Often people leaving primary treatment rehabs on the island will start to look for a sober living house in Bali, so they can continue their treatment and benefit from the opportunity of practising their recovery within a community. There are very limited options though and unfortunately hardly any of the big rehabs seem to have their own sober home. Many sober homes around the world and in Bali do not offer any formal treatment or Counselling as they seem to rely on the fellowships of Narcotics anonymous or Alcoholics anonymous which can be very beneficial to people’s recovery, but other options are often limited. The Calm sober house in Chiang Mai offers an alternative for people leaving treatment in Bali and looking for a second stage treatment facility outside of the island. Travelling to Chiang Mai from Bali is very simple and our sober house in Thailand offers extensive support including a programme specialising in sober living. We also keep the costs very low whilst maintaining a very high quality of care. We are very proud of The Calm sober house and we do believe that we’re located in one of the best cities in the world to follow a sober living programme. We are the first choice for sober homes in Asia as we are easy to travel to from anywhere in the world. Sober Living Houses in Bali If you are looking for a sober living house in Bali after a drug and alcohol rehabilitation programme you will quickly find that there is hardly any choice. You will often have to share a room and you will also be limited with regards support. Although Bali is a beautiful island which does have some fellowship meetings it also has a reputation as a party island. That’s ok for a while whilst being safe in primary treatment facility because you will not be allowed outside the rehab, but it’s not ideal for sober living. Our guests come from treatment centers all over the world and they love the change of scenery. They soon realise they’ve made a very wise decision in coming to us in Chiang Mai. This city has a very relaxed vibe and the party scene centres around a very small area unlike other cities around Thailand. Dropout rates at other sober homes can be very high but at The Calm, all our guests always complete their time, often extending their stay once they see how amazing this city is for someone in recovery. We offer you this very exciting opportunity to join our community and take full ownership of your recovery building self-confidence and self-awareness as you go. We offer a real sober living programme with immense peer support. We have a beautiful 12-bedroom villa style resort located just outside the city at the base of Doi Suthep. Our prime location gives you access to all the fellowship meetings of Alcoholics anonymous and Narcotics anonymous in Chiang Mai and we also host a Refuge Recovery meeting at the house and meditation groups on a Wednesday evening. We believe in choice and freedom and Chiang Mai also offers volunteering opportunities and a huge amount of wellness projects that you can weave into your recovery path. Sober Living Homes in Asia We are the first choice for sober living in Asia as we are an independent sober house with our primary focus on creating the best sober living environment in the world. We do not own a rehab in Thailand and that means all our energy goes into our recovery community living. We give you the responsibility for your recovery with guidance in whatever path you choose. We offer on-going Counselling and group therapy with a host of amazing activities like weekly Thai cooking classes and nature walks. We have created a family vibe where the team and our guests all help each other along the way. Our mindfulness and meditation programme will give you excellent insight into the nature of your mind, looking at how we often feel a sense of self-sabotage and negative self-talk. We’ll show you some very traditional eastern techniques that will help you to break those very damaging thought processes. We also provide beautiful outdoor working spaces because lots of our guests are studying online in a huge effort to rebuild their own lives. We also have people going to the local university to study TELF. We offer luxury surrounding at very reasonable prices, we are the cheapest sober house in Thailand, but we will not be beaten on our quality of care and our programme. We are a fully legal licensed sober house as you need to be very careful who you choose. We work in partnership with a psychiatrist and the local hospital for all your health and medication needs. We do not have a medical team for detoxing. Let’s come together to make your recovery something for you to be proud of.

I’ve had a serious awakening since opening and running The Calm sober house for the last year which has left me feeling shocked. I can clearly see now why the relapse rates are so high for people leaving even the best rehab centers in the world. After years and years of addiction, a 28-day rehab programme may not be long enough to start scratching the surface of recovery. You will get some benefits from a short stay, but I would suggest that you try and stay in treatment for as long as you can. The difficulties and struggles we are seeing people go through at the sober house proves that drug and alcohol treatment is a complex and long-term process. it’s no wonder people are relapsing shortly after a stint in a drug addiction rehab, they are simply not ready for the real world yet. A rehab facility can be the first step on a person’s recovery journey but from what I am seeing its often not enough. Rehabs will do their very best to get you ready for going home and help you set up a support system at home, but the shock of landing back into reality is often too much. I personally think that we need to educate our clients on the importance of continued treatment. I know that people are encouraged to go to meetings and get a sponsor after rehab but is that enough? Most people stop going to meetings as soon as they get home anyway. Sober Living House I have previously worked in some drug addiction rehab centres before starting The Calm and I kept seeing people relapsing very quickly after they left. I started the sober living house in Thailand because I truly believed that it would help people to ground themselves in a real life setting before going home. They could also spend more time working on themselves. There is a saying within vipassana meditation: “vipassana is no good unless you take it into the real world” Learning about recovery in a rehab facility has its place but it’s no good until you take it home. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I am shocked as to how much work people still need to do on themselves. We can’t fix everything I know but some of these issues people are left with after rehab are very high-risk triggers for relapse. Process and cross addictions are a massive problem in sober living. Depression and anxiety along with mood swings and trauma related problems are all very high. Individuals core beliefs about themselves along with social anxiety becomes very prevalent. Emotions are either swinging from extremes or completely flat. The reality of what the future looks like without substances becomes very real and the worry around future job prospects, damaged relationships and dwelling on the past can all seem unbearable at times. Early recovery can be like trying to steer a big old wooden ship through the eye of a storm. Steering the ship out of the storm to calmer waters is extremely difficult for many people. If this early stage of recovery is not done in a safe supportive environment, the danger is the ship will sink. This may give us an idea to why short-term treatment may not be working. Sober Living Environment Living in a safe and supportive environment is crucial whilst you readjust to daily life and having good friends and people around you who understand your challenges is very helpful. It takes time to change behaviour and adapt to a life sober. Lots of people do not have a safe place to go after rehab or have a support network in place straight away and this is where a sober living environment would be hugely beneficial. Having a sense of community and connection whilst you build a recovery orientated lifestyle is key. Peer support is the foundation of any good sober house and we provide this for people who are leaving rehab in Thailand or around the world. We will help you through the more pressing issues that will help you to stay sober and we’ll also fully prepare you for your journey home. You will continue your counselling and start to build your confidence and motivation in the community. Chiang mai is perfect because it has a huge recovery community to connect with. You will get used to attending meetings and making friends. You get lots of breathing space in the sober house which gives you the chance to really get to know yourself and reflect on making changes to your life. The evidence I see is that people who have spent 3 months in primary rehab treatment and then 3 months at a sober house are feeling much more settled and ready for the next stage. They have been through those often turbulent first 6 months in a safe place. Addiction Recovery at Home If you do go to a rehab center and then a sober house, you must still remember that treatment needs to continue after leaving. So many people just stop doing any kind of recovery work when they do go home. It’s very important to make sure that the denial of you thinking that “I’m ok now” does not creep back in. Rehab centres and sober houses will give you all the tools you need and when you go home you must carry on using them. Make sure that you have a support system in place even if it’s just a small one. Have a look at our website and google reviews to see how people have benefited from staying with us for 3 months. #soberliving #addictionrecovery #recovery #chiangmai #soberhouse #leavingrehab

When someone has a problem with drugs or alcohol and their life becomes completely unmanageable, they may choose to go to a rehab for treatment or their loved ones, especially their parents, will send them for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. This is what we call primary treatment for addiction. There are many different rehabs in Thailand and around the world to choose from. Going to rehab will get you out of an often-dark isolated place so you can detox in a safe place and start your recovery journey, following a programme that is designed to help you manage your addiction. Most people will then go home after one to three months of rehab, but some people will go onto a sober house after treatment. A sober house is another stage to treatment where you can continue your recovery, but the environment is much different and hugely beneficial to staying sober long-term. It’s a transitional stage of treatment in between rehab and going home, which we often call secondary treatment. The sober living programme should be a step down from the full structure of rehab so you will start to get used to living independently again. Rehabs have a very busy schedule, but sober houses are a bit more relaxed. You will now take responsibility for your recovery learning to manage your time. What is a sober living house like? Sober homes are normally shared accommodation where you live with other people who are there for the same purpose. They are alcohol and drug free zones and some houses provide a programme to follow and some don’t. Sober houses in Thailand, including The Calm will provide a programme and some will employ counsellors. The Calm has a semi-structured programme and very experienced counsellors who will guide and support you through the early stages of recovery after leaving rehab. Everybody who lives in the house is using it as a safe environment whilst they adjust to daily life after rehab, knowing they have support from staff and peer support from the other house guests. Sober houses will give you your freedom to come and go from the house so you can start practising what you’ve learnt in rehab out in the community. There will be a curfew and some rules to follow. This is very different to primary treatment where you are not allowed out of the facility. A good sober house should have a community feel to the place as the peer support is the most important aspect of the house. You will generally get your own room although some have shared rooms. The Calm gives you your own private room with en-suite bathroom. If the house is run by experienced people, then you will gain a lot from being in a healthy learning environment. You will start to work towards a greater independence, feeling confident in your recovery as you navigate your way through your journey. At The Calm you can get involved in the 12 step meetings of NA an AA. The recovery community is huge in Chiang Mai and you only need to google AA meetings in Chiang Mai or NA meetings in Chiang Mai to get involved. Secondary Care for Addiction If you’re not ready to go home straight from rehab and feel that a gentler transition is for you then you should consider a sober living programme. By landing back to reality and dealing with the ups and downs of early recovery in a safe environment you are giving yourself a much better chance of maintaining sobriety long-term. At The Calm sober house, you are a part of the recovery community and a family all at the same time. We specialise in a sober living programme that is run by people in long term recovery. We have been through the ups and downs too and we are here to guide you through this stage. We give you the responsibility to choose what works for you, giving you complete ownership of your recovery. Learning to get to know yourself clean and sober and learning to manage your emotions can be very difficult once the drugs and alcohol have gone. Often the real work begins in a sober house as you will now be exposed to triggers everywhere around you. If you were to go straight home after rehab and struggle with triggers and your emotions with no support, it could be a recipe for relapse. Sober houses in Thailand We are not associated with any rehab. All other sober homes are owned by the big rehabs in Thailand. We specialise in sober living because we believe that the real recovery work starts once you leave rehab. Rehabs will focus on their primary treatment facility first and their sober living second. We are focused on getting you stable and content and balanced in your recovery and we fully prepare you for going home. We strongly recommend that you spend time at a sober house as a transitional stage of treatment. We also recommend that you look for one that empowers you to take responsibility for your recovery because this is the biggest most important factor you will need when you do go home. You will not always have people around you, or support and you need to know how to be responsible on your own sometimes. Some sober houses may tell you that there is only one way to recover but that is untrue. We are unique because we do not follow the usual one size fits all approach. We let you choose your path and we support you in those decisions.