Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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77 of 83 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book changed my life, 24 Nov 2008
I want to start by saying to the people who are looking for this book to magically solve their drinking problems....it won't. You have to do the work! If you read the book and don't follow the instructions, and end the book hoping it will cure you..... it won't. Alan VERY CLEARLY gives instructions and VERY CLEARLY tells you that you MUST follow them. If you don't agree with what he says, this book is simply not for you.
My story.....I am a 38 year old female who has been drinking heavily for 15 years. As my drinking got worse I was drinking a bottle of red wine or more every night. At the weekends 2 a night, sometimes 3. My life was just devastated. I was an emotional wreck. Totally crippled with guilt about my drinking, I felt disgusting. My confidence was shattered. I didn't visit people because it meant I couldn't drink so I became isolated from friends and family. I used to wake every morning feeling so very bad. My eyes red and sore. My head foggy and my concentration gone. My stomach sick and my energy gone. My balance was going and I often stumbled and bumped into things. I often had a drink to try and make me feel better. It was a vicious circle I could not see a way out of. I knew I had to stop, for my children and for me. I couldn't tell anyone how bad it was because they would try to make me stop and the thought of life without drink terrified me. How empty it would be. What would be the point. I would hate life. Wouldn't be able to enjoy it without a drink. Looking back I think 'What the hell is that all about?' I started off around 3 months before I bought the book saying the affirmation ' I am alcohol free' Over and over, day and night, even when I was gulping down the poison. I bought the book. I read it, following the instructions, feeling so nervous and so frightened of what was to come. I got to the important part and thought 'no, I don't feel that I fully understand'. I went back, as instructed and read again until I did and then I took my final drink, still a little unsure but I was going to just do it. I was terrified I would fail. This was my last chance. I stopped. I still didn't tell ANYONE in case I started drinking again. Week after week the fear gripped me. I had nightmares for about 3 months where I had an empty glass in my hand and I had finished a glass of wine. How could I go back now, I had failed. Then waking up and thinking. Wow, that's not going to happen. I will never drink again. I worried that if I was offered a drink I would forget that I had stopped and screw it all up. It didn't happen. Every time the thought of a drink came into my head I acknowledged it, I didn't run from it, I thought to myself 'is that what I want to go back to?' NO WAY! I said with a big smile on my face and such a fantastic feeling inside. I'M FREE. I'M FREE. MY LIFE STARTS HERE. I haven't had a drink in over a year and I am so grateful for this book. I will never look back. I WILL NEVER DRINK AGAIN! Isn't that so good? The fear will be there.....it will be overwhelming.....just go with it.......you will soon see that the fear is nothing....you are so much more than that stupid little monster. You will see that the fear comes to NOTHING. And life......life still has it's ups and downs but your confidence and pride and sense of achievement will do more for you than any glass of poison ever could. I really hope this helps someone else.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This man was a genius. RIP Allen Carr, 17 Jun 2009
I sent off for this book after waking up with yet another hangover on a Monday morning and wanting (again) to do something about the amount I was drinking. I have been drinking every day since my marriage broke up 14 years ago, leaving me with a 2 year old and a 3 month old baby.
Although I have always been what I used to call a 'normal' drinker since the age of 18 or so, when my ex husband walked out I really turned to the bottle to help me deal with my feelings of loneliness, despair and misery . As soon as the boys were in bed I would start on the wine (luckily, my mum moved in with me so I wasn't the only 'responsible' adult around), and this has pretty much continued as the boys have grown up, so they are more than used to seeing me with a bottle (or two) of wine every evening.
It says something about the durability of the human body and spirit that I have been able to bring these boys up to become normal, great teenagers, and hold down a responsible and stressful job, which takes me away to Europe most weeks, whilst dosing myself with poison on a regular basis.
I read the book in one sitting, and I have never felt so positive about the future, both for me and the boys. I haven't had a drink for 7 days, which in itself is a miracle, but the thing that has amazed me is - I haven't WANTED a drink! After tea, the norm was for me to slouch in front of the TV or my laptop, watching inane programmes, or chatting rubbish to strangers in chat rooms. For the past week, the boys and I have gone out for bike rides, we've gone for a walk in the park to feed the ducks and done loads of things I wouldn't have dreamed of doing before because it either interrupted my drinking or involved driving, and I have never driven whilst under the influence.
The weight is melting away, my eyes are sparkling and I feel like I'm 20 years younger than my 45 years. A binman whistled at me this morning! I'm going away on separate holidays with the boys in the summer, and I cannot wait to get on the beaches on the Isle of Wight with the youngest and to boogie in the hotspots of Berlin with the eldest. The great thing is, I know I won't be tempted to drink when I'm there! I feel truely set free, and would encourage anyone who wants to escape from their 'prison' to read this book, now!
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48 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good For Those With Occassional Drinking, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this book in the hope that I could curb or either stop drinking.
Basically, my situation is that I started drinking from the age of 15. I used to just drink on the weekends and found that as I have gotten older, the drinking has increased.
I went from getting vey drunk on the weekends; this gradually changed as I went to university where I found that I drank most nights. I am now 28 years old and drink almost every other night. The problem that I have is that when I drink, I drink until I cannot physically drink anymore. I drink because I like the way I can temporarily escape my normal life.
I bought this book because of some of the reviews that I felt related to my personal situation.
I think that [without giving away what is told in the book] this book is great for those that think they may just be starting to escalate into an alcohol fuelled oblivion. However, for me, I found that after going to AA and other organisations that this still couldn't 'magically' help me allieviate my drink demonds.
I found with this book that with enough constant 're-reading' of this book and 'self-evaluation' for those that drink now and again, it could really help you, no end.
For me however, I believe I am beyond that point and I think no matter how much reading; for those that have a deep set dependence of alcohol, this is an eye opener, but it may not be enough to make you get to the 'sober' person you want to be.
I wanted so much for this to be my 'saviour' but realised that perhaps those with a serious alcohol dependancy may need to do something more than just read this book. What? You are asking me, but I don't know exactly what to suggest. The book say's it is not about willpower, but I think to some extent it is, when all you want is the next glass of wine..
I'm sorry if this review is'nt glowing but I am simply saying that for me [who can't wait for a cold glass of wine, even though I know I will turn into a demon] found that it did not help me the way I really hoped it would.
I hope so much that if you are looking to change your ways that this will help you. For me,personally, I feel that I need to be locked up and go for it cold turkey as I am exasperated. Perhaps it is willpower, I'm not sure, but I wish you the best.
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by Allen Carr
by Allen Carr
