THE HOPE BLOG
Episode 41 – Advanced Treatment
It this episode of the Hope Rehab Thailand podcast, Chris gives us his opinion on advanced treatment. We look at who might benefit from this option and what it actually involves.
Age Matters: Substance Use in Older and Younger Women
Women may abuse alcohol, prescription medication or illegal drugs across their lifespan, but the why and what of their use changes with age. In this post, we look at what age matters when it comes to treatment and prevention of drug addiction in women.
Finding Purpose and Meaning in Recovery
Addiction is a killer disease so having a defined sense of purpose helps keep away from self-destructive behaviour. In this post, we describe how to use a visualization technique to find your life purpose, and then we tell you how to use this to create a mission statement.
Mindful Exercise – The Benefits of Moving Meditation
Any practice where we are deliberately directing our attention provides an opportunity to benefit from mindfulness. In this post, we look at using physical exercise as a form of moving meditation. We also discuss how we could develop this into a path leading to transformative insights.
Episode 41 – Is There Hope for a Chronic Relapser?
In this episode of the podcast Hannah Brooks shares her thoughts on being a chronic relapser. We also look at what has changed after spending five months at Hope Rehab.
100 Tips for Building a Strong Recovery
The team at Hope Rehab Thailand has put together a list of 100 tips that we feel could be useful for those of us in recovery. We have collectively applied this advice to our own lives and reaped the rewards, and we invite you to do the same.
Staying Motivated and Goal Setting in Recovery
There are many possible reasons for why we lose motivation, but the most common is that we start to take the improvements in our life for granted – don’t let this happen to you. In this post we provide guidance on staying motivated and goal setting.
How to Find a Good Rehab in Thailand
The uncomfortable truth is that basically anyone with a website and a couple of spare rooms can claim to be a rehab in Thailand. These operations are usually illegal and potentially dangerous, but how can someone looking for help from abroad know this. Here are tips for looking for a good rehab in Thailand.
Accountability
Accountability in Early Recovery by Hope Rehab Team What is accountability? Is self-discipline the same as self-will? What tools can help me become more accountable? Extract from the Hope [...]
Episode 40 – Atheism, Agnosticism, and Recovery
Are you put off by all the God talk in recovery circles? Listen here to Doug Sutherland offer his view on being an atheist in recovery. He sees spirituality as more about a sense of connection rather than belief in a specific deity.
Borderline Personality Disorder, Self-Harm, and the Link to Addiction in Women
Research suggests that women are far more likely to develop borderline personality disorder than men. Why is this? Also, why are so many women with BPD also dealing with addiction problems? Here we try to answer to these questions and suggest treatment options for women with BPD.
Fatal Attraction: Women Who Keep Falling for the Wrong Man
Why do some women repeatedly fall for the wrong type of man? It’s complicated, but it has nothing to do with lack of intelligence. In this post we look at some of the reasons this sad state of affairs arises.
Episode 39 – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
It is said we spend up to 70% of our life operating on auto-pilot, and this can be incredibly damaging if this involves repeatedly engaging in negative patterns of behavior like addiction. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps us to escape the tyranny of life on auto-pilot so we can find freedom.
Concurrent Disorders – Overcoming a Dual Diagnosis with the Help of Hope Rehab Thailand
In this post we look at the need for appropriate treatment options for those of us dealing with a concurrent disorder (aka dual diagnosis). We examine the specific obstacles facing people dealing with an addiction problem alongside a mental health issue such as depression, anxiety disorder, or a personality disorder.
Behavioral Addiction in Women – The Neglected Cousin of Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Behavioral addiction describes problematic behaviors over which an individual has no longer control. Women tend to be more at risk of developing these issues. In this post we examine the symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment options for females dealing with these compulsive behaviors.
Group Therapy for Addicts: Natural Antidote to Despair
Group therapy is on the menu at most rehabs, so why is it so popular? Is it just way to save money by getting clients to do their own therapy? Or, is there a valid reason for why this approach is so widespread? Check out this post to find the answer.
The Barriers Facing Women Seeking Addiction Treatment
The evidence shows that women are often getting worse deal then men when it comes to addiction treatment. A gender responsive rehab acknowledges and addresses the needs of women entering a rehab program. Find out more about the problems facing women going to rehab and how these can be addressed.
Episode 38 – Childhood Sexual Trauma
In this episode of the podcast, Yuriko discusses childhood sexual trauma. One in four girls and one in six boys are said to suffer this type of abuse. Is there a way back from this type of experience? What is the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and addiction?
A Buddhist Response to Boredom
When given the choice between sitting alone in silence or receiving electric shocks, most of us would choose the electric shocks. It is hardly surprising that boredom is a huge risk for people leaving rehab. Buddhism provides a solution that doesn’t involve feeding our addiction to stimulation.
Escaping my addiction: Why just moving wasn’t the right move
Ever thought about or tried to move to another city/country/continent to escape your addiction? Recovery Coach Chris describes his many failed attempts to achieve sobriety by geographical changes, why it didn't work out and what eventually helped him to break the vicious cycle.
Forgiveness: A Gift We Can Offer Ourselves
Why forgive? We may have valid reasons to feel resentful, but this pattern of thinking only prolongs our pain and keeps us in a relationship with our abusers. So, one good reason for forgiveness is we see that we have already suffered enough. Self-forgiveness means we live and learn rather than punishing ourselves.
Episode 37 – Refuge Recovery – Buddhist Self-Help Group for Addiction Problems
Ever heard of Refuge Recovery? It's a Buddhist self-help group for addiction recovery. Learn more about the benefits of Refuge Recovery, its aims, target audience, usefulness, and why it's definitely worth checking out in our latest podcast episode.
Staying clean and sober on Christmas: The best tips and coping strategies to have brilliant holidays
Tips and coping strategies for a clean & sober Christmas: We provide you with hands-on advice on how to stay strong in your recovery, prevent relapse throughout the holidays, deal with the New Year's blues, and end up having a brilliant time without alcohol or drugs.
Resentments – You Are the Reason My Life Sucks!
People can be assholes, but is holding a resentment the best response? Here are some anecdotes, observations, and tips for better dealing with the assholery of others.
The Stages of Grief – How to Survive a Loss
Grief can be triggered by any type of loss - the toughest one being death. Learn more about the stages of grief, coping strategies, how long grief lasts, obstacles to the grieving process and potential support networks.