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A lot of people in recovery have the same question when it comes to getting clean: What am I going to do for fun instead?

When someone’s whole life gets to the point of using their substance of choice (alcohol, pills, methamphetamines - you name it) the idea of a life without them is daunting. You don’t know what will come next, and that becomes a stumbling block on the path for recovery. People who suffer from addiction most likely have other underlying mental health issues as well. Depression, anxiety, social phobias, as well as many others provide a path to “self-medication” that winds up turning into a lifelong addiction and struggle with substance abuse.

The importance of giving people in recovery something to do cannot be understated. While most people who don’t suffer from addiction use substances while they do activities (think of a group of games having some beers while they play together), addicts will tend to do activities while they use. The difference here is major, and it’s the focus of a lot of tension and anxiety for addicts while trying to recover.

So the obvious question remains how to go about their life and be social without using or drinking. It isn’t an easy question to answer. It’s the topic of sharing in many NA or AA groups and around a lot of tables. Anyone that visits a 12-step meeting is going to hear a discussion about “fun in recovery” sooner or later. Addicts need to learn how to integrate fun in their lives while leaving the use of substances behind.

Fun sober activities at rehab in Thailand

Fun sober activity is an integral part of the journey to recovery as it helps you find out who you are in the world without drugs and alcohol. This is where rehab structured activities come into play. Many rehabs in Thailand have organised excursions and group activities in place to help clients re-learn what fun is outside of using substances. Structure is very important in the early days of clean time, and your experience in one of these centers is constructed with that in mind to offer the support and stability that you or your loved one will need.

In Thailand specifically, the variety of excursions surpasses any found in North America and Western Europe. Going on temple tours, sightseeing tours, jungle treks, exploring street markets, learning Thai cooking, and visiting elephant sanctuaries are just some among the various excursions that you can find in rehab centers here.

These excursions and activities provide a safe place for recovering addicts to come and begin to take part in group activities and outdoor experiences, without the fear that someone will offer them something to use. Clients often feel a lot of apprehension about getting into a normal life, and rehab is a great place to practice all of the life skills that addicts will need going forward to live happy and healthy lives - including how to have fun and enjoy the little things in life that make it worth living.

That’s why it’s so important in a rehab to have a structured environment to practice life skills within a safe area with trained, experienced staff that can help the clients move forward. Going into a crowded marketplace to experience a new city can be overwhelming for people suffering from these emotional issues, but a structured trip out to explore a city doesn’t have to be an experience filled with crippling anxiety, when you’ve got support staff and counselors who are helping you learn how to deal with it and take it slowly to ensure comfort and facilitate a positive experience.

Many clients in rehabilitation centers find that even when they have some issues on these excursions, having a process group or therapy session with their counselor afterwards is extremely helpful in being able to process everything that they are feeling, and progress forward.

In addition to offering exciting excursions as part of the recovery programs, many quality rehab centers in Thailand use evidence-based treatment methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), as well as tailored treatment to accommodate the special requirements of clients with co-occurring disorders. Both individual and group therapy are widely used as well, and rehab centers may either have detox facilities in-house, or partner with a nearby hospital for this service.

Rehab doesn’t always have to be a daunting experience, treatment in Thailand is filled with self-discovery, skill-building and lots of fun activities! If you require a rehab facility, Thailand is the place for you, visit Thailand Rehab Guide for more guidelines on what Thailand has to offer in rehabilitation and mental health services.