Food Rehab in Thailand

Food addiction is a major problem for many people and it can wreak havoc on their health, well-being, and relationships. If you’re addicted to eating, you may feel like you can’t escape it. However, there is always a solution and expert assistance is available to help you develop healthy eating habits, get in shape, and regain control of your life.

Selecting an ideal food rehab centre can pose a bit of challenge, however, as private programmes in western countries can be highly expensive. Moreover, public treatment options are not as widely available as they could. Many still view food addiction as somehow less serious than substance addiction and, as result, public health policies that address the issue are limited. Going to Thailand to attend a food addiction rehab programme is an excellent alternative.

Thailand is a world-renowned medical tourism destination, and rehab programmes here are much more affordable than they are in the west, even after factoring in travel expenses. Moreover, attending a rehab centre in Thailand allows you to break from your daily routines and begin your recovery in privacy and with peace of mind.

At Hesten Hill Rehab, we provide world-class treatment for food addiction from our state-of-the-art facilities just outside of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. If you’re ready to overcome your addiction and build yourself a healthier, more fulfilling life, our team of dedicated professionals are prepared to guide you on your road to recovery.

Food addiction and what causes it

Food addiction causes people to eat compulsively, even when they are not hungry. This constant overeating can be categorised as a behavioural addiction, similar to the addictions experienced by drug or alcohol abusers. Eating our favourite foods activates the reward centres of our brains, causing elevated levels of dopamine to be released. This leads to pleasurable feelings of euphoria. Addicts then experience intense cravings to keep eating to chase that feeling.

Food addicts will eat compulsively regardless of the negative effects of this behaviour – obesity, neglect of responsibilities, strains to relationships, and more.

There are many different external and internal factors that can cause food addiction. People often overeat to provide temporary respite to feelings of anxiety or depression. Overeaters often also develop a tolerance to being full, thus needing larger quantities of food to feel satisfied – much like drug addicts who need increasingly higher doses to achieve the same result.

Signs and symptoms of food addiction

Symptoms of food addiction can include:

Food addicts often avoid socialising or participating in group activities since they might feel less confident about themselves due to their eating disorder. They also might not be able to function properly in a social or business environment as they feel the need to eat constantly.

Frequent overeaters are also often at risk of developing eating disorders such as bulimia or binge eating disorder. Besides that, excessive cholesterol and sugar intake can trigger a host of health problems, such as diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes.

Food addiction rehab

Fortunately, there are many forms of rehab help available to food addicts, including support groups, individual therapy, outpatient treatments, and inpatient programmes. Outpatient and inpatient programmes can both be effective, but outpatient programmes, which tend to focus on one specific treatment, can be somewhat less comprehensive. Inpatient programmes can provide a higher likelihood of successful recovery, as they combine several different treatment methods and modalities in conjunction with each other in the same setting.     

In an inpatient programme, you will be carefully monitored and supported by a team of experts. Typical inpatient programmes usually run for 30 days or longer, depending on the needs of the client. Participating in an inpatient food rehab programme allows you to completely break from your day to day routines, enabling you to focus your full efforts towards a complete recovery.

Dietary plan

Starting with this step, we will analyse your current state of health and come up with a dietary plan to suit your specific needs. Our team of professionals will aid you in creating this plan and will carefully monitor your progress. You will also be given both physical and emotional support in our safe and comfortable rehab setting. We provide 24-hour nursing care, and we have a doctor, a psychologist, and a psychiatrist onsite who will visit you as needed. We can also prescribe specialised medication to help you cope with your food addiction.

Behavioural therapy

There are many external and internal factors that can compel you to eat excessively. We will take the time to get to know you and your personal history in order to carefully diagnose these factors and treat them effectively. With cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy, you will learn how to recognise the negative patterns of thought that lead you to eat excessively and replace them with a more positive and productive mindset.

Through Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and trauma release exercises, we will uncover traumatic events from your past, and help you deal with the memories of those events in a healthier manner.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness teaches you to accept your emotions and raises your awareness of what’s happening in your surroundings and within yourself. This provides another excellent tool for dealing with food cravings. Some meditation practices offered as part of our food rehab programme include:

12-step Minnesota model

The 12-step programme is a popular treatment method that we incorporate in our rehab for food addicts. Although famous for its association with Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12-step model is also highly effective for food rehab. Eight years of research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism supports its efficacy in dealing with addictions of all kinds. With alcohol or drug addicts, however, the goal is to avoid the harmful substances altogether. With food addicts, on the other hand, the goal is to develop a healthier relationship with food, where you can control your eating habits.

Aftercare service

As part of our rehab for food addicts, we provide a comprehensive aftercare service. Our professional team will work closely with you to develop a long-term plan. We also provide regular individual and group therapy sessions online. The first couple of weeks after you finish our programme are essential to your lasting recovery, and we are committed to giving you our full support during this crucial time.

Added benefits of our rehab for overeaters

Cost of food rehab in Thailand

Our services are offered at highly competitive prices. The fees are all-inclusive and cover every aspect of the treatment, including accommodations, meals, additional activities, and offsite excursions. To learn more about our pricing arrangements and payment plans, please contact us directly.

Are you ready to set forth on the path to recovery?

Although food rehab can be challenging, our team of empathetic professionals are dedicated to helping you to a complete recovery. We are also committed to ensuring that your time with us is not only productive, but enjoyable and memorable as well. To speak with one of our addiction experts and learn why we are your best rehab option in Thailand, contact us today.