Thai monastery making addicts vomit for a week to cure their drug addictions

[webfact]

Extreme rehab: Thai monastery making addicts vomit for a week to cure their drug addictions
ROHAN SMITH

SYDNEY: -- FORGET the twelve-step program. Forget cold turkey. In the mountains north of Bangkok, Australian meth addicts are drinking a toxic potion they say cures them for good.

Buddhist monks at the temple Wat Thramkrabok — known as The Vomit Temple, and considered a last resort for ice and heroin users — offer a form of rehab you won’t find anywhere in the Western world. The treatment is simple but hellish. Just ask Steve, a 25-year drug user from Perth, whose story is featured on SBS Dateline tonight. He says quitting his job and signing up to a week of non-stop vomit therapy saved his life.

“Life before Wat Thamkrabok was full of guilt, lies, deception, addiction — all the things that go with using meth. Amazing highs and desperate lows that no one can understand, unless you have life within its grip.

My wife caught me using one Sunday. I was shocked by the look of fear and uncertainty on her face. She took my hand and said ‘give me the drugs, I will help you and l will stick by you no matter what.’ I had her in one hand and the drugs in the other. It was then I made the decision to give it up.

She contacted her family in Thailand almost instantly. When they heard about my addiction they rallied around me to help me. My wife’s sister-in-law said ‘bring him to Thailand and we will take him to Thamkrabok.’ A few weeks later I quit my job and found myself on my way to Thailand Thamkrabok temple – famed for curing people of their addictions through an extreme form of vomit therapy.

Full story: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/extreme-rehab-thai-monastery-making-addicts-vomit-for-a-week-to-cure-their-drug-addictions/story-fneuz9ev-1227548749059


-- News.com.au 2015-09-29

[apidge]

good on them. if it works, why not go with it.

[jaywalker]

I saw a short documentary on this years ago, before meth was the big drug.

It looked quite brutal, yet voluntary. Hey, Up2U I say.

They wouldn't take anybody over 45, as they were afraid the treatment would kill them.

[peterjackson]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

[Soutpeel]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

[webfact]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

Keith Moon died on September 7, 1978 from an accidental overdose of the prescription drug clomethiazole, which is indicated to treat symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal. He was instructed to take 1 pill when he felt a craving for alcohol, but no more than 3 pills a day.

Source: https://www.themedicalbag.com/story/keith-moon-the-kid-wasnt-all-right

[jaywalker]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

Hey Soutpeel, ya know I love ya buddy, but.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Moon#Death

Keith Moon took 32 ant-booze pills at once & the doc had told him not to take more than 3 per day.

He'd have been better off drinking a liter of scotch.

----------------

My brother started taking "Chantix" to help him quit smoking.

He barely ever smoked......maybe 3 or 4 packs a week, as he had to hide it from his wife (he had been married 25 years by this time).

He told me he was going into SEVERE withdrawal symptoms, having suicidal thoughts and wanted to choke his wife, and had punched a hole in a heavy wooden dresser drawer because of Chantix (bro is a stocky guy).

I offered him a Marlboro & said "Christ Dude! You'd be better off smoking!"

His wife got wind of what I had said & I have been PNG around his place for a long time.

[Soutpeel]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

Hey Soutpeel, ya know I love ya buddy, but.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Moon#Death

Keith Moon took 32 ant-booze pills at once & the doc had told him not to take more than 3 per day.

He'd have been better off drinking a liter of scotch.

----------------

My brother started taking "Chantix" to help him quit smoking.

He barely ever smoked......maybe 3 or 4 packs a week, as he had to hide it from his wife (he had been married 25 years by this time).

He told me he was going into SEVERE withdrawal symptoms, having suicidal thoughts and wanted to choke his wife, and had punched a hole in a heavy wooden dresser drawer because of Chantix (bro is a stocky guy).

I offered him a Marlboro & said "Christ Dude! You'd be better off smoking!"

His wife got wind of what I had said & I have been PNG around his place for a long time.

Took Chantix when i was stopping smoking and yes the contra indications can be depression etc....never had any real effect on me other than weirdly messing with my periferial vision for the first two weeks

Nicotine patches on the other hand used to give me bad nightmares when i was on them

[fang37]

Logic - this technique may get you off the drugs initially.

Staying off it?

I am a sober member of AA.

Need a change of attitude, values, lifestyle?

[jaywalker]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

Hey Soutpeel, ya know I love ya buddy, but.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Moon#Death

Keith Moon took 32 ant-booze pills at once & the doc had told him not to take more than 3 per day.

He'd have been better off drinking a liter of scotch.

----------------

My brother started taking "Chantix" to help him quit smoking.

He barely ever smoked......maybe 3 or 4 packs a week, as he had to hide it from his wife (he had been married 25 years by this time).

He told me he was going into SEVERE withdrawal symptoms, having suicidal thoughts and wanted to choke his wife, and had punched a hole in a heavy wooden dresser drawer because of Chantix (bro is a stocky guy).

I offered him a Marlboro & said "Christ Dude! You'd be better off smoking!"

His wife got wind of what I had said & I have been PNG around his place for a long time.

Took Chantix when i was stopping smoking and yes the contra indications can be depression etc....never had any real effect on me other than weirdly messing with my periferial vision for the first two weeks

Nicotine patches on the other hand used to give me bad nightmares when i was on them

Serious question Soutpeel.

Can you describe "depression"?

Maybe send me a PM on it if you don't feel comfortable talking about it here, openly.

Otherwise, I mean it's something I've heard of, but don't really understand. I know Google & Wikipedia are my friends, but as this is a "kick the habit" thread, maybe you could tell us what it feels like firsthand?

If you want to ignore this request, then no problem. I enjoy your posts & we will still be friends.

My apologies if this is untoward.

I'd be interested though to hear a variety of what many people here would describe as "depression".

I get depressed when a business deal goes bad.......ooooooh I had a whopper go bad, in Thailand, but I bounced back pretty quick.

I've had some serious woes & got in the dumps. Made & lost lots of money.

Spent a few night in jail... That taught me a lesson QUICK!

Jail, is DEPRESSING!

I was only there 10 days, when I was young and broke and too proud to call Dad.... I had shot an illegal deer in Florida. I did my time & never whined....... Never went back either.

I can just barely stand to be within 100 miles of any of my 5 brothers. We get into almost fist fights over nothing, so I avoid my US family.

I don't let it keep me down though, so I just do my own thing.

I seriously do not understand the medical term "depression" though.

------------- EDIT ---------------

Oh yeah,

My oldest brother is 61 now, & hasn't had a drink in 30 years.

Last time he had a drink I was 18 & he was being abusive to our Dad, physically, so I clocked him & knocked him out.

Then another brother who was 29 jumped on him and broke his jaw.

The guy was a COMPLETE ASS. Last time I saw "Mr. AA SOBERMAN", I was quite sober as well, and he wanted to fight me over something so trivial it was laughable.

I just laughed & walked away.

So....... I honestly do not see how being a non-boozer is better than being a sociable boozer.

It's all an enigma to me....... He got mad at me because I was going to meet Chantix brother for lunch near his house.

AA brother and Chantix brother have had a feud going for quite a while.

CRIMONY!

No wonder I enjoy living on the opposite side of the planet from my psycho family!

Edited September 29, 2015 by jaywalker

[connda]

Opiate addicts are naturally going to retch during their withdrawals. Idiotic. Compassion. Yep.

[FangFerang]

Logic - this technique may get you off the drugs initially.

Staying off it?

I am a sober member of AA.

Need a change of attitude, values, lifestyle?

No AA in Ubon

[fang37]

Logic - this technique may get you off the drugs initially.

Staying off it?

I am a sober member of AA.

Need a change of attitude, values, lifestyle?

No AA in Ubon

It is not mandatory to attend meetings. People working on rigs/boats.

There are numerous meetings via internet & SKYPE.

[thesetat2013]

Logic - this technique may get you off the drugs initially.

Staying off it?

I am a sober member of AA.

Need a change of attitude, values, lifestyle?

Sorry to burst your AA bubble but it only works for very few. The 12 steps was rubbish for me as well as those meetings and sponsors. A change in attitude and values and lifestyle does not mean you have to go to that stupid program. I did all those things just leaving my country.

[Shiver]

A Google of "Baclofen addiction" might provide a path. It's a muscle relaxant that apparently can reset receptors for pretty much any kind of addiction (not just chemical, but gambling, shopping etc).

[atyclb]

Likely very little or no credible followup stats on addicts doing vomit therapy. If they leave and how long do they stay sober? % relapse?

[fang37]

Logic - this technique may get you off the drugs initially.

Staying off it?

I am a sober member of AA.

Need a change of attitude, values, lifestyle?

Sorry to burst your AA bubble but it only works for very few. The 12 steps was rubbish for me as well as those meetings and sponsors. A change in attitude and values and lifestyle does not mean you have to go to that stupid program. I did all those things just leaving my country.

I have no desire to debate any of these issues.

There are many methods to achieve & maintain sobriety (alcohol, drugs etc).

I did read that AA had the highest success rate albeit a quite low one.

It may have been rubbish to you - so?

Sponsorship was never my preference.

What I do like is that there are no rules - take what you like & leave the rest.

A big plus for me was the fellowship - making friends in many places.

I am not a bad person getting good. I am a sick person getting well.

If you are drug-free, not a liability on society, contributing, not hurting anyone, wonderful.

Tomorrow, I am meeting with a fellow AA member - we have not seen each other for 10 years.

[kingstonkid]

Here is a video of what happens.

Not pleasant but it seems better than anything the west has to offer

[fred Kubasa]

Hell, I've been vomiting for 30 years !

[katana]

The UK NHS used a similar approach in treating alcoholism many years ago. They prescribed a drug, which induced vomiting in the patient if alcohol was consumed whilst on the medication.

A friend of mine who was a chronic alcoholic, was a success story of the program and is still sober to this day.

And wasnt it said medication that killed Keith Moon who was trying to cure his alcoholism ?

Keith Moon died on September 7, 1978 from an accidental overdose of the prescription drug clomethiazole, which is indicated to treat symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal. He was instructed to take 1 pill when he felt a craving for alcohol, but no more than 3 pills a day.

Source: https://www.themedicalbag.com/story/keith-moon-the-kid-wasnt-all-right

Yes. Clomethiazole and disulfiram are quite different. The former is a sedative used to manage the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal; the latter induces acute sensitivity to alcohol by making you feel sick.

[bannork]

An English teacher I know who was a real mess, a determined alcoholic who always supplemented booze with legal sedatives, checked in to Wat Tham Krabork about 5 years ago. He went through all the purgatorial stages, throwing up,drinking the herbal medicines prescribed, living a life of discipline and austerity for 4 weeks.

When he left he was a changed man, he was clean and optimistic, looking healthy and talking like only those who have been through some life saving experience can talk, he really seemed to have turned over a new leaf.

But you can't go back to Wat Tham Krabork and on his own with no support, (the fool should have been deported back to the UK by the embassy for his own good actually) he soon relapsed into his old ways.

But for no cost he was actually reformed and okay for a while. If he had had family support he may have made it, but he burned that bridge a long time ago.

The problem for any former Thai addict is the same- environment, if back to the same friends or stomping ground, then it's back to the same old bad habits.

[daiwill60]

This is Wat Tamkrabok , near lopburi. It has been going a long time and has spawned another post rehab centre near Chiang Rai, started by an ex ( falang ) monk who spent time there, it is called the New Life Foundation and has done a lot of good in helping people develop new life skills , post rehab .

[maidee]

if they die of dehydration, they are cured for life

is there a list of the herbs somewhere or is that a trade secret ?

Edited September 30, 2015 by maidee