How Travel Can Support Addiction Recovery: Destinations That Heal the Mind and Body

Addiction recovery is the process of overcoming an addiction and working toward creating unique coping strategies and mechanisms that will help the individual live with the symptoms of their addiction in the long-term.

As addiction can never truly be cured, it is vital that individuals struggling with addiction engage fully in their recovery programme with full commitment, motivation, and a good attitude toward recovery.

Addiction recovery is also known as rehabilitation and although this primarily refers to the treatment of a drug addiction (i.e., to alcohol, opioids, or other substances), it can also be applied to behavioural addictions, as well (i.e., shopping, gambling, sex).

This article will focus on how addition recovery can be supported by travel, the differing levels of rehabilitative care across the world (1), and how this can be best implemented into an individual’s recovery journey in the most effective manner.

The purpose of addiction recovery

As mentioned above, the purpose of addiction recovery is to learn to manage one’s addiction symptoms in the long-term and to overcome triggers and cravings that may occur throughout this period.

Rehabilitation is always recommended to individuals struggling with addiction as it is a disorder that can quickly worsen over time, often exponentially, and cause serious harm to an individual’s physical and mental health.

By attending rehabilitation or other addiction recovery practises as a part of travel, an individual may have a far more enriching experience of UK rehab, perhaps increasing the effectiveness of this type of care and prolonging the effects in the long-term.

In addition, there may be specific or specialised treatments that individuals seek abroad, also enriching their experiences in rehabilitation.

How can travel support addiction recovery?

Partaking in addiction recovery while travelling has many benefits, but this is specific to each individual case, and the right types of treatment must still be applied to each case.

For this reason, getting professional medical advice and/or approval is always recommended, as well.

However, when approval is granted and individuals are able to effectively participate in addiction recovery abroad, there are many additional advantages to this.

Specifically, attending addiction recovery abroad can often remove individuals from previously triggering environments, especially if the individual’s addiction developed at home or in the environment that they are intending to recover in.

The process of addiction recovery – three key stages of care

The best way to ensure that an individual has a full and effective experience of rehabilitation is to ensure that they follow the three stages of rehabilitation fully and complete each stage in turn.

These stages are designed to ensure that individuals have the full experience of care, treating all the physical and mental health effects of addiction.

In most cases, the treatment programmes that an individual participates in are chosen based on the individual’s pre-assessment (determining what types of care are most suitable for their needs), but this can be flexible and tailored at any time during the process as long as it does not disrupt the remainder.

The three stages are outlined in more detail in the following three subheadings.

1. Detoxification

This is the first stage of rehabilitation in an individual’s addiction recovery journey. This stage comes first as it physically prepares an individual for the remainder of their treatment programmes.

During detoxification (also shortened to a ‘detox’), individuals withdraw from the substance or behaviour that they are addicted to. This can be done all of a sudden in one change, or it can be done slowly over time to reduce harm, stress, and discomfort to the individual – this choice heavily depends on the substance an individual is addicted to, as well as the history of this.

Detoxification can be carried out abroad or while travelling in some situations, but it is generally recommended to partake in this stage while the individual is in their home country or close to home.

2. Therapy/treatment

Therapy and other treatment programmes generally make up the majority of an individual’s time in rehabilitation.

This is because partaking in therapy sessions and other holistic treatments is not something to be rushed and can take long periods of time to overcome specific issues, for example.

However, this is generally the stage in which many individuals may choose to travel. As well as the additional and specialised treatments that an individual may be able to access while travelling (wellness retreats etc.), a new environment can be a great way to reframe an individual’s perception of their recovery journey.

It is always essential that individuals ensure that the treatment they are seeking while travelling is available when and where they want it, as any delays can have knock-on effects for their health – both physically and mentally.

In addition, finding out specific rules and regulations concerning different addictions/substances is important before addiction recovery travel practices.

3. Aftercare

As the final stage of addiction recovery, this process refers to any further rehabilitative treatments that an individual partakes in as further care and support for their addiction.

This can also be carried out abroad, but it is again vital to check the specific availability of this. Also, if an individual has partaken in the previous stages of rehabilitation in one area, it is generally recommended to continue this in order to keep the service providers the same and not have to worry about the transfer of health information.

Popular travel destinations for addiction recovery

Though every individual will have different wants, needs and requirements of addiction recovery, this is not to say that some areas of the world are more or less popular than others for receiving this form of care.

For example, Thailand is an extremely popular location for individuals seeking ‘rehabilitative environments’ as well as a specific focus on holistic treatments and/or a spiritual approach (2) to rehabilitation.

Switzerland is also a popular destination for addiction recovery due to the high standard of health services across this country. Countries such as France and Canada are also well-known in this regard.

The following subheadings outline some specific types of addiction recovery treatment that individuals may experience when travelling for rehabilitation.

1. Wellness retreats

Perhaps the most general term, wellness retreats occur all over the world, in a number of travel destinations as well as close by to some individuals’ local areas.

Wellness retreats are a broad category of travel addiction recovery option as they can include scheduled wellness activities throughout an individual’s stay, but they can also refer to the general relaxing environment of the centre and not the specific activities.

2. Nature immersion

Another broad example, nature immersion is something that individuals can partake in no matter where they are – travelling or not.

By immersing oneself in nature, individuals may have more opportunities to practise mindfulness, being aware of oneself, and the emotions that come along with this.

Though there are also guided nature immersions available, this is a practise that anyone can partake in whether they are in their back garden, their local wildlife areas, or in an entirely new destination.

3. Spiritual experiences

As a final example, spiritual experiences are another great way to link mindfulness and addiction recovery.

By being more spiritual with an addition journey, individuals will have the opportunity to draw from many different practises – spiritual and otherwise – in order to boost their own addiction and recovery journey.

These are especially common in many Asian countries, for example, but it is always worth researching to see if there are spiritual experiences near you or somewhere you may be travelling.

Start your addiction journey today

To learn more about addiction and addiction recovery, individuals should get in contact with their local health services to see if travel and addiction recovery is right for them.

There are also many different addiction referral services that are available across the world to help individuals to find the most suitable rehabilitation for them.

Sources:

[1] Sereta, B.N., Amimo, F.A., Ouma, P. and Ondimu, T.O., 2016. An assessment of effectiveness of drug rehabilitation programs in Kisii County-Kenya.

[2] Barrett, M.E., 1997. Prevention programs: Wat Thamkrabok: A Buddhist drug rehabilitation program in Thailand. Substance use & misuse, 32(4), pp.435-459.