Yaba Addiction On The Islands

[girlx]

i personally know a few (thai) people who have a problem with yaba on the islands and am just wondering, are there any resources there for them to go to for help in getting off it?

here is a good informational video on yaba in thailand, by the way.

[frankman]

Only your own will, can help you out!

[Boater]

I believe the local hospital can help, there is also a westen drug and alchol counciler on the island if the speak english

[limbos]

Didn't Thaksin open some clinics?

[girlx]

hmm, was just wondering if the wats provided any sort of treatment/support programs or something- they should! a thai friend of mine has just gone into the temple for 3 months because among other reasons, he really had no other choice as he was hitting rock bottom. i am sure meditation etc. might help him but wondering if they provide any other sort of support to monks who have probs with yaba.

[mssabai]

There is a lack of any kind of social care outside of the family network here on the islands and really throughout Thailand. Yaba addiction is just one of the many issues that people need support for, such as alcohol addiction, depression, domestic violence, child abuse etc etc.

The temple seems to be often used by people to help them through various problems in their lives, either becoming a monk, or making a pledge of some kind to resolve whatever issue they have. I guess it just depends on how strong your faith is as to whether this will work for them. The family support network is also used, but there are always going to be those who neither of these work for which is where a social care network would step in.

The nearest I have seen is local health workers who will go and visit remote families, but this is purely for medical advice and help..and they themselves are trained to a very basic level - certainly not in mental health issues either.

Edited July 30, 2008 by mssabai

[jumnien]

There are 12-step program meetings on Samui and lots of drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout Thailand. There is a really big one in Surat Thani. There is a wonderful government program in Khon Kaen and always Wat Tham Krabok. Lots of resources available if one is willing to try.

Edited July 30, 2008 by sunrise07

[sgtpeppers]

Is one of the symptoms of yaba use "strange scratching behaviour" ?

I suspect someone I knew/know was taking yaba.

[girlx]

i think scratching is a sign of both meth and heroin abuse

[huggybear]

Is one of the symptoms of yaba use "strange scratching behaviour" ?

and acne breakouts

[ham]

Is one of the symptoms of yaba use "strange scratching behaviour" ?

and acne breakouts

......and mosquito bites maybe they eat yaba found everywhere on the street's

how subtile you (girlx) takes revenge on your xxxx stay in TNP? Or do you change to be a kind of mother theresa

[garro]

I would never hesitate to recommend Wat Thamkrabok for addictions. It is a bit of a distance from the islands, as it is in Saraburi , but it's an excellent program and this makes it worth the journey. It worked for me anyway.

[ham]

I would never hesitate to recommend Wat Thamkrabok for addictions. It is a bit of a distance from the islands, as it is in Saraburi , but it's an excellent program and this makes it worth the journey. It worked for me anyway.

this place is successful since over 30 years and has helped so many to over come a bad experience! They were famous for the heroin addicts in the 80 and 90's

[girlx]

how subtile you (girlx) takes revenge on your xxxx stay in TNP? Or do you change to be a kind of mother theresa wink.gif

huh?

[Jose]

huh?

GirlX, first you wanted to protect yourself from these people (yaba users), then move away from them, and now you want to help them out...

Stop hanging around the drug scene - otherwise you'll find that kind of company everywhere you go. Stop being in denial - bad situations are not just happening to you; you put yourself there.

Make an active effort to change your lifestyle, and you'll find your life will improve no end.

[girlx]

wow, ask a simple question....

yes, i have one thai friend who is a yaba addict, though it took me a long time to figure that out. and yes, i do feel bad for him and hope he can find help because he is my friend and i have seen how it messes up his life and relationships. he is not a bad person, he just has a bad problem.

...but he is not even on the islands. the other thai people i know who are addicted to it there are NOT my friends, i just happen to have lived amongst them for a long time. and though i do empathize with them somewhat, i was posting merely out of curiosity to see if there are any options for help for people like this on phangan/samui/tao. i have also met a few foreigners with problems there who could have used a help up. it is quite sad to hear there are no options in the area for support.

jose i REALLY don't appreciate your constant judgements of my life and my friends as you have never met me and do not know the details. you are out of line. there are plenty of farang deadbeats on the islands who associate with sketchy people. i am not one of them and i made a huge effort to stay away from those people once i realized who was who there. however, i was there long enough and saw enough that i think i am perfectly justified in pointing out their existence.

[stiggy]

Personally I try to talk to them once or twice max when they are straight...normally skint and in regret stage of addiction.

Then if they choose to continue down that path I move on.

Afraid to say I have wasted so much time on addicts to by either attending there funeral, getting ripped off by them or simply saddened to see a good person get rotten to the core.

I do not hang out with addicts or frequent dodgy bars etc its fact that Yabba is cheap and freely available in Thailand, spend long enough here you will come across a friend or college that gets sucked in to its world of decay.

On a more positive note however, Anyone with the determination strength of mind and character to seriously get of the drug train and stay clean will always win respect for doing so.

Girl X its obvious you have a heart to be asking in the first place, just be careful and dont expect to much when your friend is in the stage of full on addiction.

[girlx]

getting ripped off by them or simply saddened to see a good person get rotten to the core

yeah i have already cut off contact with my friend for this very reason. but he has already gone to be a monk for 3 months, though that was more because he didn't have any alternative and his parents told him to than out of any real desire to change his situation. it's pretty sad to see, he has horrible mood swings and though he deals pretty well with life on the surface and in the public eye, behind closed doors he is an absolute mess.

anyway, as with mental illness etc. thailand could use social services to support these kind of people.

I do not hang out with addicts or frequent dodgy bars etc its fact that Yabba is cheap and freely available in Thailand, spend long enough here you will come across a friend or college that gets sucked in to its world of decay.

thank you for reinforcing that point.

[twisty]

There is a lady physciatrist in Bangkok samui hospital who is great . She is half american half thai so is fluent in both languages She also deals with addictions aswell as mental health issues, counselling etc. Althgough she is quite pricey my boyfriend and I found her really helpfull and if financially affordable i would reccomend her to anyone. She is the only resource that I could find on the island.

[BigC]

i personally know a few (thai) people who have a problem with yaba on the islands and am just wondering, are there any resources there for them to go to for help in getting off it?

here is a good informational video on yaba in thailand, by the way.

i know somewhere....PRISON lol

[girlx]

yeah well unfortunately that attitude is why US prisons are overcrowded with marijuana growers and addicts who really need medical help.

[jumnien]

This past weekend 140 members of Alcoholics Anonymous gathered in Hua Hin for the 2nd Annual HuaHin Roundup. About 70 Thais and 70 farang alcoholics in recovery had a fantastic weekend of fellowship and fun. Believe me, amongst us were many who used to do a lot of yaba (meth). There is a solution; there are many solutions. There is hope! There are Thai and English speaking AA meetings throughout Thailand. aathailand dot org

[BigC]

yeah well unfortunately that attitude is why US prisons are overcrowded with marijuana growers and addicts who really need medical help.

sorry but i gave up everything without help. just need to DO IT!!

even smoking

[BigC]

personally i reckon if people want to stop drug dealing they have to go for the users because there will always be dealers where there is high demand. no matter what the risk but if there is noone to sell to then they will have to do something else like sell dodge time shares.

question is are drugs really that good that people want to go to prison for. i ain;t no copper or preacher just seriously over here people are surrounded by parradise i mean the forangs why need to enhance parradise with substances.