REHABILITATION TOURISM The New Wave Modern resort-like drug and alcohol rehab centres in Thailand
Entertainment magazines are packed full with reports of rock stars, actors and the occasional politician derailing on drugs or alcohol and landing themselves in famous rehab facilities such as The Canyon in Malibu California or London's Priory. But now some of these public figures can escape the prying eyes of the paparazzi and brutal comments of tabloid reporters by retreating to Thailand where they can discretely overcome addictions with their dignity intact. And it’s not only the rich and famous who are doing it.
“People come to Thailand for anonymity,” says Wade Dupuis of Channah Thailand in Kanchanaburi Province. “You can avoid the stigma of rehab by saying you simply went on holiday. We get clients from all over the world — a lot from the Middle East, a few from the UK and America and many expats living in Asia."
“In the last 18 months we've had clients from 24 different countries across four continents,” says Stephen Russell of Breathing Space Thailand in Chiang Mai. “This programme really does have international appeal. Some people may have travelled here as tourists at some point in the past. They might have a frame of reference on the Thai tourist experience, so for many people they feel it would make an excellent location for their addiction recovery.”
Rehabilitation tourism is a growing buzz in Thailand as the latest development in a growing list of professional medical services available throughout the kingdom. Thailand already enjoys international acclaim for superb medical and spa services. Over the last five years holistic wellness, detoxification and weight loss programmes have grown fast both in terms of popularity and accessibility, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services are springing up off the back of this sector. Thailand hosts a number of centres that offer Hollywood-style services and expert treatments that have attracted celebrities, politicians, business people and professionals from around the world.
Health entrepreneurs are building on Thailand’s strength in integrated medicine and holistic wellness. These combine conventional Western medicine and Eastern alternative therapies, of which there are numerous expert providers. The integrative medical philosophy (that the conventional treatment of disease symptoms has limited efficacy and offers short-term relief) is being carried into the field of substance abuse. These centres offer holistic treatment regimes that consider the psychological and spiritual sides of addiction, not simply the chemical dependency.
Consequently, they offer therapeutic spa therapies that help clients cope with their addiction. These treatments are not employed for beautification purposes, but for the benefits they offer in the early stages of recovery. Complementary therapies like yoga, massage and aromatherapy help clients to realise new and healthy ways of relaxing. They provide an enjoyable and accessible alternative to drinking or drug abuse which become habitual coping mechanisms for stress and, the most common triggers for relapse. Holistic therapies complement bio-psychological recovery as they help people regain their health and mental focus.
For example, yoga is widely used in these circumstances because it increases physical strength, flexibility and uses breathing exercises which help people relax and clear their minds so they can better cope with the inevitable pressures and temptations of recovery. Massage also helps relieve anxiety, tension and stress, and is particularly important in early stages of recovery, like immediately after medical detoxification. Once these techniques are learned and assimilated into a person’s lifestyle they can help to ensure clients stay ‘clean’ long after their residency here is over.
Kanchanaburi’s Channah Thailand and Chiang Mai’s Breathing Space Thailand are leading the field in drug and alcohol rehabilitation as they pioneer new and highly effective approaches to treatment. Substance abusers who complete rehab programmes are far more likely to make a full recovery. The average completion rate for residential programmes hovers around 50 per cent. However Channah Thailand boasts a 92 per cent completion rate which is among the very best results for any clinic in the world. Much comes down to a compassionate and caring approach to treatment.
Rehab is a tough and traumatic process that should not be made harder through deprivation as many observers may advocate. Instead these centres help patients deal with the pain they have suppressed with drugs or alcohol and make their stay as comfortable as possible.
Channah and Breathing Space are both set in secluded rural locations, Channah along the scenic shores of the River Kwai and Breathing Space in the mountains of Chiang Mai. Guests will stay in their own luxury bungalow with private veranda, a maid and laundry service. These are more like luxury resorts than rehab clinics. There are no white walls, flickering fluorescent lights or bared doors here. Instead clients are welcome to wonder through tropical landscaped gardens, enjoy spa and fitness facilities, study in the library or kick back in the home cinema. Both centres are set up and designed to show clients how to use their free time constructively and to relax, socialise and enjoy themselves without chemical stimulation.
But this is no holiday and the people walking through the doors of either clinic are in for long struggle to get clean. Channah and Breathing Space apply many similar techniques in their individualised courses of treatment, but some fundamental differences remain.
At Channah, English-speaking patients are guided through a 28-day programme which uses cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), fitness coaching, counselling and group work to help patients envision and realise a lifestyle without drugs or alcohol. This is shorter than the typical twelve-week rehab programme, which allows people to slip off for treatment without noticeable absence. Shorter or longer courses are available depending on personal circumstance, although 28 days is a recommended minimum.
“Channah offered me an environment and a community of people who did know what hellhole I had been going through,” commented an 18-year-old woman in a voluntary testimonial. “Nobody judged me, nobody thought I was strange, nobody saw me as ‘different.’ No matter how old I was, what I had, where I was from, what drug I had been taking, how much or how little I was taking, there was one thing that we all had in common as clients here: an addiction. The understanding I had from the staff and the other clients was incredible. I felt safe in their hands.”
Channah Thailand uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as its core treatment. What CBT does is help uncover the emotional or psychological issues which push people into substance abuse. Treating addiction as a socially informed coping mechanism rather than a disease, CBT equips patients with cognitive tools to fight the urge to use. It seeks to change the way addicts see themselves and interact with their environment and society. They will also learn to recognize and avoid situations which may lead to relapse and cope with the problems which drove them to drink or drugs in the first place.
“Our CBT programme is based on the UK model, so our programme is quite similar but with more focus on the individual,” says Channah’s Dupuis. “Because we are in Thailand we can add a lot more services for the same cost. That means one-to-one sessions and lower patient to therapist ratios. For equivalent services abroad, we are significantly cheaper. The Priory in London costs 5,500 pounds per week — that’s more than double our costs.”
“In this part of the world we can achieve a value for money on the service we provide that many other international facilities of this standard cannot match,” says Breathing Space’s Russell. “Thailand and the region offer a therapeutic value. It gives people a sense of fun and enjoyment which has for years been intrinsically linked with drugs, helping them to see that there is more to life than drug use,” he adds.
On arriving at Bangkok airport, clients will be met by a staff member and escorted to Channah where they will immediately undergo a health exam and detoxification. After a clinical assessment, a rehabilitation programme will be designed that suits the individual. Again, drawing on integrative medicine’s focus on lifestyle change, Channah offers a wide array of spa treatments, fitness programmes like yoga or boxing, meditation and various other activities including kayaking and gardening. There is plenty of choice to help clients relax and discover new hobbies and interests.
Breathing Space Thailand adopts a slightly different approach, basing treatment on the tried and tested 12-step programme used around the world to treat drug and alcohol addictions. It is typically used in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings. It is a spiritual process which looks to a higher power for consolation and reassurance, but it is not a strictly religious process and is open to people of all faiths. Here recovery will depend on admitting to and accepting the problem and looking to a fellowship group for support. Personal accountability, humility, acceptance, letting go and spiritual growth are important aspects of the course. Breathing space provides a pure and non-threatening environment to discard personal fears and insecurities, to grow and to recover. Through counselling and group therapy, clients will come to realise the damage an addiction can inflict on themselves and their loved ones.
A variety of primary care techniques will also be applied according to bespoke recovery courses, selected by an experienced practitioner. These include CBT and other techniques like hypnotherapy, creative play therapy, and rational emotive therapy which all help uncover the triggers of addiction.
Spa and fitness regimes are encouraged, and all meals are provided. Because a poor diet can affect mood swings, concentration and cravings which have a major impact on early period of recovery, a nutritionist will ensure clients receive a healthy diet that will assist the healing process. Outside excursions are another important part of therapy as they offer a real life reference and help clients maintain perspective during their residency.
Aftercare is a vital element in any rehabilitation course, so Channah and Breathing Space offer comprehensive packages to ensure long lasting success. Channah maintains an extensive network of trustworthy aftercare specialists around the world and will organise twelve weeks of individual therapy to help people stay clean once they get home. Breathing Space offers a 12-step programme with local support groups as well as monthly follow-ups from staff.
Families are very much involved in the process as well. Breathing Space offers an intervention service and a family programme because they too are often adversely affected by addiction. Breathing Space will help family members cope with confusion, stress and anxiety, as well as offer advice on ways they can help manage a relative’s addiction.
Both centres are staffed by well qualified professionals. Psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists are licensed and accredited members of various professional bodies in Thailand and abroad which follow strict ethical codes. By limiting the number of clients at any one time, these centres try to ensure that nothing compromises their premium quality service or distracts from their guests’ recovery.
Channah Thailand and Breathing Space are two rehab clinics that are emerging as world class treatment centres with international appeal. People with a desire to overcome substance addictions travel to Thailand from rich nations like the USA, UK, Australia and Japan. In particular, these care providers have witnessed growing interest from Singaporean and Middle Eastern patients who may be looking to escape the social or legal repercussions of lifestyle choices that have spiralled out of control.
Here, addicts can find respite from the pressures and tribulations of their daily lives and relief from the issues that drive them to substance abuse. Channah and Breathing Space treat everybody, from the rich and famous to the average Joe, equally and with respect. Anonymity is always closely guarded. Both centres offer highly effective therapies in deluxe and secluded environments — and at about one third of the price of similar services in the USA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy France is a British freelance journalist based in Bangkok, covering business, travel, lifestyle and health. He is a regular contributor to CNNGo and the Southeast Asia Globe.
Copyright
Tourism Authority of Thailand. All Rights Reserved.
