Rehab and Detox Centre in Phuket Launches New Programmes

Bhavana Phuket, a medically licensed rehabilitation and detoxification centre in Phuket, Thailand, has created a new range of programmes aimed at helping executives and professionals Beat addiction without significantly disrupting their careers.

Bhavana's flagship Beat (Bhavana Evaluation Assessment Treatment) programmes has been designed to require a stay of as little as seven days to achieve detox from alcohol dependence and begin the rehabilitation process.

Bhavana Founder and CEO, Dr Kai Goh, an international addiction specialist and the visionary behind Beat, said the programmes were also suitable to address addictions to sleeping pills, prescription drugs, opiates and party drugs, though these programmes may require a slightly longer commitment of up to ten days.

"The Beat programmes are short-term addiction management programmes, available to anyone who is not yet ready to fully commit to a comprehensive treatment programme or who does not have the time available due to professional commitments," said Dr Goh, a former addiction specialist with world-renowned The Priory in London who also has a psychiatric practice dealing with addiction in London's Knightsbridge.

Dr Goh said the Beat short-term programmes were feasible and effective because of Bhavana's status as the region's only fully medically licensed rehab centre, allowing it to operate as a specialised detox hospital.

"This is a critical difference compared to other rehab centres," Dr Goh explained. "The inhouse detox facility guarantees a safe and smooth transition from medical detox to counselling in the competent hands of the same multi-disciplined and fully qualified team. At Bhavana, counselling intentionally starts parallel to the physical detox. This reduces the risk of patients who have successfully detoxed to become unwilling to start the psychological work crucial to a successful longer-term rehabilitation."

The initial detoxification treatment restores the patient's physical health, Dr Goh said, supported by a clinical team, providing a crucial opportunity to gain understanding and insight into the personal issues that have led to the individual's dependency.

The Beat programmes are often followed by an extensive outpatient programme, which can be undertaken in Bangkok or other regional centres, providing patients with a flexible yet effective longer-term solution to their addiction.

Bhavana's treatment programmes have been designed and created by leaders in their field at Cottonwood in the US and adapted to the Asian environment. The centre's credentials are further enhanced through the strong support from addiction specialists at The Priory in London and Promises in Singapore, all amongst the world's top centres for treatment of addiction.

Another of the centre's personalized programmes is the Best Life Health Assessment, a bespoke diagnostic tool specially designed by Dr Goh to help the treatment team quickly and efficiently assess the patient's physical and emotional health prior to formulating an individually tailored treatment program.

Both the Beat and Best programmes are administered by fully qualified medical professionals and Masters-level counsellors from the renowned, field-leading Hazelden and Mayo clinics in the United States.

"Bhavana came about from my observations that addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and sexual compulsivity were increasing on a vast scale throughout South East Asia," Dr Goh said. "Addiction takes many forms today. Alcohol remains a major problem. But we are also facing a fast-growing issue of sleeping pill addiction in Asia. It's a significant problem here, they are perhaps prescribed too freely, and it's a tough addiction to overcome."

Addiction often has its roots in underlying emotional or mental circumstances, he added, referred to as dual diagnosis or a co-occurring disorder. By treating the whole person and total condition, patients have a better chance of achieving long lasting recovery.

"Therefore, we focus on an integrative approach that combines clinical treatment for addictions and life process understanding and skills," Dr Goh said. "In­house detoxification, 24-hour medical supervision and thorough relapse prevention, follow­up and after-care programmes form an integral part of any Bhavana programmes."

Bhavana's team of specialists are accustomed to helping patients coping with a varied range of both substance dependence and behavioural addictions, from over-the-counter and prescription drugs, painkillers, sleeping pills, alcohol and illegal substances such as cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin.

Behavioural addictions included internet addiction, addiction to pornography, compulsive shopping, gambling and also sexual compulsivity. Forms of anxiety, various phobias and post-traumatic stress, although not addictions, were also disorders that could be treated using Bhavana's integrated approach.

Bhavana offers short and long-term programmes including medical detox for safe alcohol or drug withdrawal and a genuine medical and therapeutic addiction treatment facility, licensed as a hospital by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. The centre is located on a serene and very private beachfront estate in Southern Phuket, with international flight access close at hand yet a level of seclusion and natural beauty which ensures the Best possible start to each patient's recovery.

"We believe that the most effective path to healing and recovery is an integrative approach that combines clinical treatment for addictions and life process understanding and skills," Dr Goh said.

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