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The use of drugs and alcohol is a normal part of life for many people these days. Various pressures can push people towards finding an escape through substance abuse of one sort or another. Often this can be particularly difficult for the friends and family around these people that have to witness their slow decline. However, there is some help available with rehabilitation retreats outside the addict's home country proving particularly effective. This allows addicts to disassociate their problems with their normal surroundings and lets them take stock of their issues form a distance.

Substance dependence is losing control over the abuse of a substance which starts to dominate a persons' whole life so that their work, social or psychological functioning gets impaired as a direct result. It is possible for dependence to be both psychological and physical with many people abusing drugs and alcohol simply to avoid the symptoms of withdrawal.

And when someone becomes an addict their tolerance to that particular substance alters greatly. This means they will require more and more of the drug or substance to achieve the same 'high' or even, at a certain point, just for feel as if they are functioning normally.

Diagnosis

Substance addiction or dependence can be identified when a person is distressed, suffers from impaired behaviour or at least three of the following factors during one month:

• Tolerance of the specific substance increases
• The substance is taken for longer times or larger amounts than previously
• There is a wish to control or cut down substance intake
• Most of the subject's time is spent trying to get hold of the substance or recovering from its effects
• Withdrawal symptoms are so bad that greater quantities of the substance are required as a consequence
• The drug user stops other activities due to its side effects
• The user is well aware of the psychological or physical problem caused by the substance but still uses it

Treatment

There are many different treatments available to help people overcome their physical addictions and at the same time try to examine the route cause of why they started to abuse drugs and/or alcohol in the first place.

The first step is of course detoxification and getting rid of all remnants of the particular substance from the bloodstream. This is much simpler abroad as addicts normally form close relationships and bonds with people who share a common affliction. With these ties severed it is easier for the individual substance abuser to focus on the cause of their own problem without 'enablers' clouding the issue.

Many centres around the world, including South Africa, Switzerland, Australia and Thailand offer addiction rehabilitation plans individually catering to the specific emotional and physical needs of addicts.

These may include:

• Group therapy sessions
• One-2-one therapy sessions
• Two psycho-educational workshops
• Yoga
• Spa treatments
• Tai Chi (Chi Kung)
• Personal Training
• 12-Step Meetings
• Nutrition Consultation

Group Therapy

Group therapy helps to complement personal therapy by helping the individual to share experiences of alcohol or drug addiction with others plus gain valuable insights from peers with similar experiences. Sometimes a daily diary filled with thoughts and emotions can help get clarity on issues.

Psycho-educational Workshop

Sessions provide a deeper understanding of why people fall into addiction and aim to empower the recovering addict with information which they can apply to their daily life to help them stay clean from drugs or alcohol. Many former substance abusers go on to lead full and happy lives and even become counsellors to use their previous troubles to good use helping others.

Aftercare

Once people leave these specialist centres it is crucial that they do not relapse into their old ways. Experienced therapists should monitor the progress of reformed addicts through private meetings and also attending sessions such as AA or NA can also help keep their minds focused in the wake of old temptations. Occasionally people do relapse but then it is important to have all the possible support around them when this does happen for the addict to be shown the error of their ways.

About the author: Charlie Brooks was a heroin addict for 20 years before seeking help. Now he helps others with similar problems. For more info on drug and alcohol addiction recovery, he recommends: http://breathingspacethailand.com/addiction-rehabilitation-therapy/