We all want successful recovery at Thailand’s rehab centres

Are you ready to make a change?

If you’re reading this, then you may be considering spending time in rehab. That’s great. Going into rehab is one of the best things you could do for yourself. However, there are sure to be some challenges on the road to getting clean, including;

• Cravings for drugs and alcohol
• Financial worries and insecurity 
• Self-doubt
• Negative thoughts
• Pressure from family, friends, and work 

It can be hard to make the decision to get help for addiction and do something about it. Add to this how addiction rewrites the brain and your personality and you could feel overwhelmed at the prospect. But there’s no need to constantly reach for that one last pill, drink, or fix. It is possible to reverse the changes that substance abuse causes, and it is possible to get better and recover from addictions.

Negative thoughts

Your success with rehabilitation can depend on the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings you take into the treatment process. Addicts that go in with a negative mindset are more likely to leave treatment early, learn nothing from their time in rehab, and quickly fall back into old habits and blame everyone else for their problems. Rather than looking at recovery negatively you should consider it a great way to reclaim your lost health and wellbeing and live a better life.

The main reasons people fail to successfully complete addiction treatment programmes are psychological ones. Here are the most prevalent negative thoughts you may experience;

I can’t change

Lots of people struggling with addiction will initially resist change. All change begins with a little courage. If you want to leave behind the dissatisfaction that is holding you back, you must first deal with the underlying causes of your addiction. In order to get over this resistance to change and belief you can’t change, start by focusing on what is fuelling your addiction.

An inpatient treatment centre gives you the chance to work on the issues that are pushing you towards your chosen drug. Through individual counselling and group therapy, you can uncover the root cause behind your addictive patterns. You’ll learn how you became an addict in the first place. As you slowly unravel what motivates you to continue using drugs and alcohol, you’ll lose that resistance to change and come to believe that you can. 

The cravings are stronger than me 

It takes determination to undo many months and years of unhealthy habits. The human brain reinforces certain mental circuits with drug use. Those circuits will kick up a storm when bypassed. That’s the reason we feel cravings for the drugs we take, even years after the last time they were taken. Take a look at this brain map from NIDA for Teens to learn more about the battle of addiction: 

The reality of cravings is that they are physiological and psychological in nature. Being able to identify, process, and resolve cravings establishes new circuitry in the brain. The idea is that you reinforce those new mental pathways through practice. Each time that you allow cravings to pass without acting on them, you are strengthening a healthy habit. Over time, cravings start appearing less and less, with a little less intensity each time.

I’ll relapse and fail if I try

The Yale Journal of Medicine and Biology suggests that relapsing is a normal part of the recovery process. Losing one more battle doesn’t mean that the war is lost. This isn’t to suggest that relapsing is inevitable though. 

To better strengthen yourself against the fear of relapse, focus on recognising the early warning signs that you may relapse. You can then work with the team at the rehab facility to foster better coping skills to prevent a relapse early on, when you have the best chance of success. Something else that may help you to overcome the fear of relapsing is understanding that treatment takes a degree of dedication and hard work. Do the work and you’ll soon see the rest comes with time. 

The Secrets of Rehab Success in Thailand 

If you want to succeed with addiction recovery you need motivation, a treatment programme that best suits your needs, and you have to stick to the aftercare plan you are given. Here are some secrets to rehab success; 

1. Find Motivation

Everyone gets discouraged at some point. There are going to be days when you will have difficulty talking to your counsellor or sharing your story during a group meeting. There are going to be days you want to just give up. What do you need in order to stay motivated during those early days? Remember that this state of dissatisfaction is going to pass in time.

Lots of people become depressed and melancholic and feel no motivation at all, particularly after a detox programme. Substances can alter the reward centre of the brain. When you are weaned off of them, it’s only natural your body will feel down without them. A few days of this lack of motivation may cause a relapse.

What helps us in these times is to focus on more creative solutions. Here are some recommendations for things you can do that have helped others push through their rehab when they feel unmotivated;

• Try a new activity offered by the rehab facility such as art therapy, yoga, and writing 
• Go out for a walk. You’d be surprised at what moving around for just 20 minutes can do. 
• List the reasons that you entered treatment and want to get clean. Use them as motivation. 
• Talk your feelings out with a friend, new or old. Focus on finding a solution. 
• Go to the gym. Just 20 minutes of cardiovascular activity gets your blood flowing with oxygen. 

2. Choose the Right Addiction Treatment Programme

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to getting clean. If you want to get the best help and support for you then you should do a little research. The SAMHSA Treatment Service Locator is a great confidential source of information that helps individuals such as yourself find a treatment facility in the United States.

There are similar services in other countries but for finding rehabs in Thailand I suggest looking at this page as it is frequently updated and removes rehab centres that have closed down. If you want to admit yourself to a rehab in Thailand then contact Thai Rehab Helper for assistance.

Here’s what you should consider before enrolling in a treatment programme;

• What does the facility specialize in?
• Do they offer detox services?
• How many staff members are there per patient?
• Do they offer individualized care?
• What are their treatment approaches and philosophy?

When you’ve decided to get help for your problems, be sure that you choose a facility that uses medication and talk therapy together. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) outlines the principles for effective addiction treatment. Their current principles say that:

This doesn’t mean you should choose a one-size-fits-all treatment programme. Actually, you want a rehab facility that addresses your unique requirements. Everyone is their own individual. They have their own reasons for using substances and they have their own reasons for wanting to get clean. The NIDA themselves say that there is no single treatment that works for everyone.

The best possible rehab programme is one that treats each patient as the individual they are with their own unique needs. Successful rehab facilities have developed individualized plans for their patients. Those plans must be updated constantly as things change over time, possibly even while you are staying at the facility.

3. Have an Aftercare Plan Ready

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines four key dimensions that help to support a successful life in recovery. Those elements should be the foundation of an “aftercare plan”; a formal written document outlining what you will do once you complete a course of rehab and leave the facility. Those four key elements are: 

Health

You must make informed and healthy choices that will support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing after leaving rehab. This is something that ongoing psychotherapy may help with and why outpatient treatment continues for up to a year – if not longer – after rehab.

Home

Having a stable living environment and a home to live is vital for successful rehab. You might be referred to a sober living facility or a halfway house upon completion of rehab.

Purpose

Having some meaningful purpose to life and doing daily activities like working, caring for your family, or creative pursuits should be planned into a week. Aftercare plans should include these activities.

Community

This part of an aftercare programme generally takes the form of peer support communities such as 12-steps groups. You will need to develop new and healthy relationships and establish a supporting, friendly, loving, and hopeful social network to succeed with lifelong addiction recovery. 

Top five things to avoid;

Trying to do everything by yourself 

There’s no need to stay isolated when trying to get help. Doing so works against you in the long run. Addiction recovery is more likely when you seek treatment and take steps to work with others. Getting support from the people around you is vital to get through the challenges that come with trying to get clean and be sober. Establish a support network and don’t go alone.

Rapid detox and short-term treatment plans

Rather, commit yourself to a structured treatment programme and devote yourself to the entire process. An inpatient programme is great because it takes you away from the drug scene and the environment that caused you to take up drugs in the first place.

Giving up after Slipping Up

Relapses are common during addiction recovery. Rather than throwing away all the hard work you’ve put in so far, continue moving forward through the rest of your treatment.

Negative thinking

You want to work on the psychological factors affecting motivation with a therapist or addiction counsellor. Never forget that addiction problems are as psychological as they are physical.

Avoid the people and places connected with your old lifestyle

Learn what could be triggering your negative behaviour and apply the coping techniques developed during rehabilitation to stay away from things that could provoke a relapse.

Contact Thai Rehab Helper