About East-West Detox
When making a life-changing choice, it is always important to have as much information as possible to hand. Here we offer you further insights into different aspects of the partnership between East-West Detox and Thamkrabok Monastery. We are in service of you.
About East-West Detox
East-West Detox charitable trust was founded and established by professional workers in the drug field, who felt that there was a need for a different kind of service provision, concerning the detoxification and rehabilitation of problematic substance users. A new model of treatment that combines both eastern and western philosophies, as well as therapy and medicine. This service provision means that there is now a wider choice, so that an individual can choose the treatment that suits them best.
Our aim is to enable and empower British individuals whose quality of life is affected by substance misuse and to undertake a holistic programme of natural, herbal detoxification and rehabilitation to help people develop their potential and reintegrate.
East-West Detox facilitates access to a unique treatment for substance addiction that has been carried out by monks at the Thamkrabok Monastery in Thailand since 1957, where over 100,000 people have engaged in the programme. The detoxification process, using a combination of over a hundred herbs and plant extracts, takes only 5 days and is administered as a drink daily. This is complemented by other therapies including herbal steam baths, diet and nutrition with counselling,guidance and mindfulness meditation for relapse prevention.
This unique programme is non chemical and does not replace one addictive substance for another.
The whole process is about self-help. Requires commitment, courage and self-belief. All applicants must complete a comprehensive assessment procedure and demonstrate that they are committed to undertake a major life-change as well as taking a vow to complete the course.
Those who have completed the first 5 days will help and support the new arrivals, thereby encouraging a feeling of usefulness and reciprocity. Clients are totally isolated from temptations of the outside world, which can often cause failures under the existing programmes in Britain, due to opportunities to obtain drugs through familiar contacts and the right to discharge oneself at a whim. The BBC documented one such addict Angela, who East-West Detox took to Thailand and successfully completed the programme in April 1997, which enabled her to free herself from her dependency on heroin and crack cocaine. She has regained her self-respect with dignity and now leads a ‘normal life’ without drugs and has returned home, supporting and loving her two young sons.
Each person has a support worker who provides counselling before, during and after treatment. We focus on building a life after drugs through a process of ongoing care, to encourage self-esteem and confidence, and retraining for work with a fruitful, enriching and positive life-style.
East-West Detox offer a choice of residential aftercare support in a variety of locations to enable people to start a new life and return to everyday society. Opportunities to train, assistance with work placement and activities that help people discover their strengths and weaknesses, develop their range of interests, their values and self-confidence, and introduce them to a team environment are all available.
The whole treatment in Thailand is freely given and the only expenses incurred are travel costs for client and support worker, insurances, medical, counselling support and a contribution towards accommodation and food. The total cost is a fraction of most western conventional treatments.
This programme of natural herbal detoxification and rehabilitation in Thailand is unique and available here in the UK through the East-West Detox initiative. Treatment under the NHS is currently limited to a clinical medical model using chemicals and funding within the statutory sector has decreased and being replaced by cheaper methadone programmes. This replacement of one addictive substance for another only transfers and reinforces dependency.
Our project is working together with statutory and voluntary agencies and a number of referrals have already been funded by the DAAT, NHS Trusts, Probation Service, Social Services and Thames Valley Police, Many others have expressed interest in following suit once further evidence based research has been completed.