Sober Houses and Sober Living
Sober Living in Thailand
Whilst residential addiction treatment centres provide the skills and basic tools for recovery from addiction, these skills can be lost quickly after you’ve finished at least 28 days of inpatient treatment and return to your home from Thailand.
Old friends and bad influences, combined with the stresses of day to day life, can make maintaining sobriety difficult. A sober house is simply a bridge between residential drug/alcohol rehab and the real world environment. Sober houses make the recovery process more enjoyable and reduce the risk of relapse.
Sober Living in Thailand is ideal for people who:
prefer a more intimate rehab experience
enjoy meditation and mindfulness approaches to recovery
want to choose their own recovery path and timeframe
need affordable alternatives to inpatient rehab
A sober house might be part of a larger residential rehab centre, or can operate as an independent sober living facility. Inpatient addiction treatment centres in Thailand will ask that you complete at least 28 days of primary care before being considered for an in-house sober living program.
Sober Houses that operate independently of rehab centres can be more flexible about admission but will still need assurances that you are well-equipped and psychologically prepared to enter a sober living programme.
Supportive Recovery Community
A sober living community provides an ideal environment for guests and residents to discover their true potential. As part of the community, each sober resident has one goal; to achieve sobriety! By working as a team and supporting each others shared goals, sober living is supportive and comforting to anyone serious about recovery from addictive behaviours.
“A sober house is a recovery community. It should be filled with positive energy and an atmosphere for personal growth” – Dr. Gilbert
Fun and adventure
Having fun during recovery helps people stay committed to the program. Chiang Mai is blessed when it comes to adventures! Some of the activities offered by sober living facilities in Chiang Mai include;
- jungle ziplining
- elephant sanctuaries
- rock climbing
- temple tours
- hiking
- river rafting and kayaking
- jungle and mountains trekking
- culture and historic sites and tours
- many great food options
- night markets and shopping malls
The serious side of sobriety
A sober living programme in Thailand isn’t all fun and games. You will be expected to participate in the programme and abide by the house rules. Compulsory and optional treatments will consist of individual counselling, therapeutic group sessions and sober coaching from qualified professionals.
It should be noted here that even though sober housing is not as strict as inpatient rehab, there are still rules to follow. With more freedom to explore unaccompanied and with the potential to access alcohol or substances, participating is substance misuse will probably lead to being expelled from the sober house.
The cost of sober houses in Thailand
Secondary stage treatment for addiction is less intensive than primary stage drug and alcohol rehab – so it costs less. The whole point of sober living is to become more independent and introduce yourself back into normal life by using the skills you learnt during the primary stage of treatment.
The cost of sober living in Thailand is USD $3,900 to $8,000 for 1 month. You won’t get as much counselling or therapy. You will have support and guidance to help you transition back to a meaningful life free from addiction.
Secondary stage programmes can last as long as needed
There is no exact timeframe but most of us in recovery will benefit from an extended sober living programme.
We all have our own way of dealing with addictive behaviours. Some of us will transition more quickly – others will need more time and extended support.
Sober housing is not compulsory so you can technically leave anytime. In most cases you will really feel the benefit of being in a sober living programme, so won’t find yourself trying to make excuses to leave as often happens in the early inpatient treatment. By the time you are in the 2nd or 3rd month, you should see the benefit of a long-term sober living programme.
Sober living in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is the wellness hub of Thailand and where you will find most of the sober housing services. The focus at sober houses in Chiang Mai is to assist residents in achieving sustainable and long-term recovery from addiction. Sober living is best described as the perfect place for residents in recovery to test their skills and practice primary treatment techniques in a safe environment – all under supervision from trained staff and housemates.
“Sober houses in Chiang Mai give you abstinence-based, recovery-focused living, in a location perfect for building an independent life.” – Kenny D.
Sober houses in Chiang Mai use an evidence-based approach that encourages personal growth and improves the chance of successful lifelong abstinence. Essentially, sober living in Chiang Mai will help to strengthen and build upon the recovery foundations laid down during primary stage care at inpatient rehab.
Chiang Mai has a worldwide reputation for its cultural and natural attractions. The opportunities for adventure and exploration in the surrounding area are abound. Optional yoga/meditation sessions, fitness classes and recreational excursions are provided by the sober living provider, leaving enough free time each day to explore the delights of the old city and northern Thailand.
It’s fair to say that you won’t be bored at a sober house in Chiang Mai. A good sober house should be able to keep you motivated and focused on recovery for an extended time if needed. In fact, many sober house residents continue staying in Chiang Mai after completing residential recovery as they fall in love with the old city of the former Lanna kingdom and the surrounding area.
Contact Thai Rehab Helper
Jimi Jones and the team at Thai Rehab Helper are ready to support you on your recovery journey. You can contact us anytime for 100% confidential advice on alcohol treatment in Thailand.