How This One Book Changed My Life: My Journey to Sobriety
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Mine found me during a snowy Minnesota February when I was a disenchanted housewife with a big drinking problem. So it was a good thing she found me when she did. My teacher introduced me to the Gratitude Jar—the thing that ultimately turned my life into a miracle.”
—The Gratitude Jar: A Simple Guide to Creating Miracles
One of my most-asked questions from people after they’ve read my books or seen me speak, is this:
"How did you quit drinking?"
It's a great question and one I'm happy to answer because I'm beyond grateful of the fact that I've been 100% sober for almost a decade.
In my recovery self-help books I touch on my struggle with alcohol and my amazing recovery before moving onto the main story, which is where I address the core negative thought patterns that led me to drinking in the first place.
But, when I’m asked this question point-blank how I finally quit drinking for good, my honest answer ALWAYS surprises people.
The truth is, I was motivated to quit drinking because of a book written by a man named Allen Carr called The Easy Way to Stop Drinking (which has since been republished under the name, Allen Carr’s Quit Drinking Without Willpower: Be a Happy Non-Drinker.)
Quit Drinking Without Willpower
by Allen Carr
If you've read my book The Gratitude Jar: A Simple Guide to Creating Miracles, then you know my backstory.
I've had a problem with alcohol since my teenage years, and finally hit rock bottom in my early thirties while using it to cope with postpartum depression and anxiety.
My rock bottom came after a night of extremely heavy drinking at a friend's surprise birthday party—several friends confronted me at that party about how they felt like my drinking was out of control.
Initially I was mad at them about it, but deep down I knew they were right: Alcohol was slowly ruining my life but I felt powerless to stop.
The morning after that party when I had a massive hangover, I started thinking about how I needed to quit drinking but didn't think I could.
So, I slowly got out of bed and dropped to my knees and asked for help.
I hadn't prayed for a long time and had zero spiritual life at that point, but knew I couldn't do it on my own so I made heartfelt prayer for help with my addiction.
Thankfully, my prayer was answered right away.
I got up and went into my living room and grabbed my phone, because something told me to go on Amazon and search for books about how to quit drinking.
The very first book that popped up was Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Drinking book, so I bought it, read it from cover to cover, and quit drinking as soon as I got to the end of it.
And I can finally, truly, say:
I am FREE of alcohol.
This book was one of the BEST things to ever happen to me and I am so grateful and every morning when I wake up sober and healthy that I read it!
I still don't know how this book works the magic it does to get people to quit drinking, and quit joyfully no less, but it does work for many people (but not ALL people, I'm not promoting this as a "miracle-cure" because there are people this may not work for—but for myself and many others this book has been a godsend!)
If you read through the Amazon reviews for this book people seem downright surprised and bewildered at how easy it was for them to quit after years of struggling with the beast that is alcohol.
What's even more amazing is a conversation I had while out to dinner with friends one night, about six months after I quit drinking....
I hadn't seen these friends for awhile and they noticed right away I wasn't drinking, because typically I drank a whole bottle of wine before appetizers even came out.
I told them about the book I'd read that had inspired me to quit drinking. One of my friends asked, "Who's the author of that book?"
I told him it was Allen Carr, and his eyes opened in amazement, "No way!" he said.
He continued, "I read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking book a year ago and quit cold-turkey. I used to be a 3-pack a day smoker, and NEVER thought I'd stop! His book changed my life!"
We both just shook our heads and laughed at how incredible it was that we both quit or biggest addictions because of these books....after we had struggled for so. many. years.
The Easy Way to Stop Smoking
by Allen Carr
Anyway, I wrote this post because I felt like there's someone who really needs to read this right now.
If that person is you, and you're struggling right now with an addiction to alcohol or tobacco or both, please know there's an Easy Way to Quit that's worked for millions of people around the world!
And, if you've put out your own prayer for help with an addiction—consider this your answer.
I truly hope this helps someone, and please feel free to share this post with anyone you think needs to read it.
I can't begin to express how much better my life is now that I'm sober.
My wish is for as many people as possible to experience the joy and freedom that comes from living a sober life!
