![Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol by [Carr, Allen]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GDjdzFOAL._SY346_.jpg)
Before I begin, I just want to say that this is the first review I have done for Amazon despite being a Prime member for 6+ years. I know I know, you may be thinking I am some lazy bum who does not care about his fellow Amazon shopper....OR realize that this book has made such a large impact on my life and want to share it with as many people as possible. My goal is to give a little background about myself, my struggle and the solution. Even if just one person gets something from this then this review will be a success. Now a little about myself...
I am 26, I have a successful job in the construction industry, have a great group of friends and family and my whole world revolves around cars. Talking, wrenching, watching, driving. It is in my blood. This seems irrelavent now but will make more sense later. I went to a great high school, played all the sports, never did drugs or drank in excess. Yes, I went to parties but it was not a every weekend event. Continued on to college and got a two year degree. I was paying for myself so I could not afford the required classes to get my Bachelors degree and in search of a job I ended up getting into construction.
By the time I was 20 I was probably drinking twice a week steady with some of the older guys I worked with. I turned 21 and without realizing it my drinking had shot through the roof. I was going out and buying this or that to try whether it be hard alcohol or microbrews. I did not think much of it since I was just doing what every other 21 year old was doing, right? Around the age of 23 I realized I had a major problem on my hands. I was buying a pint of Jagermeister a night and could slam the entire bottle in one shot. Of course I left out some details in those two years such as I gained about 60 pounds, ruined the relationship with the girl of my dreams whom I dated for 5 years, I lost touch with friends I had known for years, was now socially and personally using drugs (weed, pills, coke) becuase I was trying to reach a "new drunk" since I had such a high tolerance and I lost touch of reality.
But I always made it to work in time, I made new friends, bought bigger clothes and was just telling myself one continuous excuse after another. So I continued to drink like a fish. Anything and everything. I can not tell you how many times I would slam that pint of Jager, and within an hour was driving to the local liquor store for another pint because I started to early (5:00pm) and didnt want to lose my buzz before bedtime. Being blackout drunk was almost a nightly occourance and the hangovers just became the normal for me. But again, I kept it to myself and figured I would deal with the issue later.
I eventually went to an AA meeting and what the people said there really made sense. They had the same issues as I did. But I did not know how to dedicate an hour a day to it, but more importantly, let everyone know that I was an alcoholic. I did not want that label. I tried stopping through willpower a dozen or so times. That would last about two weeks tops before I gave myself another reason to drink. I would google things and tried the Kudzu root and the vitamin deficiency programs, etc. Nothing worked. I knew I had to stop before I killed myself or someone else. I could not live my life like this. I stumbled across "The Easy Way to Control Alcohol" on Amazon, read some reviews and based off them, it almost seemed to good to be true. I ordered it and was nothing but doubtful.
Once I recieved the book I did not open it up for about three weeks. Why, I am not sure, probably becasue I would have rather drink then read. Once I started, you are given very specific instructions, one of which is continue to drink like normal as long as you read the book sober. I would read a dozen or so pages at a time about every three days and I really took my time, did what he said and comprehended what he wrote. The entire time I was nothing but doubtful that this would work however in the back of my head I was jumping for joy hoping it really would be as easy as Carr said. When I got to the last chapter it probably took me a week to finish it. I was just so apprehensive and nervouse for the "final instructions."
I did it, I completed the book but nothing felt different. Did it work? I went to work the next day and on the way home I avoided all the liquor stores. But it felt more like when I try to quit with the willpower method then a permanent fix. I stayed sober that night. The next day I went to work and did the same thing, avoided the liquor store stop on the way home but only because I felt like I had to. I was walking up to my front step of my house when my best friend whom I have grown up with was working on his car and he yelled over. He asked if I wanted to give him a hand putting a part on his car when he gets off work (9pm). Then it all clicked!
Right then, right there, it all made sense. That was my "Eureka!" moment. I was free. No longer a slave to alcohol and my life revolving around it. At that moment I realized I no longer had to make up another excuse or text him the next day saying how I "fell asleep" when in reality would rather get in a drunken coma then hang out with my best friend and work on cars. So many times I had left car shows/events early or blew off working on a car because I wanted to get drunk. At that moment I knew I would never have to make that decision again and it felt incredible.
Everything Carr said fell into place and not only was I going to be sober, I was going to stay sober and it was going to be easy. I am proud to say I am currently six weeks sober, I have not felt this good since I was about 20 and I have zero desire to drink. This includes going to the bar for lunch with my co-workers, bowling in a league once a week, celebrating New Years Eve, my birthday and attending a wedding. It is a feeling I cannot describe to say I have beaten alcohol.
I know my review has been a little longer then you probably wanted to read, and I could still write more but I just wanted to show that I was your typical jock in high school, I was succeessful at whatever I tried and alcohol still dragged me down to its level. Even then I was still a functioning alcoholic but that did not make it ok. I also wanted to establish just how much alcohol I was drinking on a daily basis and was able to stop just like that. This book is your answer if you have a real desire to quit drinking. You need to follow Carr's instructions exactly as he says, take your time reading it, have an open mind and digest what he says. Just becuase you finish it does not mean your magically cured. You may have to re-read it or let it sink in for a few days. It has changed my life and I am forever thankful for it. I cannot wait to update this review and let everyone know how my sobriety is going and the positive changes it has led to. Thank you for reading and if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask.
UPDATE:
Well I’m sorry for such a long delay in writing an update but I just wanted everyone to know that I just passed my 5 year date for being sober. Yes, that is correct, 5 years without a single drop. My life has done a full 180. I went to school to become an electrician, I have purchased my own house and completely renovated it, I have an amazing fiancé who I live with, my finances are in order, I am back in the gym lifting and have lost all the weight. This one book has changed my life.
I think one of the best things about this method vs the willpower method is I don’t constant want a drink. I have literally lost the desire to drink. Now do not get me wrong, there are times where I have had a bad day and could use a drink but I think that is more of what society has told us to do vs what my body actually wants.
And the hardest part I think of this whole process is the social aspect of drinking. I still will go to bars about once a month with coworkers or friends and have a coke and I can be in that atmosphere and be ok. But I will always drive separate so that I can leave whenever I want.
So to wrap things up if you feel that your drinking has gotten a little out of control this book is worth a read. I can’t believe I have been clean for 5 years but here I am writing this update. It is an amazing feeling. Everything is so much simpler now and I am happier then I can put into words. So don’t give up. Keep trying. It is worth the fight. Life will go on without alcohol.
- File Size: 1125 KB
- Print Length: 188 pages
- Publisher: Arcturus Publishing; 1 edition (November 3, 2009)
- Publication Date: November 3, 2009
- Language: English
- ASIN: B004AHKC3O
- Text-to-Speech:
Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Lending: Not Enabled
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#544,272 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #213 in Recovery by Adult Children of Alcoholics
- #89 in Adult Children of Alcoholics
- #374 in Alcoholism (Kindle Store)
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