Rehab Addiction Treatment Centre in Thailand When your loved one enters a rehab addiction treatment centre you will be left with a lot of questions on what to do whilst they are in treatment and also what to do to help them once they return home. We find that loved ones have a sense of relief once a person has joined an addiction rehab centre in Thailand or anywhere around the world but are still left with unanswered questions and anxiety about what to do once they return home, also whilst they are there. When your loved ones go into treatment the family will also need support. We do have an online counselling service for families or partners but first, let me help you with the above questions. Addiction and how it works. The first point we really want to get across is that, as a parent or partner you should not be blaming yourself for their addiction or live in feelings that you could or should have done more to help. As parents, you may feel that you could have done more when they were young so they may have not developed an addiction. As a partner you could be wishing that you could do more or blaming yourself, this is not the way to think. It’s not your fault. You may also feel like you have been enabling them in their addiction or confused about what enabling is. At our sober home in Thailand, your loved one will learn about childhood issues or trauma but we will never tell them to put the blame onto anyone. We will teach them how to handle painful emotions and how to heal without blame and start to accept some of the painful feelings and emotions. There could be some underlying issues from their childhood which is often the case but they will still have to take responsibility for the healing process and their addiction. We find that parents can only do the best they can do when bringing up children and trauma and other issues can be passed down through families. Addiction is unfortunately a chronic relapsing condition and your loved one may have had many attempts at stopping on their own or been to rehab before and come home and relapsed. It’s only natural to get angry at them but you have to remember that they are fighting to save their lives. Addiction is not a choice and can be so impulsive and chronic that they will use drugs or alcohol sometimes even though they know it is killing them. There are not many people who get clean and sober from one stint in rehab, it’s not long enough to learn to manage this condition. Please remember that if they do go to rehab again or for the first time it is not going to be easy for them or you. It’s something that no family wants to go through. The big thing to remember is that they did not become an addict on purpose. Addiction is a progressive issue and they may have started off as recreational and then it develops into full-blown addiction. The addict is normally using drugs and alcohol to escape deeper issues and all they know is to push it away with substances. When someone is using drugs or alcohol to excess, they are generally in a lot of pain and misery. You can trust us when we say it’s not what they want. They don’t want to go to rehab or burden you with their problems. The cycle of guilt and shame can keep the addict locked into addiction for years and the last thing they want to do is reach out and ask for help as they may feel so ashamed of what they are doing. The big thing is that they don’t want to go to a rehab addiction treatment centre and have to admit that they are struggling and need help. The reaching out is generally a last resort and if they reach out to you it means that they trust you. Try not to get angry at them because it might not seem like it when they are using but they are trying, nobody enjoys the misery that addiction brings. The tough love approach does not work as it will only increase their feelings of shame and they may feel that some of the only people they trust are also pushing them away. You are allowed to set boundaries which is much healthier than just cutting them off. We will go into boundaries a bit deeper later on in this blog. Please understand what the addict is up against. They have a lifelong battle to try and manage their addiction. It is a chronic relapsing condition and it will take much work to try and manage it without relapse. The impulsiveness that comes with addiction is scary because they can have problems managing their emotions and if it becomes too difficult, they are at risk of impulsively picking up drugs or alcohol again. They certainly do not go out of their way or consciously make the decision to hurt everybody around them they are just doing their best to not use it again. Addiction is a tricky beast to manage but they will learn coping skills in our sober house inpatient treatment facility here in Thailand. We know that parents get to the point of not knowing what to do and this is why we can advise you. You can call us directly I am always available to help you through this. We can help you to understand your feelings and how to cope. Addiction rehab centre in Thailand We know you only want the best for them, to be healthy and happy because to see your loved one caught up in the misery of addiction and feel hopeless and powerless in how to help is very heartbreaking and devastating. To watch them often killing themselves without being able to stop. No family should have to go through this process and it breaks my heart when we talk to addicts and loved ones who are trying to get out of this. You may feel you are enabling them in many ways and they manipulate you so they can continue to use. You should try not to give up on them but also know that the responsibility to get well is also on them, not you. You can be there for them emotionally but try not to enable their addiction by providing money all the time or constantly rescuing them financially. You may have already spent thousands on rehab treatments only to see them relapse. You will be in total despair along with mimicking similar emotions as your loved one. For instance; They feel powerless and you are too. They feel a lot of guilt and shame and you do too. You could be minimising their drug or alcohol to friends as you feel ashamed. They will always be minimising their drug use. You will feel total despair and hopelessness and so will they. You could be experiencing anger sometimes as to why they just can’t stop. They will get angry at themselves because they think they should be able to stop. You may feel like pushing them away and they will be pushing people away because of the guilt. If you have never been an addict yourself then you will be baffled as to how it works and find it extremely difficult to understand. What to do once they are in rehab If you are now at the stage of your loved one entering into a rehab programme then we will advise you on what to do whilst they are there. They could possibly have their phone use restricted by the inpatient rehab facility in Thailand which is a good thing as we need individuals concentrating on themselves and not external events. If they are to go through detox it’s going to be a hard time for them as the brain will be craving drugs or alcohol. This acute phase can be very emotional as they slowly come down and back to reality without drugs or alcohol. A lot of guilt and shame will be with them so it’s a real time for nurturing them to get through it. You can be there for them to encourage them when they call but you can slowly start to put in some boundaries with them so you do not enable them anymore. They have to take full responsibility for their addiction otherwise they will not get well. We would suggest that you set up a day and a time where you talk to them and keep encouraging them that they can do this and that you love them dearly but you want them to really put in the work at rehab. You can start to take some time out and relax knowing that they are in treatment and think about what boundaries you may want to put in place. Do not take any more manipulating from them, if you need more help with setting boundaries then you can talk to us on how to do this. You must always remember that they need to take ownership of their recovery, not you. Tell them that you support them in whatever path they want to go down in getting well and that you cannot make decisions regarding their recovery, it must come from them. Do not constantly call them and try to take control of things, you need to put it all back onto them. If you feel you need support and help then go through a healing process yourself with a counsellor outside of the rehab facility they are attending. Al-Anon meetings are helpful as the meetings are for family members of addicts where you would get to meet other families going through the same as you. You can google Al-Anon meetings in your hometown. What to do once they leave rehab Once they leave the rehab addiction treatment programme in Thailand there is going to be a huge settling back into reality process. The figures for people leaving rehab and relapsing are high and there are many reasons for this. They can have a real hard time readjusting to real life clean and sober. The Calm rehab in Thailand puts a lot of work into preparing clients for their return home. We educate them and the parents on what to expect and how to manage expectations. They should attend the aftercare set up by the rehab too. It is likely that your loved one will come home with high expectations that everything has changed but in reality, they may have changed but back home has not. You should lower your expectations around them being fixed too as the recovery journey is a long process and is certainly not over just because they have been to a rehab in Thailand. The real work starts for them now and they could still be faced with being lonely and surrounded by old triggers. They now more than ever need to own their recovery and start to build a life along with support networks. They may have a recovery plan laid out and it’s their responsibility to fulfil this. You do not have to walk on eggshells around them so try and make things as normal as possible at home whilst also allowing yourself to trust them again. They could have bad days but it does not mean they will go out and use so don’t put any pressure on them, just be there to listen if they are struggling. The addiction rehab in Thailand that they went to would have given them coping skills for bad days which will be to go into self-care mode when feeling bad. A big part of rehab programmes is to teach people about self-care. You should of by now put in some boundaries about how much you can help. You need to protect yourself too and they would have learned boundary work in rehab. If you feel you need more work on yourself then please reach out through our online counselling service. They need to make the decisions about their recovery and take the necessary action so please try to lower your anxiety about having to fix them, this is their job. The Calm sober house addiction treatment programme in Thailand helps them to understand all of this and if a rehab does not do this work with their clients, then it’s not a good programme. It is not going to be an easy ride for any of you but always remember that they are the ones who need to take responsibility for their recovery and you should concentrate on your own life and keep things as normal as possible. If they are struggling, they need to reach out to their support networks and to people that understand. What to do if they relapse This is a reality that cannot be sugar-coated. As mentioned before, addiction is a chronic relapsing condition and someone can make many attempts to get sobriety right. If they relapse you need to encourage them to be honest with themselves and others but remember there will be lots of guilt and shame present. Any amount of anger or shaming will only make the situation worse. You need to tell them to get help or ask them if they need support in reaching out. Please remember any boundaries you have put in place and don’t enable them to continue using. They are the ones who need to reach out to their support person or network. The Calm Rehab in Thailand will always pick up the phone and support anyone who has unfortunately relapsed. We can help them to come up with a plan on what to do. The addiction behaviour will kick back in very quickly once someone relapses so we need to try and get them help as quickly as possible. It can be heartbreaking if someone relapses but what is needed is action and we need to try and take the emotion out of it and think with our heads. The whole addiction issue can be very complicated and recovery is not easy. It’s extremely difficult for you to know what to do. You need support too and you can always call us if you need answers and help. Please do let us know if we have missed anything that you would like to know. We have done our best to give my advice but we are all in a learning process ourselves so supporting each other is key. We wish you and your loved ones well on this recovery journey and we are always here for you.

What is meditation? Meditation is many things. Ask a Buddhist monk what meditation is, and he might reply that it is a tool to train the mind.  If you ask the same question to a psychiatrist, you may be told that meditation is a method of reducing neuroses, anxiety and depression while fostering an outlook of acceptance. The same question asked to a yogi could provoke the response that meditation is a way of opening the heart. But you need not listen to what a yogi tells you about meditation to know about its benefits.  In the past two decades, there have been hundreds of studies carried out which show that meditation improves attention and resilience to stress, increases compassion, lifts the mood, and changes the way we experience pain, besides many other benefits. However, you view meditation, and the different techniques that fall under the umbrella of meditation all promote psychological and emotional wellness. History of meditation The oldest documented evidence of people practising meditation is wall paintings from 5000 BCE.  These paintings show people practising meditation in seated postures with half-closed eyes.  People have likely been meditating for even longer than this. Meditation joined a multitude of different Eastern practices and philosophies that came to the West, beginning in the 19th century due to colonialism but only really taking root in the mid-20th century. It is practised by more people than ever before and is now more accessible thanks to the number of meditation teachers offering sessions.  In the past decade, there have been apps released that mean you do not have to leave the comfort of your home to learn various meditation techniques. Of course, it is not required that you have a teacher to learn meditation.  At its simplest, meditation is focusing on one point.  This point is often the breath – allowing the mind to rest into the natural rhythm of the breath can be tremendously therapeutic. Although being guided and taught is recommended. How can meditation help with overcoming addiction? It is no surprise that drug treatment centres and sober living houses all over the world offer meditation classes for clients who have an addiction.  Meditation is an incredibly potent tool for addressing addiction and its causes. The practice of meditation helps us to accept whatever thoughts and feelings arise without judgment and without trying to push away any painful feelings that we don’t like. When an addict uses substances, they are often pushing away painful emotions or feelings they don’t like, and the substances are the escape route. Buddhism teaches us that it’s the aversion to any pain that is the problem, the attachment to pain and the narrative we create around it that causes the suffering, Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Mediation is a process of awakening to the reality of life, that pain is part of life, and we must learn to accept it rather than trying to drown it out with booze or drugs. With addiction, we are always seeking something outside ourselves to help us change the way that we feel.  Another drink, another line, another pipe.  When we start meditating, we stop looking outside ourselves and begin to look within. Often, initial experiences with meditation are brief, and this is fine.  When we have spent years drinking and using it can be challenging to sit down, be still and see what arises.  We may have been inadvertently distracting ourselves from our internal milieu for so long that we forget what it is like to feel in our mind and body.

If you are trying to access mental health services in your local area you will know how incredibly frustrating it can be to be told that you must go onto a waiting list. When people reach out for support, they generally need help instantly. If you are searching worldwide for mental health rehab facilities it may not be as easy as you think to find good quality facilities. NewBeginnings Sober House & Wellbeing Centre in Thailand provides inpatient mental health support with instant access to treatment.  We take a holistic approach to mental health treatment. Coming to The Calm sober house in Asia makes perfect sense when you consider the affordability our service offers. We are a community of people who are working on improving our mental wellbeing. We are a sober house so no alcohol is allowed whilst here. The facility here is inpatient treatment because you will live here but we also give you some freedom to explore this wonderful city. Call us to find out more about our programme for mental health wellness.

How Do We Recover From Alcoholism? I would strongly suggest to anyone with this illness to attend AA and see if it works for them. The literature and the programme lay out a strong pathway to recovery. Counselling can reveal underlying trauma and causes for drinking to oblivion but we also must remember that the person is an alcoholic and that needs managing too. I will always initially keep an individual pointing towards their alcoholism first when they are new to treatment. In group therapy, an addict can wander off the topic so easily talking about everything else and all the reasons for drinking other than getting to the point of being an addict. I find that digging deep into someone’s relapse and recovery cycle and looking at key early warning signs helps. If you see the in-depth process written down, the cycle becomes clear and you can pinpoint where you need to break the cycle. An alcoholic can never drink like a normal person and the denial must be smashed. An addict certainly needs to admit this before the recovery process can begin. There are many ways to sobriety not just AA. To recover you need to find a pathway that works for you. Most alcoholics in recovery must work a daily programme to manage their alcoholism. If you are battling this terrible illness then always remember that you can never have that first drink. It will take courage and honesty along with lots of hard work to keep your sobriety. Residential Alcohol Rehab Centre in Thailand The Calm has been guiding and supporting people into sobriety for over two years now. We also endorse any pathway that someone may take. We are not associated with one way to recovery. We are not a 12-step sober house and at the same time, we are. We are whatever you want us to be, it's your choice on how you find sobriety. The Calm residential alcohol rehab centre in Thailand is staffed and owned by Counsellors with years of experience. We will provide you with group therapy and other holistic treatments but we know that counselling and managing your alcoholism are the two points to stay focused on. We are also a firm believer in connecting with the recovery community and the wider community rather than just learning about addiction in a classroom setting. You are not fully locked up at our facility. You get the opportunity to go and engage with the local recovery community and build your recovery outside of our alcohol rehab facility. The main reason we are so popular is because people like the open feel to our facility whilst still receiving immense support from the team and the other guests, we are a sober community. The price is so much more affordable at The Calm compared to a traditional rehab; this means that people are staying with us as a long-term alcohol rehab. They know that being in a sober community for an extended period and being held accountable is important in early recovery. A long-term alcohol rehab can cost you a small mortgage but not at The Calm. If you would like to know more information about The Calm sober house then browse our website for more information. You can then contact me through the website contact forms and phone numbers.

It is heartbreaking to feel powerless as you watch someone you love spiral into the depths of addiction. The pain and suffering along with frustration can be unbearable. The addict's loved ones often go through similar emotions and behaviours that the addict does. Here is a list of some of those similarities: Feelings of shame Feeling desperate and alone Lying about the extent of the problem (loved ones will lie to others about it) Sleepless nights Worry and stress Powerless Helpless Blaming themselves Feel like giving up Co-dependency Anxiety and depression The lives of everyone involved descend into misery and trying to get your loved one into rehab is challenging. How to get a loved one into rehab is a question we are asked all the time. You may have already tried to do this without success and maybe you have been met with resistance. You would have also heard the empty addicts promise time and time again that yes, they will do it tomorrow. The first thing that is needed is some education for you about addiction. You need some professional advice to help you understand what addiction is because often loved ones are angry at the person for doing this to them and they cannot understand why they just cannot stop. Addiction is defined by the inability to stop using despite knowing the negative consequences. It is not just a matter of willpower to stop as the addict has lost that ability. Addiction is a serious illness that needs professional help beyond what you can do. The addict will make many attempts to stop on their own, but the reward system in the brain has been hijacked and the cravings are intense. The person will do anything to protect their addiction, including lying and manipulating anyone who tries to make them stop because the substance comes first. This is difficult to understand by the outsider. They are at the complete mercy of their addiction so it is important to remember that they have lost control of any rationality. How to Get a Person Into Rehab The problem with addiction is that the addict is often stuck in a state of ambivalence otherwise known as contemplation or pre-contemplation. This means that they know there is a problem but the denial to do something about it is strong. They have still not fully surrendered to the fact that they cannot do this on their own or that the problem is that big. They may still believe that they have some control over it. Now let us get down to the question, how to get a loved one into rehab? We must remember that the addict must take responsibility for their recovery. We can attempt to get a loved one into rehab but ultimately it must be their decision to go. You need to stage an intervention at the right time and intervention must be done properly. An intervention should be done by a trained professional and there are many services you can call upon for help. How to do an Intervention for a Loved One A professional can help, guide, and support you through the whole process of getting your loved one into rehab. The intervention must be well planned because the addict is still reluctant or ambivalent about going to rehab and you do not want to just jump straight in without a plan. Some rehabs will send an interventionist out to you who is trained in this specifically. There are also services you can find online that specialise in this process. Independent intervention services can pretty much travel anywhere in the world to come and help you. There are services you can find online and you want to upon contacting any service ask them a few key questions. You want to know if they are affiliated with just one rehab or not. Rehabs around the world have different programmes and you want your loved one to go to the rehab that best suits them. An independent interventionist will work ethically and help you to choose the right rehab. I suggest that you express any worries or concerns you have about any service you contact by asking lots of questions. The intervention must meet the unique needs of your loved one, so lots of talking and working things out and finding the right service is crucial. If you rush into this then you could waste your time. Spend some time on the internet looking for intervention services, there are many out there and do it right from the beginning.

The Calm sober house in Thailand offers one-to-one counselling for anyone living in Thailand. We support anyone who is looking for personal care around any mental health issues or addiction problems. We also work very closely with Thai Psychiatrists and Doctors who fully understand addiction and mental health. It can be extremely difficult to find a Doctor that understands but we have found ones that do. Counselling can often be expensive, but we aim to keep our prices as low as we can. We are seeing that many people who live in Thailand do struggle with loneliness often being away from family and friends. We offer a safe environment with some community spirit if you want to be around a sober community. We offer varied programmes including one-on-one private counselling sessions. You do not need to join our community to take advantage of our counselling service. You can access us via online tele-counselling or video chat. We have quiet confidential counselling rooms at The Calm if you can attend in person. If you are struggling with your mental health or addiction issues you must seek help from professionals who are both experienced and caring. The team at The Calm have been picked for both. Mental Health Counselling in Thailand We can help you with a variety of issues that may be troubling you. We can provide talk therapy along with Cognitive behavioural therapy and Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. We carry out a full assessment based on your needs and we can bring in other professionals to help you fulfil your recovery plans. These may include Trauma therapists and Doctors. The Calm sober house takes a holistic approach to mental health treatment too. We believe that this can add great value to your mental health counselling in Thailand. Listed are some of the problems we have supported people with: Depression Bipolar disorder Anxiety Anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Schizophrenia Personality disorders You will be fully supported if you choose to work with us and we will strive to provide you with the best available mental health treatment in Thailand. Addiction Counselling in Thailand Many people in Thailand take advantage of our counselling service around addiction issues and they find it hugely beneficial. We help you to understand addiction and take a look at underlying causes that may be driving the addiction. Recovery from addiction can be extremely difficult as the behaviours are so ingrained. Denial to the problem is an obstacle that must be overcome, and you must be willing to change and put a lot of work in to break the cycle. You will need a robust recovery plan and lots of coping skills to manage addiction recovery. Giving up on drugs or alcohol is one thing but addressing the other underlying issues will require work too. You will receive private one-on-one counselling either in person or via tele-counselling or video chat. Recovery is a process that we can guide and support you through to make healthy changes and live a sustainable recovery. We understand that prices for counselling can be an issue so we aim to keep these as low as we can. Some of the issues we have helped people with are listed below: Substance abuse Alcohol addiction Co-dependency issues Sex and love addiction Gambling addiction Porn addiction Prescription medication addiction

Alcohol is so widely available and socially accepted that trying to get sober can be extremely difficult for anyone who is trying. A recovering alcoholic has an even harder time than the average person because their brain's reward system is so wired for alcohol that the cravings can be intense. There are triggers everywhere for someone in recovery and even walking into your local supermarket you will be faced with a wall of alcohol racks with all the latest offers and your favourite drinks smiling back at you and tempting you to buy. If you are a weekend binge drinker or you sip glasses of wine every night after work, then you will also be faced with temptations in shops, pubs, and restaurants. Let us just imagine for a second that you were a cocaine user who was trying to give it up and in every shop you went into there was cocaine on the shelves for sale. People were in restaurants snorting cocaine openly and it was socially acceptable. You would be so triggered by seeing it everywhere you would want to lock yourself in your house and never go out again. If you are wondering why getting sober is so hard you also need to look beyond the external triggers and take a deeper look into yourself. To get sober and stay sober takes some work and how much depends on how serious your drinking is. Alcohol and other drugs act like an anaesthetic which leads to the 4 reasons why people drink or take drugs. To escape To Relax To reward themselves Boredom I am an addictions counsellor and I own a sober house in Thailand so mostly I work with people who have serious issues with drugs and alcohol. They are full-blown addicts and they are mostly escaping painful emotions and past trauma. Binge drinkers tend to go out socially to drink as a way of relaxing at the weekends or because they are bored and the wine sippers at night are the ones who use alcohol to relax after a hard day’s work. If you are questioning whether you fall into the bracket of an addict or not, then you can read my previous blog post on The Calm sober house website to help you answer this question. Addiction is a chronic relapsing condition Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a chronic relapsing condition. I have lost count of the number of people who come into rehab for alcohol addiction treatment for 3 months and then relapse on the aeroplane on the way home. The big book of Alcoholics Anonymous describes alcohol as cunning and baffling which means that no matter how much you know you should not drink you still do. The same goes for drugs too and there is strong evidence that addiction is a brain disease. If you can control your alcohol use, then it should not be too hard to stop or cut down. If you have made many attempts to do this but you keep going back, then maybe you need some help and support. If you drink to relax every night like millions of people do then you will need to find new ways to relax because just stopping alcohol is not enough. Stopping drinking is great at the beginning but then the novelty of being sober starts to wear off and people return to drinking. If you are binge drinking at weekends, then you will have to change your behaviour which can be difficult especially if your circle of friends spends their time in the bar. I urge you to investigate the reasons why you drink alcohol and start making some lifestyle choices that do not revolve around alcohol. Let us go back to the title of this blog because if you are finding it so hard to get sober then maybe you crossed the line into addiction. There is so much research into addiction and how the brain circuitry works that giving up alcohol or drugs is not just a matter of willpower. If alcohol becomes a problem for you then it will be exceedingly difficult to stop on your own. Some people are using alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism for painful emotions and often a way to deal with past trauma. They also use substances to cope with life in general. There are so many similarities between suffering addicts but because they use it as a coping skill to block things out, whenever painful emotions arise again in recovery it’s so easy for them to go back to drinking as a way to cope. This is where specialist treatment comes in as we teach people how to cope without substances and provide counselling to help resolve past painful issues. If you are struggling to get sober then I suggest you speak to an addictions counsellor or you start going to support meetings where you will find people who are in recovery and can show you the way. Stopping alcohol is one thing but you will not stay stopped if you do not realise that it is you that needs to change. Why get sober? There are so many positives and benefits to giving up alcohol. If you do stop for a long period you will notice how clear your head is and how better, you can manage your emotions. When you drink alcohol constantly you never sleep properly, you just pass out. The return of good sleep is one of the biggest self-reporting benefits of giving up. Your overall health will improve because alcohol for me is a poison that you put into your body let alone the number of calories you consume. Relationships tend to improve around you as your more present and focused and people who drink a lot can be moody and push loved ones away. A lot of time is missed at work due to hangovers or poor performance so you will find yourself being more alert at work. An obvious one but an important one is that you will have more money. People's drinking habits can be expensive and once you stop you will notice how much more cash you have. Anxiety is often a problem when people are drinking too much. Alcohol attacks the nervous system which can cause major anxiety. You will find that when you stop this should reduce or you may need some medical-assisted therapy to cope. I know people who still suffer from anxiety once stopped and medication has worked wonders for this. One big symptom that alcoholics report is bad memory especially short-term, but once you sober up, over time your memory will improve. You are poisoning your brain when you keep filling it up with alcohol. When people come into treatment for alcohol abuse, they often look terrible. Their skin looks dried out and they can often look bloated. Your liver can only process one unit of alcohol an hour so when you are pumping copious amounts of alcohol into your body it tries to get rid of the toxins any way it can. Skin loses its plumpness and normal healthy glow. Giving up the liquor will improve your overall look. I would suggest that when you are serious about stopping alcohol you join a fellowship like alcoholics anonymous or SMART Recovery. You will need some support if you want to stay stopped and being around others in recovery is priceless. If you isolate once in recovery this is a recipe for relapse. You need to be around others. If you are drinking heavily you will need to talk to a professional about detoxing as stopping alcohol abruptly can be extremely dangerous and at the worst, it can kill. Many people will need a medically assisted detox and maybe a stint in rehab to get them going and on the right path to recovery.

Australians are travelling to Thailand more and more to enter drug and alcohol treatment centre programmes. A reason for this is because of the long waiting lists for rehab centres in Australia and they can be expensive. Rehab treatment programmes in Thailand tend to be cheaper, so a quick trip across the water to Thailand for affordable treatment is always a good option. Australians can be able to pay for their treatment through their superannuation fund and many rehabs will help with this process. Many people will then go on to look for sober houses in Australia so they can take advantage of this transitional stage of treatment. There are a couple of problems you will find though when looking for sober living in Australia. I have done some research into this and there does not seem to be much choice. There are a couple of private ones on the east coast, but both are expensive. Some rehabs are built on a so-called sober house model, but they tend to be rehab farms and they are government-run with long waiting lists. In Western Australia, they have a couple too, which I have heard good things about, but they are not focused on a holistic model. There are some Christian and catholic sober homes in Australia also. A rehab may have a sober house facility attached to their centre, but it will normally be for their clients to transition into. This also means that they do not specialise in sober house living as rehab will be their primary focus. Looking for an independent sober home in Australia that specialises in this transitional stage of treatment is limited. Sober Living Facilities in Australia Going to sober living after rehab can be a crucial step on your recovery journey as rehab is often not enough. If you have travelled to Thailand for rehab, I would suggest that you look for a sober living facility in Thailand. Going to a sober living facility in Australia could also mean that you may be near the area which you left, and it could hold many triggers for you. We have many Australians travelling to us from rehabs in their own country because they want to do their sober living programme in a different country. We also have many people coming to us from rehabs in Thailand as we are one of the only independent specialists in sober living. We are also a world leader in affordable treatment. When people come to the sober house they are often lost as to what to do with their future. Many people do not want to return to their own home country anyway as they are looking at a different future. Spending some more time in treatment in Thailand has huge benefits. Not only can people start to look at their future in a safe environment, but they can also start to practise a sober life in another city. The great thing with our sober house in Chiang Mai is that we are located in a city with a huge recovery community which gives individuals the opportunity to build their recovery in the community. The Calm Sober House We do not believe in the theory that there is only one way to recover. Sober houses, including some in Australia, will be based on the 12-step method. We do embrace this approach fully, but it is not the only way. We do offer you the opportunity to get amongst the fellowship in Chiang Mai as there are so many options when it comes to meetings. We believe in ownership, so we offer all different pathways including. NA, AA CA, SMART recovery, and Refuge recovery. Recovery is about connection within the community, but you can choose how to do this. We are independent of any rehab, so we are fully focused on sober living. We have people from all over the world including Australia. The programme is fully supportive of learning to live a sober life. We keep our numbers low because we wanted to create an incredibly supportive small community and we are also leading the world in affordable sober living treatment.

The big question on everybody’s mind is this. Clean and sober, now what? Getting clean and sober is one thing but what to do with yourself then? Most people who join our sober house have been using drugs or alcohol for many years and their lives have completely fallen apart.  All their time was taken up with using and now there is just a huge void left to fill. Most of our people have been to rehabs in Thailand and around the world already before joining us. A rehab programme includes mostly talk therapy and groups where individuals will work on personal issues, but a sober house is different. Getting clean and sober is one thing but staying clean and sober long-term is another. Talking about recovery in a room is ok but putting recovery into action is better. The sober house is a big step down from the full structure of rehab programmes. When people come to us, they must start putting their recovery into action and start building a life for themselves. This is when the real struggle starts. Initially being clean and sober is hard to deal with. Finding the motivation to do anything is a struggle sometimes as everything can just seem a little boring or unnatural to an addict. I would say that 90 percent of our current guests are completely lost as what to do with their future and that’s why sober living after rehab is crucial. The extra time spent in a sober house where you get your freedom to come and go from the house allows you to explore the world clean and sober. Recovery requires action! We encourage and support our guests into trying new things. They go to recovery support meetings in the community and some get sponsors and start working a programme. We encourage everyone to volunteer or join other social groups that they are passionate about. We believe that after getting clean and sober you must start getting out and making connections with other people. Recovery is about community and that’s the beauty of being at our sober house in Chiang Mai in Thailand as it’s a hub of wellness and recovery. We provide immense support and a very supportive community where you will feel safe. You can go out and test your recovery in the community and practise a sober life. Clean and Sober Living The benefits of clean and sober living are huge. The biggest and most beautiful thing is that you get your freedom of choice back. You are not caught up in the vicious cycle of powerlessness. You can wake up in the morning without the desperation of worrying about where to get your next fix from. You must learn to do what sober people do, that’s how you stay sober. People in recovery don’t go to pubs and bars often especially in early recovery. I suggest that you get up early and go to bed early. You must change routines and interests. Clean and sober living in a community is a great way to initially help you through the early days of recovery. There is a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous that I feel is very true. “You must build a life for yourself where it is easier not to drink” Clean and sober living takes effort and action and you must get on with rebuilding your life after substance abuse. I see people who have managed to get clean and sober for a good amount of time go on to do amazing things with their lives. It is possible to rebuild your life after the misery of addiction and people do recover all the time. You will have to draw upon all your resilience skills and take full responsibility for your recovery to get you through. In the addiction world there is always a lot of talk about people in recovery going on to do service to others. This takes us out of our self-pity and self-centredness. One addict helping another is powerful. It does not even have to be helping other addicts. When individuals are caught up in the vicious cycle of addiction, they feel shame and guilt for what they are doing. When we get involved in grassroots projects and volunteer with feel a great sense of self-esteem and self-worth. 5 Top Tips for Clean and Sober Living I am going to give you my own personal top tips on living a clean and sober life. I am in recovery myself. I trained to be an addictions counsellor and have been doing this for 11 years now. We specialise in clean and sober living. We have created a very special programme to help people find their way back into a sober life. Recovery means action! Get off your butt and go out and get connected. Get up early and go to bed early. Change your routines and habits. Small changes make a big impact on your life. Get involved with service. Help others less fortunate than you Find a recovery programme that works for you. You do not have to make recovery meetings your life but stay connected. Build up a supportive team of people who will listen and help you when you’re struggling. Alcoholics Anonymous has been around for years. I strongly suggest that you go to some meetings in your area to investigate the programme they have. They also have a fellowship for recovering alcoholics that can help. Going to rehab can certainly help and going to a sober house afterwards can be crucial to maintaining long-term sobriety. Rehabs and sober houses will show you many coping skills whilst giving you the opportunity to learn about addiction through counselling and group therapy. Getting sober and staying sober is best done with guidance from people who have done it. The experts can show you skills and techniques on how to stay sober long-term. You will need a programme that helps you get through cravings and triggers.

If your family or loved ones are on your case about how much your drinking or you feel in your heart that your drinking too much, then this question of how to get sober is most probably on your mind. I’m going to explain to you throughout this blog about how to get sober and stay sober, or at least cut right down on your drinking. If you want a short, quick, fix, answer then this blog is not for you. Getting sober takes effort and work. The first thing you need to do is admit that you want to get sober for you. It’s not a question of how to get sober for your family or anyone else. It must be because you really want it for yourself. Once you get it, then everyone else around you will feel the benefits of you being sober. Millions of people drink too much alcohol and some drink way too much to the point of having a serious problem with it. If you feel you have control over your drinking, then you can easily cut down. If you drink every day, then drink every other day. You would’ve already cut down your alcohol consumption by 50 percent. Then start cutting out days until you bring your consumption to healthy levels. This is only recommended for people who have control over their drinking. If this does not work, then you may need extra help. Do you question whether you have a problem or not? If so, then let me show you a way to find out by answering these questions below. Are your family or loved ones concerned about your drinking? Are you hiding to anyone about how much you drink? Go to a bar, tell yourself you’re going to have two drinks and then go home. Can you do it? Are you under performing at work or not keeping up with your commitments? If you answered yes to the questions above, then you have a problem with alcohol. Like I said earlier, the first obstacle to get through is admitting that you have a problem and then you can do something about it. Let me give you some medical advice first. Abruptly stopping heavy drinking can be very dangerous. When you discontinue alcohol suddenly, your brain goes into hyperexcitability mode. Your brain has adapted to the presence of alcohol and when you stop, your brain chemicals jump all over the place trying to return to normal. This is what causes withdrawal symptoms. Have you ever had a heavy night out and woken up the next day a little shaky? Even after a very heavy night out you will feel a degree of withdrawal symptoms. Real heavy continuous drinking becomes more dangerous though and the symptoms are worse. If you drink every day and you’ve become reliant on alcohol, then you will need medical advice on how best to sober up. It will take medication and a detox. You can confide in your GP and he can refer you to someone like us at The Calm sober house or you can contact us directly, knowing that we keep anything you tell us strictly confidential. How Long Does It Take To Get Sober & Stay Sober? If you are serious about getting sober and staying sober, then I suggest you get some support.  The question of how long to get sober and stay sober is what I am going to answer for you now. You really need to talk to an expert so they can look at the seriousness of your drinking. I have personally helped thousands of people get through this and shown them how to stay sober. I am going to answer this question from a perspective of someone who has a problem with alcohol, but you can also take advice from this if your problem is not too big. Getting sober physically does not take long. You may need medication to get you through the acute detox phase and with the right help and support it often goes smoothly. Once the acute physical phase is over you step over into the post-acute phase. This is when psychological problems will surface. These symptoms can include: Poor memory, poor concentration, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation and short- tempered. This is when you are at most risk of relapse. You can easily give in and go back to drinking, thinking that it’s just too difficult. This is where the support comes into play as you’re going to need help getting through this. People often go to rehabs and sober houses, so they are in a safe place, away from triggers and temptation. The psychological symptoms will ease over the course of a couple of months as your body starts to readjust to no alcohol. Recovery from alcohol is a process you must go through, so knowing exactly how long it takes is a little difficult to pin down, but it’s not going to happen overnight. You will then start moving into the maintenance of staying sober. You have been through the early stages and now it can get easier or very difficult. Staying sober long-term is when you need to put a programme of action into place. Lots of people can get through the early stages of being sober, but unfortunately with many it does not last. The reality of staying sober long-term seems to kick in and the bubble of sobriety bursts. You will have to change many things in your life to stay stopped. Alcohol is accepted by society and you are going to face triggers everywhere. Having someone on the end of the phone to talk to when times get tough is invaluable. You can look for a sponsor at AA meetings or a counsellor or good friends that support your sobriety. You need to find someone who can take you through the steps to sobriety. Alcoholism Have you ever known an alcoholic? Do you notice that even if they know should not be drinking, they still do? They seem to be able to stop for a little while but then despite all the consequences and knowing they should not drink they go back to it. An alcoholic can’t stop drinking on their own and they’re often full of denial, thinking that they can drink like a normal person. Alcoholism is a serious condition that needs treatment. We are talking about a different level of drinker. It’s dangerous for an alcoholic to stop drinking because of the serious physical withdrawal symptoms. If you believe you or someone you know is an alcoholic, then please do seek help before it’s too late. The Calm sober house in Thailand is always open to talking to anybody who needs it. Alcohol Recovery Program Alcoholics Anonymous has been around for years. I strongly suggest that you go to some meetings in your area to investigate the programme they have. They also have a fellowship of recovering alcoholics that can help. Going to rehab can certainly help and going to a sober house afterwards can be crucial to maintaining long-term sobriety. Rehabs and sober houses will show you many coping skills whilst giving you the opportunity to learn about addiction through counselling and group therapy. Getting sober and staying sober is best done with guidance from people who have done it. The experts can show you skills and techniques on how to stay sober long-term. You will need a programme that helps you get though cravings and triggers.

Going to rehab will save someone’s life in the short-term, but it’s often not enough. The relapse rates for people returning straight home after a drug rehab center is very high. A rehab will get you back on your feet and detox you in a safe and supportive environment away from the triggers of alcohol and drugs. You will be nurtured back to health so you can start to make healthy choices. You will receive counselling and group therapy to start addressing the underlying issues around your addiction. These are called inpatient drug rehab centers where you will work on coping skills and start to investigate support networks for when you return home. Sober living facility in Thailand I’ve been running an independent sober house in Thailand for nearly two years now and from the evidence we are seeing we truly believe that so many people need way longer in treatment. The sober living facility is where the recovery process starts to be practised in a real-life setting. Once the drugs and alcohol have gone then people are left with the emotions and other cross addiction that come up The shock of landing back at home is way too much for some people as they have so much more stuff to work through. We are seeing trauma related issues, eating disorders, depression, anxiety and a whole host of other issues to be dealt with. If this is untreated then relapse is imminent. I use the analogy of a big old wooden ship sailing through a storm. The waters are very choppy in early recovery and the ship rocks from side to side, up and down and sometimes it turns over. That’s what it’s like for people at our sober house in Thailand and it’s our job to get people through the storm and into calmer waters before they go home or move on. Most people are lost as what to do with their life too because addiction often takes everything from us, especially if someone has been using for many years. Leaving a rehab and landing back into reality on your own is a very scary place to be and once the lack of motivation or low mood sets in then people slip back to their old ways very quickly. Some people are leaving rehab completely underprepared for life in recovery and isolation can also set in very quickly and once that happens people are in big trouble. The benefits of a sober home in Thailand Sober living is hugely beneficial in helping people to find a sustainable long-term recovery. The ups and downs of the choppy, stormy water is navigated in a safe place, where people can learn to take ownership and responsibility. They also get to practise what works for them. Peer support is crucial in sober living as individuals help each other through the often really difficult times. People learn to be accountable for their actions too from their peers. In sober living people practise going out into the community and finding support networks and new interests. They start living a sober life and get to work through triggers and stressful situations whilst still receiving support. Individuals will start working towards a greater independence, so they feel empowered. We have people staying with us for 3-4 months and longer as they feel that our sober house is the ideal place to build some solid foundations before moving on. I love being involved with this wonderful sober living environment because you see people growing and changing, finding their confidence again and starting to feel excited about recovery rather than dreading it. There are trips and falls, people sometimes go backwards but all the time they are navigating early recovery and finally they sail into calmer water. There is no doubt that sober living works because we always see people thriving in their recovery with a newfound confidence and direction. A sober living programme gives people the time and opportunity to continue the work from rehab. The Calm sober house in Thailand is in one of the best cities in the world because it has endless health and wellness projects to get involved with and the recovery movement and fellowships are alive and thriving. What some of our clients are doing? One lady is studying a massage courses so she can set up a little business when she returns home. One lady is studying counselling and psychology online with a university in Australia so she can move into the health field. One lady is volunteering at a dog shelter as she goes through her difficult trauma therapy and this really helps her to get through it. One man is at a local University studying a TEFL Course. These are just a few examples of people rebuilding their lives at the sober house after the misery of addiction. All this combined with group therapy, one on one counselling, fellowship meetings and an excellent mindfulness programme is sure evidence that sober living works. We offer a beautiful programme based on ownership and responsibility along with holding people accountable. We work from our core values of trust, honesty and respect and the whole vibe at The Calm works from those values. We have created a very special sober house in Thailand so our guests can properly heal from addiction. If you would like more information, then you can visit our website and fill out the email contact form. www.thecalmsoberhouse.com If you are going to a rehab, then I would strongly urge you to consider sober living after primary. We keep our rates very low and affordable. Best wishes Chris #alcoholaddiction #alcoholism #soberliving #recoveryprogramme #addictionrecovery #recovery #chiangmai #soberhouse

Going to a drug and alcohol treatment center will be a very important step in your recovery journey. Addiction can take you to some very lonely and dark places. Addicts get so caught up in the vicious cycle of daily using that it seems impossible to escape the downward spiral that often leads to serious consequences. Entering a rehab programme is called primary treatment and sober living homes are classed as secondary treatment for after rehab. Rehabs are a safe place for you to start your recovery journey and for you to detox if needed. They will get you back on your feet so you can start to make healthier choices. You will be nurtured and cared for whilst you start to recover. Many people travel to rehabs in Thailand because of the reasonable prices and the tropical climate. The Calm provides a sober living home in Thailand for people leaving primary treatment. In a primary treatment center you will learn about recovery and be given lots of tools on how to succeed on your journey. You will not be able to leave the facility which gives you the safety and security away from any drugs or alcohol so you can start to heal. Many people who leave treatment and go straight home after rehab are often under prepared and find it extremely difficult to cope with real life again. Having to face life head on straight after a rehab programme can be way too much, too soon and this is where the benefits of a sober living home really come into effect. We believe that a sober living programme is crucial in learning how to maintain long-term recovery. You will learn to deal with any triggers and stressful situations that may threaten your sobriety whilst being in a supportive environment. Even if you have been in a rehab programme for 3 months its highly recommended that you go to sober living afterwards for as long as you can. We are seeing how valuable this is as lots of people who come to us are not ready to go home yet. Rehab is the first step and in the sober house we are seeing how much more work needs to be done to maintain long-term sobriety. Sober Living Facility in Thailand There are some very notable differences when it comes to choosing a sober living facility especially in Thailand. First and foremost, you want to make sure that they employ experienced counsellors along with a license to operate. We are independent of any rehabs which means that our primary purpose is guiding you through this stage of the recovery process. The programme needs to be a step down from rehab, so you can begin to gain some independence to start exploring your own choices and how you want to take your own recovery. Always make sure that the sober living home that you choose offers you more than one pathway to recover. A true sober living programme will guide and support you into making sustainable choices letting you take ownership of your journey whilst holding you accountable. The peer support in the house needs to be a strong so you can learn from each other and support each other. At our sober living home in Thailand we specialise in ownership and empowerment which is very powerful. If a sober home has only given you one pathway to follow, then you are going to find it difficult to maintain that pathway especially if it’s not really been working for you. I was personally trained by some of the pioneers of the recovery movement in the UK and I fully understand the process and the important factors that go into helping people to achieve long-term recovery. I have been working in the addictions field for over 10 years which has given me a wealth of knowledge. The family vibe is very special at The Calm sober house. Our number one priority is how we care for you. Have a look through our google reviews to see what people are saying about our care. Sober living can be very challenging because now the substances have been put down you will have to deal with the emotions and possible cross addictions that surface. You will need to be in a very caring environment whilst you work through those possible issues. The sober living facility at our sober living home in Thailand is world class. We have a stunning, beautiful 12-bedroom villa type resort. We keep the cost very low and it will be very hard to beat us on price for what we offer. I urge you to seriously think about including sober living after rehab because this will give you the best chance of long-term recovery. Have a look through our website and then you can fill out the email contact form. Let’s come together to make your recovery something for you to be proud of.