Allen Carr Quotes

“Alcohol is a chemical depressant and a powerful poison. It destroys us both physically and mentally. By inebriating us, it destroys every survival instinct that we possess and takes the joy of life with it.

In short: it makes us feel suicidal. And that’s what it amounts to: Slow agonizing suicide.”

“Because when you feel physically and mentally low, molehills become mountains, slight set-backs seem like disasters, and the smallest problem tends to be the final straw to break the camel’s back.”

“Client: Could you teach me to have an occasional drink and not get hooked again?
Me: 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?
Me: Exactly!”

“Having made what you know to be the correct decision, never ever question that decision.”

“It’s a powerful poison and will shorten your life considerably. It is also highly addictive, will debilitate your immune system and impede your concentration. It will systematically destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to relax.

By the way, it tastes awful and will cost you about £100,000/$160,000 in your lifetime. What does it do for you? Absolutely nothing!”

“Modern man threw a brick through his own window in order to sell himself a burglar alarm.”

“Part of the ingenuity of any addictive drug is to fool you into believing that life without it won’t be as enjoyable, and/or that you’ll be less able to cope with stress.”

“What you really enjoy in an alcoholic drink is not the drink itself, but the ending of the irritation of wanting that drink. Non-drinkers enjoy that all the time.”

“Why would anyone want to drink a poisonous, highly addictive drug that tastes foul; a drug that will shorten your life, debilitate your immune system and impede your concentration; a drug that will destroy your nervous system, your confidence, your courage and your ability to relax?

Why would you want to take a drug that will cost you about £100,000/$160,000 in your lifetime and do absolutely nothing for you whatsoever?”

“You could argue that you made a rational decision to try your first few drinks. I won’t argue with that.

But supposing a confidence trickster had persuaded you to buy shares in a company that didn’t exist.

You made a decision to invest in the company, a decision that was rational given what you knew at the time.

But in retrospect you would hardly describe yourself as being in control of the situation.

Likewise when you sampled alcohol for the first time you believed there was some benefit to doing so.

But the so-called benefits are in fact illusions, and always have been.

So the reason that you began sampling alcohol, whether it be brainwashing, peer pressure or whatever, is completely irrelevant.

You were conned!”

“You might well get that feeling of a void or wanting a drink, particularly over the next few days. If and when it happens, reverse it immediately.

Just remind yourself: This is the death throes of that goblin on my back. It’s what drinkers suffer throughout their drinking lives. Isn’t it marvellous: I’m free!

That way the slight pangs immediately become moments of pleasure. Get into the habit of doing that over the next few days. Unless you reverse those pangs immediately, you will be doubting your decision.

Remember, any slight aggravation that you might suffer over the next few days is not because you stopped drinking, but because you started. Non-drinkers don’t have this problem.”

“You need to stop thinking 'I can never ever have another drink', and start thinking how wonderful it will be when you can stop poisoning yourself.”