Podcast 6

Hi, and welcome back.
My name is Colleen Dwyer.
I’m a senior Allen Carr’s
Easyway therapist.
I’m the presenter of our series of online
video programs.
And I’m your podcast host.
I’m sure you’re going to get a lot
out of this episode.
John Dicey and I are answering questions
from listeners in our Addiction
Central segment.
John Dicey is the global CEO of Allen
Carr’s Easy Way.
He is the co-author of Allen Carr Books
and he is a senior Allen Carr’s
Easyway therapist who has helped
literally millions of addicts
to freedom over the last 25 years.
We talk about the new program from
Allen Carr’s Easyway
– The Easyway to Better Sleep,
and it’s getting fabulous results
and it’s basically for anyone
who has any difficulty at all
in getting regular, good quality sleep
and it’s never too late
to make the changes that will improve
your daily quality of life,
whatever your background.
John and I are also hearing from listeners
who’ve contacted us with questions,
including ‘I’ve just finished
the alcohol book and I still feel anxiety.
Is it going to work for me?’
Thank you actually
for all the great questions
that we’ve had from listeners.
Please keep them coming in.
We also have some great guests today.
We have Jorge and Isabel
who manage our operations in Mexico,
and they’ll tell us about their history
with smoking and quitting
and how they have built up the clinics
in Mexico over the last 20 years.
And they’ve helped over
70,000 smokers and vapers to freedom.
Isabel also tells about their work
in guiding parents of Young Vapers,
which is a growing concern.
If you’d like your questions answered,
just drop us a line on pod@allencarr.com
with whatever you’d like to say
or any questions that you might have.
That’s pod P.O.D.
at allencarr dot com.
We’re happy to answer any questions
about any addiction
and even if we don’t actually feature
your question on a future episode
of the podcast, we will personally reply
to any question we receive, providing you
with detailed advice and guidance
on how to move forward
also, check out allencarr.com and there
you’ll see the host of addictions
and behaviours that Allen Carr’s Easyway
has now been applied to.
So here I am with John Dicey
on our Addiction Central segment.
Yesah, so I should have
should have sent the questions through you
to give you enough time to read them
absorb, kind of have a think about them,
But I did them.
about 2 minutes ago
finally collated them from the emails
we had coming in.
So apologies for that.
No worries
Well, we’ve got
we’ve got a few in, haven’t we, John.
So we’ve got Trish from ‘didn’t say’
she says I’ve just finished
the alcohol book
and I still feel anxiety wondering
if it’s going to work for me.
Is this normal.
I’m just so afraid
that it won’t work for me.
And she’s struggling with worry, she says,
which is not the aim.
Yeah, that’s a great
It’s a great question, though, isn’t it?
Because so many times people wonder how
how should you feel?
And, you know,
at the end of the seminar, we’d
say, at the end of the seminar,
we should go round the room
and just just touch on each person
and just say, ‘Hope you’re fine.
Any questions?
People would often say,
Oh, I feel fantastic, I’m ready to go.
And the person sitting next to them
feels anxious and nervous,
worried or sceptical, thinks,
‘Oh, blimey – it hasn’t worked for me.’
So it’s a really,
we do address the seminar and it’s
good to address it now as well,
because I’m can’t remember
how you said you felt after your seminar,
but for mine I was
I was still quite sceptical,
I thought was not going to work,
you know, I’ll give it a go
and I certainly didn’t feel like sort of
sort of dancing around the room
or anything like that,
whereas there were people in my seminar
who said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got it.’
Never going to smoke again or whatever.
And I think that alone indicates
it doesn’t really matter how people feel.
People feel differently
in different situations.
And just because someone
stopped smoking or drinking
or smoking cannabis or whatever
is with the book or the seminar,
just because one person feels elated
and positive at the end
doesn’t mean that the person feeling
the opposite of that it isn’t going to work for them
in fact quite often
the reverse is the case.
It doesn’t really matter
how people feel at the end.
It’s your experience as well.
Yeah, because I was the same as you.
I was feeling quite.
I was bemused, I suppose I wasn’t.
I just kind of thought, is that it?
Was that enough?
Has the transformation occurred
because I was expecting a big, you know,
Hollywood style, you know, reveal
and a big change
in how I was like feeling and thinking.
But I didn’t I didn’t feel any different.
And like you say,
when when you went round the room
in my seminar
asking as the therapist, asking
people how they’re feeling,
there was a range of reactions.
Some people were nervous still.
Some people were, you know, raring to go.
And I just I said, I don’t know.
I’m just I’m okay.
But I thought it was too early to call it.
And I needed to get some experiences
under my belt.
I guess I just
I needed to kind of actually go out and
just do a few things without the
the cigarettes
or the drink
and and just see how it played out.
And and it was fine.
It was fine.
And it will be for Trish as well
but yeah, the range of reactions
at the end of the seminar
this is quite typical isn’t it.
In fact, we have tissues to hand
In case
of any tears
Yeah.
I should point out you actually in the one
of the seminar rooms at in London.
Which looks fabulous.
I am. I’m working here today. Yeah.
Yeah. Some people do don’t they.
Sort of get very tearful, emotional
at the end and other people
the complete opposite.
I think it’s great to reassure Trish of that
it’s a it’s a it doesn’t really matter.
I think sometimes the books talk about,
you know, you’re not 100% sure,
reread the relevant part book
that you’re worried about.
I think once someone’s done
that, you just go with it.
Go for it, you’ve got to get out there,
enjoy life right from the start.
As long as you do that,
even if you’re anxious or unsure
or uncertain you’ll get a fabulous surprise.
I think it generally does
just click for people.
I was very lucky,
I think, because I was a chain smoker.
and you were a heavy smoker as well?
Weren’t you?
But for me, probably a few minutes
after the seminar,
all that was enough to have me think.
I think this has worked, you know,
because you know, a
I lit a cigarette
as soon as the last one was extinguished.
So as I left the seminar centre
and walked across the car park,
I thought, Oh, I’m all right,
that’s interesting.
Okay, I’ll see how I go.
And then got to sort of the
the postbox on the corner.
I thought ‘I haven’t lit up!’
I mean, I had thrown the cigarettes
away at the end of the seminar
but I thought, okay, that’s interesting.
I feel okay.
They went past the cornershop
on the way to the station and
Blimey – I’m fine and it
really was a weird sort of feeling.
And that and that’s how,
that’s how it felt really. It wasn’t
It was just a bit of an odd
cool feeling,
slightly, slightly, slightly peculiar.
And so that that was, that really
was very quickly I suddenly thought
never done this before,
you know, never gone that long
without a cigarette before
unless I was asleep
so yeah just to reassure Trish
you know it doesn’t matter how you feel
go for it, you’ll be fine.
So the next one is from Kate,
who also says,
well, also it doesn’t say why she’s from
and she wanted to.
She said, I just wanted to drop your line.
So I’m loving your podcast.
Perfect timing to discover it.
As I attended a seminar in 2018
and was a glorious happy non drinker,
but then fell back into the trap
during lockdown.
During lockdown like a total bell end.
I’ve been listening to the audiobooks
and podcasts
and back in that blissful state,
so you know, that’s wonderful feedback.
As I recall, she didn’t actually say that word
There was a picture of an emoji of a bell,
and the word e n d
I just thought you might skirt over that,
but you went for the
full, full disclosure. But
I didn’t know
how to..
you did only give me a 15 minute warning.
I need longer.
Yeah she did do a little emoji.
It’s a great reminder, please do let us know
Please do let us know where you’re from
when you write in.
I mean, you know, just
the country is great.
Just get, get, get an idea
who we’re talking to.
Aware if if that makes sense.
But ever so kind to say
that she’s found the
that podcasts are useful.
I mean, I didn’t actually expect anyone
to quit as a result of the podcasts.
Yeah, you kind of hope that
it will inspire people
to quit or inspire people
to think again about, you know,
if the method hasn’t worked for them.
And I think perhaps it does that somewhat.
So people have a listen
and they kind of pick up, you know, just,
you know, the last example
is probably really good.
If someone gets really hung up,
they don’t feel right.
Having read the book at the end,
it could be
it could be stuck in this constant cycle.
So someone hearing that,
you know from us, that it doesn’t matter
how you feel at the end, it is enough
to kind of set them on their way, I think.
And I think she said that
that last question,
she listened to the audiobook
as well or something.
Well, you mean from Kate?
Or attended a seminar in 2018.
Yeah.
And then she fell back into the trap.
Yeah. No.
So but it’s great
that she’s refocused or whatever.
I’ve seen a couple of comments from people
on social media saying that they
that they’re free – courtesy of the podcast,
which is kind of pretty cool.
Yeah, very happy with that.
But you know,
we love to get those messages
from people who are happy
did Kate say that she she gone back to
to drinking during COVID.
I think that’s sort of a well-trodden path
for a number of people
who whichever method of
stopping smoking or drinking
or whatever else they might use,
like COVID lockdown periods
were, were really tough for people.
I think
it was possibly easy
for some to to fall back into the trap.
And of course,
now, well, it’s largely gone back to normal.
And they’re busy getting free again.
And you know, it’s brilliant to hear that.
So yeah, it did the next person
I don’t think the next person said where
they’re from either did they? next question.
Noone said
where they were from, so yeah
Giovanni and he said like ‘Really love
these podcast addiction central
Are you going to continue
they’re really useful.
So that’s cool
No, that’s great to hear
We love to get feedback and yeah
definitely carry on for the meantime
I think we probably review it
when we get to sort of episode
12 or 16 or something.
We don’t want to bore people too much.
And I think I think hopefully everything
we talk about, whether it’s,
you know, special guests or or us talking
about answering questions,
will remain as relevant
a couple years down the line as they
they are today.
So yeah, we’re looking forward
to carrying on a bit longer with them
We must get people to get get write in
Let us know your questions.
Any difficulties in understanding elements
of the method, Anything at all?
We’re we’re happy to answer them. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. That’s great.
And it’s nice as well to, to have this
Now, there’s such a deluge of information
out there on the Internet
and just, you know,
any other source about how hard it is
to quit smoking or drinking or cocaine.
And I was doing research
for another project and it just struck me.
I was looking up about alcohol withdrawal
and I was reading on some, you know,
official sites about alcohol withdrawal
and they were saying how
like when you stop taking alcohol
into your body, your body rebels.
And I just thought what nonsense.
And, you know, sign out saying, oh,
you’re when the body has become dependent
on nicotine, but your body’s
never been dependent on nicotine.
And I just it’s nice
to have an opportunity to come out with the
with something that I say ‘alternative’
– the correct
understanding of addiction
and just say it straight.
You know, it’s not hard to clear
any of these substances and it’s not
it is enjoyable.
Life is so much better
without all of these things.
And if you if you go down the route
as buying into what the, you know,
experts, so-called experts
say about it, then, you know, you’re in
you’re in for a rough ride.
And it’s you know, it’s nice to know
that there’s there’s hope
Exactly when it the difference is lost
on many of those in traditional
rehab drug cessation areas.
Facilitators, they don’t realise
like they constantly talk about
you are dependent on this drug,
whether it’s alcohol,
nicotine, heroin,
whatever it whatever it is.
And I don’t realise that the significance
that just an extra word
makes you feel dependent on it.
It doesn’t mean
that you are dependent on it, and that’s
actually crucial point
that you were just making
And it is sort of like brainwashing.
you know, the people who are trying to help
people get free,
are the ones who are reinforcing
this belief ‘I’m dependent on it.’
I can’t do anything without it.
Well, yes you can,
you did all your life before you got hooked.
So that’s that’s a great, great,
great point.
So we’ve got LOL
who didn’t say where they were from
and it says, please talk about the success
of the opioid programme
and senior therapist experience
with opioid addiction.
That’s a good one. That’s great, isn’t it?
I think we’ve touched on this
in previous episodes,
for sure, in terms of how the seminars
for other drugs
work, how effective they are.
And I think we’ve got, scheduled
an interview with the great Cris Hay,
who has been instrumental in applying
Allen Carr’s Easyway to a host
of different addictions from cannabis
to cocaine to heroin, alcohol, virtually
all of that.
That’s something for everyone
to really look forward to as well.
I think Cris will be a really great guest,
great to get him on the podcast
to talk about that
without wanting to pre-empt
too much of what Cris might say.
This is saying that the same principles
apply to opioid addiction
in terms of
understanding, understanding what benefits
you think you get from it,
and then understanding why actually
you don’t get those you believe you do
and that’s the, and that’s the problem.
But I think, LOL
I love that name
I don’t know if that’s a real name
LOL or she’s just laughing out loud
I think she seemed quite passionate
about getting the
the news out there that we do help with
with opioids as well,
which is pretty cool.
Yeah, because what is really available
for people who have got
an opioid addiction is just like rehab.
Is there any narcotics Anonymous?
And yes, it is quite extraordinary.
I mean, I’ve met a couple of people
recently who have
put their kids through rehab
in the previous 12 to 18 months and
it’s terrifying that they sort of
keep bouncing back into rehab.
At extraordinary costs really,
of trying to deal with
at least two of them
said they’d spent something
in the region of £150,000
on rehab for their kid,
which is about, I think, about $180,000
US dollars
Australian dollars, I always struggle
to convert Australian dollars
267,000 AUD.
Now I sort of
it’s horrific
that the families
know they’re so desperate that they get
that sort of money together
and sadly
they don’t get a result that they want,
which makes it really
our program seem
I think honestly sometimes if we
if we charged
£100,000
per the person with
a money back guarantee, maybe
more people would come.
I don’t know.
But but it’s a very small amount
compared to that.
But we think it’s 1800 pounds,
something like $2,000
less than that, even 1-1 seminar
with a money back guarantee, which is
just tragic that the people are spending
so much money on rehab
when, you know, their first port of call
really should be, of course, easy way
because, well, is nothing to lose.
So, yeah, thanks a lot.
Thanks for getting us to talk about that.
Keep spreading the word.
And what about the experience of the
‘What’s the senior
therapist experience
with opioid addiction?
I didn’t quite understand
that in terms of.
Have they been addicted to opioids?
I guess.
Yeah. I think that’s that’s
It’s a good question.
I mean, it’s very hard
to help someone with an addiction if
if you haven’t suffered it yourself.
And it was one of the beauties of the team
that we put together with Allen
Carr is sort of amongst us
being addicted to everything.
You know, normally it would be
a very bad thing to put on a CV
that the, you know, coke, heroin
or whatever else it might be.
But actually
Allen was always very open about that
because, well, actually what if you use
the method, and can apply it to
to another drug. Help apply it to another drug
that’s, that’s worth its weight in gold.
We carried on apace.
We’re very lucky now I think with comms.
Now we can talk to so many different
people who suffered
so many different addictions. It
help applying the method to to those.
When I was before I started
working with Allen Carr’s The Easyway
My view of let’s say
heroin addiction was kind of cartoonish.
You know,
I kind of saw when I grew up in the age of
the Just Say No campaign,
and there was a particular TV show
in the UK called Grange Hill.
I don’t know if you remember it, John
but there was a little kid in that Zamo
and he went from
he was a really cheeky little chappie
and he was very cute and nice character.
And then he took heroin
on the Monday episode.
And then by the Friday episode, he was
he was in the gutter.
Basically.
He was stealing from his grandma.
He was dirty.
He was taking heroin in the school toilets
and sneaking life and things and
and that was all part of this.
Just say no campaign, don’t take drugs.
And I was horrified of heroin
from the results.
I was like,
Oh my God, I wouldn’t go anywhere near.
And if anyone took heroin, like,
I would think, Oh,
I couldn’t even talk to them almost.
But obviously
my understanding of addiction
and meeting people who are functioning
high functioning heroin addicts,
you know, my my understanding
is, is completely well it’s been
is a much more realistic understanding.
It’s a difficult,
such a difficult point
to talk about, really, because there are
there are sort of two cohorts, really.
One of the sort of you
describe the high functioning,
you know, good jobs, just,
you know, they’re desperate to get free.
They and they understand
that sort of clock is ticking on their
their ability to function properly.
And then the absolute tragedy
of the opioid
opioid epidemic across North America,
particularly
where,
you know, normal people prescribed,
you know, Class A drugs, painkillers for
sure in the recovery of the road
traffic accidents
or sporting injuries or whatever,
who very quickly
going to to decline.
And when they’re
with a legitimate supply of those drugs
run out
have to to kind of switch on
to street sort of stuff
and illicit
means of getting hold of the drugs
illicitly
and they, sadly those people do have this
you know, spectacular fall from
from like a normal life into,
you know, this
terribly sad,
you know, zombie like existence.
A lot of the stuff out in the streets now
not just in the US
UK of Europe these synthetic
stuff that used to be called
these called legal highs
in a lot of a lot of places,
which made them sound not too risky,
made them sound actually that,
oh, it’s legal.
So, you know, whatever,
they’ve wreaked havoc
firstly across kids in college who experimented
thinking you know, legal highs,
there must be no risk, you know, whereas
it’s highly, highly addictive stuff.
And then the cheap supply
of those sort of drugs
getting onto the streets,
is the plight of the homeless communities where
they get the stuff relatively
cheaply, pretty much comatose
go into comatose state for hours on end.
So these are two different types
of background we can help either
I think that’s the important thing.
We still try to get the method
packaged in a way that can help
that second group
that you know, those who are,
you know, dragged down so low
that they’re on the street,
barely barely functioning.
But we’ll certainly get there
it’s another a good question.
Yeah fantastic. Thank you, John.
The next couple of things
we’re going to talk about is the release
of the new Sleep Online video program.
So that’s just been launched,
hasn’t it, Following the the book.
Yeah, that’s absolutely brilliant.
It’s a sort of
a long, long period of research
and testing led to the release of the book
and then further research,
further testing.
And finally,
the online
video program is ready to go,
starring the very brilliant
presenter experienced senior Allen Carr
Easyway therapist.
Who is it? Yes, yes.
It is yes,
but you did a great job on it.
Really just a fabulous job.
And it’s getting rave reviews.
So people are it.
There are certainly different causes of
sleep issues,
often multiple causes.
And I think the programme puts together
this sort of list a checklist.
Okay,
There’s 28 / 30 different things
that could be causing the problem.
Let’s, let’s tick them off.
And you only have to do
you don’t have to do all of them.
That’s the important thing.
It’s people tend to do one
and then another, then another.
They tend not to
attack it
robustly,
but do this as many things as possible to
to guarantee better sleep.
And it’s a
you know, very pleased the way it’s going.
And it’s available now on allencarr.com
Helping loads and loads of people
get back to sleep, sleeping healthily.
That’s the really thing.
And it’s not just people
who can’t sleep,
it’s people who have low quality of sleep.
and they stay in that sort of light sleep
which can be caused
by all sorts of things.
Sometimes those who drink in the evening,
they never get to the brilliant quality
sleep that refreshes them, reinvigorates them
and helps their brain process
the events of the day
or what have you.
So that’s all really good.
So just a heads up to anyone out there
who has an issue with sleep.
It’s is out now.
Yeah.
And it’s it was great working on that
because it really educated me
into to the importance of sleep.
And I think that in society in general,
we’re beginning to recognise
how critical is to our enjoyment of life.
I used to view it as like almost dead
hours.
It’s kind of a little bit
pointless waste of time, but actually
it’s crucial to having a fulfilling and,
you know, life
full of enjoyment and energy
and all the good stuff.
I think a key a key, a key
bit of information was that I think it’s,
you know, you need most people need
a minimum 7 hours sleep a night.
You know, if you get any less than seven,
you head into trouble mental
health
wise, physical wise and every every way.
And knowing that, I think
just that sort of small of it
can be between seven and nine, I think.
So you some people need seven.
So I know that’s
what your target should be.
Doesn’t just make it easier
to make those changes to your sleep
and your plans for sleep.
Superimportant
Absolutely.
And the other thing
that I really took note
of was just making
sure your environment is
because I kind of knew,
you know, in magazine articles, it says,
you know, make sure that you’ve got dark,
you know, sleeping area and stuff.
I didn’t really understand why
that was so important
and what a difference that made
to make sure that the different elements
of your sleeping environment
a perfect fit for that,
you know, for that activity.
Yes. Simple things as well,
isn’t it stuff.
I mean, some of the stuff is
will be challenging for some people.
Most of it the easy wins.
You know, you’ll you know,
I never realised you could be too hot
for good sleep.
You know there’s a particular
temperature support you got to get, get,
get the bedroom at that temperature
there.
They’re about certainly in a warmer
the specified temperature escapes me.
Now I’m thinking 18 degrees. Yeah.
I think that’s what it was
And, and making sort of a bedroom
was sort of a sanctuary
so many times so often now where we we
you know,
people are doing work in their bedroom,
you know, work from home or whatever,
but also checking emails first thing
in the morning from the bedroom, whatever.
Just actually,
if you can, it’s possible to
to keep keep the bedroom for sleep
and other relaxation shall we say
That’s the way that’s the way
to do it
And you know what really struck me?
So some of the advice is so simple
but so brilliant.
The stuff about making your bed. Yeah.
Never really.
Yeah.
you know, I always wondered ‘What’s the point in making your bed?’
you gonna get in it later
But there’s nothing more welcoming
than the nicely made bed, the plumped up pillows,
they’re all ready to go.
So at the end of the night
all you’ve got to do is slip in
I don’t want to under
play, the importance of the information there
But those are just an example of the easy
wins.
Simple stuff
combined with every other other lifestyle
factors.
How much sugar, refined sugar
you consume starchy
carbs, caffeine, the
the usual and some surprising stuff.
So I would never have realised that
that sugar, starchy
carbs could could cause,
or exacerbate the sleep problem
or be the cause of the sleep problem
So that was good If people want to read about that it’s on allencarr.com
Fantastic. Okay.
And then we were, the final point
for today
was going to be reaching out for help.
Why don’t people do it
in spite of our repeated offers
of free advice and guidance?
That’s a that is a great
topic to talk about, actually,
because we spend an awful
lot of time on social
media keeping an eye out for
anyone posting about
struggling to quit with the method
whichever addiction or issue
that might be involving
and just reassuring them
and the first thing we do is say – get in touch.
We offer free of charge
advice and guidance,
whether they’ve read the book
or watched the online video programme
or whatever it might be.
I think some people, if it doesn’t work
for them the first time around,
they kind of feel defeated,
and ‘Well it’s not going to work.’
It was going to work.
It would have worked
first time around and they don’t realise that
that normally just a few wise words from us
is all that’s needed
for them to access that method.
again, read the book
that they have already or watch an online video programme again or whatever
and and apply some
of that simple advice,
guidance and achieve the result they want.
and that’s so important
So why do you think
people resist asking for help?
It’s a it’s unusual, isn’t it?
If you’re drowning,
you put your hand up, somebody puts their
hand out, you want to grab hold of it.
The thing is, Allen alway summed this up
I think
so perfectly
some people have a fear of failure
and some people have fear of success.
Fear of failure is pretty obvious.
Some people are worried
if they don’t succeed
now with
Allen Carr’s Easyway, is that it?
Are we their
last chance sort of thing.
Fear of success is even more interesting
that people think
they assume that when they quit
whatever drug it is.
They’re going to feel deprived or miserable
they’re going to feel
you know, it’s going to be gloomy,
a gloomy future, a future
that don’t realise course, the whole point
Is that it’s easy.
So sometimes, I think, fear of successful
will deter someone
reaching out for help.
It’s weird as it sounds. In case it works,
that’s that.
Does that make sense to you?
Because I think it’s going to work
and then they’ll be miserable
for the rest of their lives.
They don’t realise
It will work
and they feel free and never look back.
That’s it.
Because the brainwashing is so
we’re so indoctrinated with this idea that
on the other side of that decision
to quit the sugar, the nicotine,
the alcohol is misery and cravings
unsatisfied cravings, you know,
and life is going to be duller
and we almost can’t believe
we almost don’t believe it’s possible
to achieve total freedom
from the desire to do any of these things.
And so I suppose there’s disbelief.
You know, there’s ..
Do they dare to even believe
that it’s possible?
And and also, I don’t know about you
and maybe this has changed now
in our society, but back in my day,
there was almost like not shame
in asking for help, but almost like, well,
come on, just do it on your own.
Like,
why can’t you just do it on your own?
Why do you need to ask for help?
You know, I don’t know whether that’s
a factor for some people, but I think so.
Yes, I think yeah, I think I think society
is I think that’s sort of the case.
You feel that
they should be able to do it on their own
But I think trying to get through to them
actually there’s a reason
we’re offering this help
and the reason we’re offering it freely,
is we feel very passionately
about getting people’s freedom.
We know that some people just need
a little bit of extra help.
So it’s so so anyone who listens to this.
Who who?
is on one of our social media group,
whether it’s for the sleep programme,
whether it’s for alcohol,
whether it’s sugar
or emotional eating or smoking or vaping.
If you’re listening to this now,
and you’ve struggled or failed up until now.
Get in touch
because it’s the best thing
you’ll ever do.
Really.
It really is.
You’ve got nothing to lose. It’s free.
You don’t have to attend a seminar
or buy a new book or whatever
We’ll give you sort of clear
guidance and advice, step by step advice.
And you could use that to either
read the book.
You have read the most recent book
on the subject, dealing with
or use the online video programme or attended
the live seminar, but the most important thing
is you get that, you get help.
It’s huge.
Makes a huge, huge difference.
I like the analogy of someone drowning
that you just you need a helping hand
sometimes to pull you out.
Sometimes we do need other people.
We do need a programme.
We do need, you know, support from some
other people to get us out of trouble.
Yeah, it’s just finishing the job
for some people.
I think that, you know,
you’re reading a book designed to help you
that suit
that you’ve already reached out for help
or you’re watching a video programme or
seminar or whatever it is.
If for whatever reason it doesn’t
back in touch because there’ll be pieces
of the jigsaw for you that’s missing.
It’s really easy for us.
we use a questionnaire process.
The more information
you give us, the better
our advice can be.
And how long do would you say, John,
it would take to fill out
that questionnaire?
Is it like a long you know.
No, 5 minutes?
Really first name
we do like to know where people are
because that does help understand,
for example,
if we think they might benefit
from a free of charge
telephone call with one of our team,
we don’t hesitate to offer that,
you know, just
to clarify any points in person
So where you’re from,email address,
phone number, if you want to call
and then a brief
description of of of which elements
of the method they’ve used
so if they read the book, in which case,
which book
and what happened did you find it easy for
a while and then go back to it
or did you just find it a struggle right
from the start.
That’s really it’s a
more than 5 minutes really
the more information
you give us the better.
But really, as long as we know.
What have you done with Allen Carr so far?
How did you get on on each occasion
and how long ago was it?
You know that information
Yeah.
Fabulous
We’re done.
Is that a wrap?
Yeah.
It’s a wrap.
I’d like to.
I’d like to ask the question, Is that a wrap?
I’ll let you have that one. Yes. So
yeah,
my, my
cold hasn’t made it too unpleasant to listen.
Not no.
Well, not for me.
But do write in if it is a problem for anyone
Just complain about John’s.
cold
nasal tones
Yeah, that’s fantastic.
Thank you very much John.
So I am delighted to welcome
Jorge and Isabel to the podcast.
They head up Allen Carr’s Easyway
operations in Mexico and over the past
20 years they have helped literally
tens of thousands of smokers to freedom.
And I asked them to talk a little bit
about their lives as smokers,
how they got free,
and how they’ve helped the smokers
of Mexico, as well as more recently
helping youngsters who vape.
They really are heroes of Carr’s easy way.
Hello, Coleen,
we’re Isabel and Jorge and
we’re are the franchisees
for Mexico, the whole country?
We have been helping smokers
here in Mexico since 2004
and we are very happy
to be part of this organisation that helps
so many smokers around the world.
Thank you, Colleen for the interview
and we are very happy
to be here responding all your questions.
I’m going to tell you
about my smoking history.
I started smoking when I was 14 years old.
I started like almost all of all smokers.
I started smoking
once here and here, once right there
with my friends in the parties.
Then I started smoking a little more
and more and more.
And when I was like 25 years
old, I was already smoking
two packs a day.
So I think I considered myself
like a very heavy smoker.
I also started smoking
very young because my family was a very,
very strong smoker.
Family.
Do I like a professional smoking family?
My father was a smoker of four packages
a day.
It was very difficult to live
with someone that speaks
that smoke so much as a kid.
I really hate cigarettes.
I was all the time
telling my father, Don’t enter to my room.
I really hate to smoke and like that,
but as every smoke
a smoker,
we we start like playing with the friends.
And when we start smoking, we start a lot.
We smoke a lot because in
my family was like, very common.
My, my mother smoked two packages.
My we are four
siblings and we are all well.
We were heavy smokers of two packages
a day
and also in our country is very common
that kids start smoking very young.
So it was our case also.
When I was around two,
when I made a lot of I tried to quit
smoking with a lot of methods,
with a lot of different techniques.
I tried
nicotine patches, nicotine gum,
but it was always the same story.
I quit smoking for a couple of these.
I was very angry.
I was not feeling very cool
and making a lot of excuses.
And after some days I was smoking again.
So when I was like 30 years old,
I really thought I was going to be
a smoker for the rest of my life.
I really thought I was never going
to be able to stop smoking.
And then Isabelle, Isabelle’s
family, is from Spain,
and she has a normal
when she has an uncle there.
And see, he was also a very heavy smoker
and he came to Mexico for holidays
and he brought the
Allen Carr’s Easyway to stop smoking book.
And at that time I was trying to stop
smoking with nicotine patches.
I remember and he told me,
No, no, no, don’t joke with that.
Just read this book.
Everybody that read this book,
Stop Smoking.
So I read the book and it was like magic.
I just finished
reading the book in a couple of days
and the since the last page, since I
smoke my
last cigaretteI knew I was going to be a
non smoker and the happy non smoker
for for the rest of my life.
So for me, the message was incredible.
It was an incredible experience.
It like opened my eyes.
I never thought that a method or
a book would change the way
I think so much,
but it was really a shock.
So I really was smoking.
One day I was smoking 40 cigarettes a day
and the next day I was happy
non smoker just because I read the
Allen Carr’s book.
So for me it was so such a surprise
that I immediately knew that if
the method have work with me.
It will work for all smokers
at that time
there wasn’t clinics here in Mexico,
so we got in touch with Allen Carr
well with the organisation
and we decided that we wanted to start
doing sessions here in Mexico.
For me was also, well, a little similar,
but it was actually a little funny
because my family thought that he was
crazy because
they cant believe that
Jorge quit smoking really.
Jorge was a very heavy smoker
as our family
and we in a vacation in Christmas,
I remember we were all in the same house
and for three weeks and he was free.
He was so happy
and the only way was that they were like,
Are you are you are not mine.
You’re not like trying to
to eat more or something.
And everybody was like,
I can’t believe it.
Jorge! And we were very happy,
but we had a lot of,
a lot of fear
because in my case it was going to be
I was going to be
the only person that smoked in my house.
And it was a challenge, really
a challenge for me because I was like very
you know, you had a lot of fear, afraid.
I was very afraid because to try
because this
he quit smoking with a book and
I can’t do it.
I was like, I what I’m going to do.
So I wait for like three or four months.
And they were like, I’m going to read it.
And I started reading it.
I was a very good reader
because I’m from a family of
publishing company and one
my grandfather,
and they were like, I’m going to read it
and very quick, so I’m going to know
if I’m going to be a smoker.
as Jorge as non smoker, No.
So I quit like in two days
because it was the time I had to read it.
And really it was impressive
because I had to smoke
even in my pregnancy,
really, I had to smoke
because I can’t quit.
The cigarette for me was like in a very
important place in my life, like for my family.
as with Jorge.
We smoked in the room.
We smoked everywhere, so I quit
smoking very, very easy, really.
I finish a book
and it was like, I’m going to be free.
I’m going to be happy non smoker.
And it was like that.
Exactly like that.
Yes, it was something like magic.
It really the Allen Carr’s Easyway
method is incredible because
it changes the way you see cigarettes.
So when you start reading the book
and or when you go to a seminar or clinic,
you start like you very afraid, thinking,
thinking
that you’re going to lose your best
friends, your support, your crutch
your pleasure
And at the end of the of the method
when you or the book or the seminar
is the way you think about smoking
is completely different.
You you really understand that
smoking cigarettes are not a pleasure.
They give you no pleasure at all.
They give you no support at all.
So you don’t feel
that you’re making a sacrifice.
And for me,
that was the main thing about the
the method that I really never
thought I was sacrificing something.
So it made it very,
very easy to stop smoking.
Yes. For us
Very important
also to to to develop these methods, these
words to the to
the people here in Mexico, to the smokers.
Because also in Mexico,
there is a lot of people that really think
that cigarettes are as important
as it was for us.
And yeah,
I think with the method we change
the way that people
in the smokers in Mexico
and in all the world
thinks about the cigarette.
And how we decided to to start
with working for Allen Carr
for Allen Carr organisation.
Well I remember perfectly
that I was finishing reading the book
and the last pages of the book,
there’s a list
of all the clinics around the world,
and I was looking for a clinic in Mexico
and I realised that there was no clinics
in Mexico at that time.
So I remember I was reading the book
and I just went to Isabel and told her,
Hey, there are some clinics in Mexico,
I want to start a clinic here
and she thought I was like a little crazy.
You know, you have your, your job, your
you you’re not a therapist.
You’re not a psychologist.
So I said,
it doesn’t matter if it works for me.
I’m sure it’s going to work for everybody.
So I’m completely excited.
And she supported me completely and said,
okay, let’s do it.
And it was very funny
because I sent a message
to the organisation
and someone told me, okay,
if you want to get more information,
you have to come to London.
And I said, Okay, next week
I’m going to be in London.
So we took a flight to London and we
we speak with Robin Haley.
He is he was in charge of everything.
And at that time
and it was really a very nice chat.
And after half an hour,
we were already Mexico’s franchises.
So we returned to Mexico.
We start working to open the clinic.
We opened the clinic in December
2004, and
at first we thought it was going
to be like side business, you know,
okay,
we’re going to do one or two sessions
a week, or maybe every one session
or every two weeks.
But it was incredible
since the first day
we started doing the sessions
until now, we have had been completely
devoted to doing this.
It’s it takes all our time.
We had to quit all our all, all our jobs
just to be focussed on this
because there are so many people
that want to stop smoking
and so many people that have
had stopped smoking here
makes it would matter that
today we have a lot of all sessions
around the country.
You will find the Mexicans
a very big country.
It has a very big expansion and we have
we do sessions all around the country
from the south to the north.
And it’s has been an incredible
journey, is a it is last 20 years since we
and since we know about the method,
it has been a very incredible journey
for us.
For me was like very easy
to go in this journey with Jorge
because since I saw him,
when he opened the door and told me
I want to be the franchisee of Mexico,
really, I saw his eyes a lot of passion
and we are partners since we were like kids.
Like we were like 20 years ago
in some another business.
And this journey, I think also for us
has been a challenge, a very
passionate
work, because it’s not only the work
and that we are the franchisees.
This is the passion that I see
every, every day.
in Jorge and in me to try to help people.
But it is for us, it’s incredible. Yes.
The journey. For us.
Yes, we’re we’re very we’re very.
It’s.
Nice because it’s
we don’t only live from this,
but it’s also a possibility, Allen Carr’s
that didn’t only give us a profession,
but it also give us
and something that it’s very special
and it’s being able to help other people
and I think there’s no other
is so great satisfaction
as a helping other people to
stop smoking
we have been doing this for 20 years
and we have seen many,
many smokers here in Mexico,
and we have seen probably like 70,000
smokers here in Mexico in the last years.
And it’s incredible
because I have met people
in aeroplanes in supermarkets in cinemas,
whatever, and they they come to us to say,
I’m really happy.
Thank you very much.
It’s it’s incredible.
I stopped smoking after going
to one of the Allen Carr’s Easyway seminar.
I was really, really grateful.
And that’s something
you can’t get in other jobs.
So we are very, very, very,
very happy to be part of this organisation
And we have this mission of helping all
smokers in Mexico to stop smoking.
It’s our dream to see Mexico
A non smoker.
Mexico
A free Mexico – free from smoking Exactly. Yeah.
And now Colleen it’s incredible
because we have also been
helping very young kids to stop smoking,
specially with this vape, this new device
that is sold in bulk in Mexico,
I think all around the world.
For us, it’s really a shame
to see that these companies
and these tobacco
nicotine companies
have really made a new smoking generation.
We have been doing
talks in schools for very young kids
and we saw in the last ten years we
we saw how smoking was going out.
No, I really thought that this time
the young kids won’t be
smoking.
But since this vape and this device
has appeared, it’s incredible
because now I think at least
here in Mexico, eight of every ten
young kids in school are smoking.
So now every day
we’re seeing more and more kids
going to the sessions, to the seminars
to stop smoking, vape.
And and so we feel this
like a new mission.
Now, of course, we will continue
to help smokers through our smokers
of tobacco smokers to stop.
But now we are in mission
to help young people first,
not to get in the truck
and the nicotine trap and then
if they’re already trapped to help them
stop smoking.
Vape. Yes.
For us it has been a lot
of work since the pandemia
when when it
began began the kids just start doing
but they’re more and more
with with their mates.
We start doing this conference,
massive conference in the schools
and the university
so we can like deliver a message
for their parents because here in Mexico
all the parents doesn’t know what to do.
So. So a new thing that for us
is has been challenged
to explain to them that
vapes are the same thing as cigarettes.
They’re going to quit the nicotine.
So a lot of people now our clinic is known
as the clinic for the vapes
to to help little kids
and also in the schools
to help the teachers
and the people that they’re going to teach
about nicotine that
that the vapes are very harmful harmful
for the kids.
And we are like
we have a lot of information as a people
that we are we experts
and these things that we have to
to send the message
and to tell them how to quit
and how to react about
when you see that
your kid is already vaping.
But to to do what? To react.
And we help them a lot.
I think it has been a lot of work and
and it’s it work.
And what’s incredible about the
Allen Carr Easyway method
is that the even if it’s it has been here
for more than 30 years
it’s exactly the same methods
and you can apply exactly for vapes
and for all
all devices that have nicotine.
And it’s also a shame that even being here
for more than 30 years,
we still have smokers
and how it’s a shame that our governments
are not taking advantage of these methods
of the Allen Carr Easyway
method to help other smokers.
But every year in London
and in other parts
the world are making some real steps.
So hopefully.
Allen Carr’s Easyway will be the cure
for all smokers in the world.
That’s our mission.
That’s what we are looking for
and we know this method is incredible.
It works for every every smoker.
It’s really easy to stop with a method.
So this is of course,
this is a way and this is
how we’re going to end with this
with this thing in the world.
Yeah, of course, this is the easy way
to stop smoking.
Exactly.
So we hope our story can motivate
and can help
you take the decision to stop smoking.
And of course, this is the way to do it.
We have been very, very happy
to be part of this organisation
for more than 20 years.
We were very, very happy to see every day
people stop
smoking with the method for us.
Like Isabel said, it’s
not only our job,
it’s our passion and we hope we can
well,
we give you some motivation to to try it.
Yeah, we were very,
very thankful for all the help
and that we received from
Allen Carr’s Easyway.
worldwide, our friends
from all the world, all the franchisees,
and we hope to see you again very,
very soon because we really miss you. Yes.
And of course, we will always be indebt to
Allen Carr
for me, I’m sure he doesn’t only saved my life
because I know that if I was
if I continue smoking,
probably I will not be here today.
So for me, it’s not being grateful
with him for saving my life,
but for giving a mission and a passion
to help other smokers.
And saving all our families lives.
Because all our families are non-smoker
smoker, happy non smoker now.
So thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Easyway team, hope to see you soon
Well, thank you, Jorge and Isabella.
That was so interesting. And well done.
For all your work
with smokers and vapers in Mexico
and thank you as well
for listening to this episode.
Please do review and subscribe
to the podcast series so you can hear more
inspiring stories about how Allen Carr’s Easyway
is changing lives for the better.
Until next time.