Inpatient rehab Thailand.

[Whistledown2]

Does anyone have any experience of this? I have been looking at UK rehab centres and the prices are eye watering, it appears due to the low cost of living in Thailand, these centres can provide quality rehab at a much lower cost, even after travel expenses.

I am looking for my son who has a drug addiction.

I have no experience of this, but can't imagine packing off someone vulnerable to Thailand for rehab is a great idea.

Agree, if he struggles and has a relapse in Thailand?
Lifetime in prison isn't it?

I was going to accompany him actually but thank you for highlighting that point. I’m assuming that you both have experience of addiction?

Private rehabs are very expensive. There are services that aren't technically rehabs but offer residential support. Housing benefit pays the majority of the cost with a top up per week from residents. The most local ones near us are around £15pw. I would try speaking with local substance services and see what is available and what funding is like. The substance of choice is also a factor - alcohol requires specialised treatment as withdrawal is dangerous without appropriate oversight. The centres near us require people who are entering to have essentially dried out 1st which is a huge cost in itself.

Its also worth noting (you probably already know) that unless he is ready and willing for recovery its not likely to work.

Addiction is awful on the person and their loved ones. I hope you have support too.

Please speak to your local addiction service who can often provide residential detox and rehab for free - alternatively they can offer advice

@NeverAloneNeverAgainthank you for your helpful post. I have been looking at UK rehabs which, as you say, are incredibly expensive. He has registered with the local drug support who state that he needs to engage in all other forms of rehab before he can ‘qualify’ for an inpatient bed.

I am just doing my homework really, as sadly he is not ready yet, and may never be.

I hear you and hope you are ok, addiction affects everyone in the family so much. I have heard great things about the cabin. I went to Delamere in Cheshire which is around £20k for 4 weeks but that included aftercare and was life changing.

good luck

Have you looked into South Africa rehab centre?
My dsd went to one for her anorexia on recommendation of her psychiatrist.
They are considered really good and it was half the cost of ones here.
There was drug addiction programmes too

My addiction was to alcohol, I went to a private rehab in Essex 3 years ago, there were people there with addictions to various substances. A place in South Africa was also recommended to me, and as you describe even including flight costs it would have still been less expensive. A major factor in my decision to remain in the UK was that the specific support offered by the rehab sort of ‘fed into’ the easily accessible support in the community afterwards.

It was expensive, around £14,000 for 28 days, but my alcohol habit was also expensive, and from conversations with people with drug addictions, theirs were even more so.

@Whistledown2 services generally require engagement for a period to show willingness. It can feel hopeless. Recovery is possible though but its hard - im lived experience. You want to support your son but please take care of you first. When he's sick and tired of being sick and tired he'll start to change - its only when things become objectionable to us that we start to do things about. He has to reach his bottom.

Sadly there are no quick fixes and relapse is often part of recovery. I would have a look at some support groups for families experiencing addiction. They will be able to understand how you feel and its a safe place to be able to be open about it. I know na-anon really supported my own family when I was in the madness.

Is your son ready to do this or is it you that’s organising it all? Unless it’s him you’ll be wasting your money, he needs to want this for any chance of being successful. Seen this many times with my friends sister and another friends mother. They were pushed into it or everything was suggested and arranged by the family and they went along with it.

Local drug services hold a budget for placements at UK rehabs but as you’ve experienced, these can be hard to access as you have to fulfil the criteria in order to be considered for a funded place. The criteria is there because sadly recovery is very challenging and a key component for success in a rehab placement is the willingness to make really hard changes. If someone isn’t willing to engage with the individual sessions at a local drug service, it’s likely they’re not ready for rehab.

I don’t have any experience of rehabs abroad but as a previous poster has mentioned, it’s really helpful to be linked in with your local community in ways which promote recovery. Whether that’s through recovery communities/like minded people, volunteer work or paid employment or hobby groups etc, people who used to use alcohol/drugs will find it hard to not use, if their time isn’t spent meaningfully doing something else. Having people around them which “get it” can be invaluable. I’d worry that foreign rehabs lack this element.

DP went to a Christian rehab, it’s far, far less expensive but it can also be a bit cult-ish, YMMV on how well he’d navigate it.

It has worked brilliantly for him so although not religious myself, I can’t complain.

Forgot to say, presuming he can discharge himself, I’m not sure I’d risk Thailand.

DP’s friend went there for an extended holiday (not rehab) and had been sober for over 2 years and fell off the wagon pretty much within the first month.

@DebtfreemeI’m very much not ok to be honest but I have to do what needs doing. I cannot afford £20k or anywhere near that. I am probably being too ambitious thinking I’m able to fund him.

im pleased for you and your family that things have worked out🙏🏼

@Theredjellybeani did see SA on the internet. I’m becoming reluctant to the idea of overseas now. My son is too problematic I think. Thank you for your post.

@doglikescheeseontoastI am in Essex and have enquired about a few. The more I research the more I feel it is beyond me, especially if he relapses as I won’t be able to do it again. Thanks for your post.

My mum was an alcoholic and died from her alcoholism. She did really well with AA in the end (too late obviously). But it was a lot better than the many many times she dried out in hospital. She did become less atheist if not exactly religious and that truly did help her (although I know many people hate the idea of a higher power which is a core principle of 12 step work).

I think there is narcotics anonymous too, but not sure how common these are in the UK.

When you say he needs to engage with all other types of rehab before they will give him a bed at an inpatient, is your concern that he won't try it or that you're worried he needs inpatient care to come off drugs? If it's the former, I don't think sending him to Thailand is a good idea at all (although i completely understand why you would want to)

@NeverAloneNeverAgainim hoping he will be sick of being sick but it doesn’t look that way. He clearly isn’t ready and is just appeasing me. I am initiating everything but he’s open to inpatient rehab because it’s ‘easy’ as he’s ’locked away’. These are his words not mine.

I have done some zoom meetings with Famanon. Personally I dislike zoom, would prefer f2f but unfortunately since covid, most have continued with zoom, very few f2f.

@MrsPerfect12I am initiating everything and completely aware that it’s futile. One of the reasons I’m reluctant is because of this. I cannot afford ‘cheap’ or expensive. Im
clutching at straws to be honest .

Twenty five years ago I talked to an American man who told me he had wasted “ten thousand lousy stinking dollars” on his son’s rehab. I think his view was that spending the money wasn’t the answer, it was the willingness of the addict to give up. I wouldn’t put the cart before the horse here, as much as you want to.

One of my friends moved to Thailand, got clean and became a drugs counsellor in a facility in Thailand. He always spoke very highly of the addiction services on offer

@frogspawn15I will have a chat with the service he is under, but they said he needs to go down the other routes first.

@YourGladSquidchristian rehab I shall look into that!

Thailand is looking less and less favourable now.

@KateKontentsorry for your loss, that must’ve been incredibly difficult. My Son is not comfortable with meetings. Says he feel under pressure to share and spends the whole evening anxious. He is not committed to the step work either.