8 March 2025

How to Prepare Before Entering Drug Rehabilitation at Day One Rehabilitation Center

Recognizing When a Family Should Bring a Loved One Into Drug Treatment

Addiction is an illness that affects both the body and the mind, including damage to the nervous system, and in some cases can be fatal — while also, without anyone realizing it, harming the people around the person. So if someone in your family or someone you love is using drugs, or you’re unsure what signs point to addiction, you should watch for these signs and seek guidance on the right way into treatment.

Signs that a person may be developing a drug problem include:

1. Using drugs in larger amounts or for longer than intended.

2. Trying to cut down or stop, but being unable to do so as planned.

3. Spending a great deal of time obtaining drugs, using them, or recovering from their effects.

4. Experiencing intense cravings or being so preoccupied with drugs that little else comes to mind.

5. Drug use beginning to interfere with responsibilities — roles within the family, relationships with people close to them, school, or work.

6. Continuing to use despite knowing it is harming family, friends, or others close to them.

7. Giving up or losing interest in activities they once enjoyed, and seeking pleasure from drug use instead.

8. Experiencing situations where being under the influence caused harm — such as traffic accidents, injuries from using tools while impaired, accidents from walking without care, or unprotected sex.

9. Continuing to use even though it causes depression or anxiety, or despite knowing it is harming their health.

10. Needing increasing amounts, or switching to a stronger substance, to achieve the same effect — or finding that the same amount produces a weaker effect than before.

11. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms once the drug’s effects wear off or use stops. Symptoms depend on the substance: for stimulants such as yaba or ice, withdrawal typically brings drowsiness, fatigue, and weakness; for depressants such as alcohol, withdrawal brings restlessness, mood swings, and insomnia; for opioid derivatives such as heroin or kratom, withdrawal brings body aches, restlessness, and insomnia.

Severity assessment:

• 2–3 signs suggest an emerging drug problem.
• 4–5 signs suggest a fairly significant drug problem.
• 6 or more signs suggest a severe drug problem.

If relatives or people close to the person begin to notice these behaviors, they should bring the person in for treatment as soon as possible — the ideal time to seek treatment is right when the problem is first emerging.

Signs That a Person Is Developing Psychiatric Symptoms From Substance Use

If a person begins showing psychiatric symptoms from substance use, they need to be brought in for urgent treatment, since the person may unknowingly harm themselves or others. Left untreated, these symptoms will only worsen. Signs of emerging psychiatric symptoms include:

1. The person begins hearing voices — noticeable when they talk or laugh to themselves, or respond to someone speaking to them that no one else can see or hear. These auditory hallucinations may take various forms: ordinary conversation, threats of harm, commands to do things, or criticism and blame. Hearing these voices often triggers paranoia, irritability, aggression, mood swings, and depression.

2. The person begins to experience delusions — believing things that are not real or have not happened, sometimes involving supernatural elements. Even when people around them try to explain that they’re mistaken, the person continues to believe what they believe.

3. The person’s thinking becomes illogical, or follows reasoning that makes sense only to them but appears irrational to others — noticeable through incoherent speech and poor decision-making.

4. The person’s behavior changes in strange ways — some may pace around the house repeatedly, others may withdraw and refuse to leave their room. These unusual behaviors stem from delusional beliefs that others don’t understand — for example, refusing to eat or drink out of fear of being poisoned.

What to Do to Bring a Loved One Into Treatment at Day One

Bringing a loved one into treatment is a simple process:

1. Have a relative of the person contact Day One Rehabilitation Center by calling 064-645-5091. Our specialists will ask about the person’s condition to assess what kind of treatment is needed. If the person is experiencing withdrawal, serious physical side effects, or severe psychiatric symptoms, our specialists will arrange an appointment with a psychiatrist so the person can first receive treatment for their mental state and detox from the substance, which requires medication at a hospital.

2. If our specialists assess that withdrawal and physical symptoms are not severe, and there are no severe psychiatric symptoms, relatives can bring the person directly to Day One Rehabilitation Center for treatment after scheduling an appointment.

3. Call to schedule an appointment with a specialist to arrange the date and time to bring the person to Day One Rehabilitation Center.

4. Express genuine concern for the person’s condition, and give honest, firm reasons for bringing them in for treatment. (More detail to come — relatives can read our article on how to persuade a loved one with addiction to enter treatment.)

5. If relatives are unable to bring the person themselves, or if the person shows resistance, let us know — we offer transport service with staff to help bring the person to the center.

6. Items to prepare in advance:

   • 6.1 Personal items such as soap, shampoo, a toothbrush, and toothpaste
   • 6.2 Exercise clothing and running shoes
   • 6.3 The person’s ID card and the accompanying relative’s ID card

7. On the day of admission, relatives should contact the manager on duty at Day One Rehabilitation Center. Both the relative and the person entering treatment will need to sign consent forms, and the center manager will explain the treatment rules. Relatives can review treatment details in advance in our FAQ.

8. Treatment begins at a minimum of 28 days, though some cases may be better suited to a longer stay — 3 to 12 months — depending on the individual. Throughout treatment at Day One Rehabilitation Center, a multidisciplinary team — psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, and occupational therapists — will deliver a program tailored to each person’s needs. Relatives will also be invited in periodically for counseling or family therapy sessions, to take part in the treatment and to rebuild understanding and strengthen the relationship for when the person returns home.

9. Once the person’s condition improves and they are ready to return to independent living, our specialists will schedule a date and time for relatives to come and take them home.

10. The center will continue to schedule follow-up appointments with the person and relatives — every 2 weeks at first after leaving the center, to monitor whether they remain drug-free. If they continue to stay drug-free, follow-up intervals extend to every 1–3 months. The goal, if the person maintains abstinence, is 1 full year — meaning the person has successfully overcome their addiction.

11. If the person needs medication to manage psychiatric symptoms or mood conditions alongside treatment, the center will coordinate with a psychiatrist so the person can receive medication and ongoing assessment.

Quitting drugs is not easy, so knowing the right way to approach treatment matters greatly. For anyone struggling with substance use who is looking for a way to quit drugs, quit alcohol, or even quit gambling, DAY ONE REHABILITATION CENTER is ready to offer guidance and consultation from our team of specialists — psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, and occupational therapists — with expertise in substance use problems.

Contact Information: 99/1 Moo 6, Si Chula, Mueang Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Nayok 26000, Thailand Phone: +66 64-645-5091 Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (ICT)