his Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which became a massive global success. This time, he turned his attention to alcohol and gives it a thorough polemic ear bashing: its poison, its devastation, there are no safe limits of alcohol consumption (pretty strong message in the early 00s but since proven to be widely accepted by Science) and each and every drinker of alcohol has been brain washed by a combination of slick industry advertising and societal acceptance/encouragement.

In the UK, alcohol is everywhere, often hard to avoid and don't just mean supermarkets and pubs. I've even seen it served up in a children's Soft Play before which is bonkers. And every National Trust Cafe routinely sells its own beers and wine. Come see Britain's heritage and get slightly pissed at the same time seems to be the message.

I went into this considering myself as someone that likes a quality drink. Not one to throw the cheap stuff down my neck in the quickest time available but someone that appreciates a good whisky, beer or glass of wine. However Carr's work offers no such distinction, if you are a drinker of any form of alcohol you are addicted to ethanol, a dangerous poison that the body has to convert to an even more dangerous poison before it can even be safely digested and excreted from your system. Its certainly sobering stuff. I read this not long after my first 'Dry January' which I found an almost overwhelming positive experience. I had bags more energy and concentration at work, Monday mornings were not a drag to get through, my productivity went up. I felt simply: great. But like a fool on the evening of the 1st February I poured myself a large single malt, jumped into a hot bath and took a large gulp expecting it to taste like the sweetest nectar of mankind. Spoiler alert: It really didn't and was frankly a massive disappointment.

I can't see however this book will make me entirely quit. Societal pressure is often overwhelming. I can literally imagine the abuse being the one man on a golf trip or a work social occasion by saying 'no thanks, pint of lime and soda please'. I know this is my problem and one I should be old enough and ugly enough to manage but I don't know if I can. Also, some of the best and funniest times of my life have been during times that have involved booze. Yes the hangovers are often bad and the anxiety can be crippling especially as I'm getting older but the memories have been largely positive for me and give me laughter many years later.

I do recommend you read this book, it may completely change your mindset towards drinking and reset your relationship with booze which of course is a good thing. Mocktails all round!

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Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol

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