What Happens in Your First Week at Jintara

SAMHSA's TIP 45 treatment guidance identifies the first week of residential treatment as the stabilisation phase, encompassing medical screening, withdrawal management, psychiatric evaluation, and the beginning of structured therapy. An individualised treatment plan should be in place by the end of Day 7. At Jintara, all four components begin on Day 1 or Day 2, within a facility of ten clients and thirty-two staff.

The decision to come to rehab is one of the hardest you will ever make. The week that follows is where that decision starts to pay off.

At Jintara Rehab in Chiang Mai, your first week is structured around three things: keeping you medically safe, getting you comfortable, and starting the clinical work that gives your stay real purpose. By Day 7, the clinical team has completed your psychiatric evaluation and built a treatment plan around your specific situation, not a template.

If you are still weighing up whether this is the right step, that is okay. This page walks you through what a typical first week looks like, day by day, so there are no unknowns left. Every person is treated as an individual. The exact timeline, assessments, and clinical approach vary on a case-by-case basis depending on your substance use history, physical health, and how your body responds to treatment.

SAMHSA's TIP 45 treatment guidance specifies that the residential intake process should include immediate vital signs assessment, substance screening, and a documented withdrawal risk evaluation within the first hours of arrival. At Jintara, a driver collects you from Chiang Mai International Airport, the journey takes approximately 30 minutes, and nursing staff begin your medical screening as soon as you arrive.

When you arrive, the nursing team welcomes you and walks you to your room. It is large, private, and yours alone. More on that further down the page.

Jintara accepts a maximum of 10 clients at any time, supported by 32 staff. That is a ratio of 3.2 staff to every one client. You will not feel like a number, and you will not be left waiting.

Within the first few hours, the nursing team completes an initial medical screening.

NIAAA's core resource for health professionals recommends a comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation on or before Day 1 of residential treatment, covering substance use history, mental health screening using validated tools, and a psychiatric consultation to establish a safe detox protocol. At Jintara, psychiatric assessment and PHQ-9 and GAD-7 mental health screening are completed on Day 1 and included in the program fee.

You see an addiction specialist psychiatrist through one of Jintara's hospital partners, Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai or Chiang Mai Ram Hospital. This is a detailed conversation covering your substance use history, mental health, and current symptoms. The psychiatrist prescribes a detox protocol to keep you safe and as comfortable as possible through withdrawal.

This psychiatric assessment is included in your program fees. At many rehabs, it is charged as an extra.

On the same day, or as close to arrival as possible, Denise O'Leary meets with you. Denise is Jintara's Clinical Director and an EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapist who specialises in trauma and addiction. If you are in the middle of a heavy detox, this is not a deep therapy session. It is supportive. She explains what is coming, answers your questions, and starts to build the relationship that will carry through your entire stay.

More than half of incoming clients at Jintara have experienced some level of suicidal thinking. The clinical team screens for this proactively. It is not something you need to bring up yourself if you are not ready, and it is not something the team leaves to chance.

The nursing team also documents your existing prescription medications and flags anything that is not properly prescribed. If you need to continue a medication, the team arranges a proper prescription through the hospital.

Substance use suppresses symptoms of liver disease, cardiac irregularities, and nutritional deficiencies for years, making a comprehensive health assessment in the first days of treatment essential. NIDA's principles of effective treatment identify thorough medical assessment as a prerequisite for tailoring treatment to individual needs. On Day 2, Jintara provides a full health check at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai at no additional cost.

In 90% of cases, this happens on Day 2. The only exception is if withdrawal symptoms are too severe for you to leave the facility safely.

Long-term alcohol use causes demonstrable damage to the liver, heart, and kidneys while masking the severity of that damage. NIAAA's core resource for health professionals documents that elevated liver enzymes, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, and nutritional deficiencies are common findings in people entering residential treatment for alcohol use disorder. Jintara reviews all Day 2 results with the clinical team and arranges specialist follow-up when indicated.

The health check is also customised. If the psychiatrist or nursing team has specific concerns about you, additional tests are added. The results feed directly into your treatment planning.

Very few rehabs in Thailand include this at their own expense. At Jintara, both the psychiatric assessment and the Day 2 health check are part of the program fee. The only additional cost is individual prescription medication, which is affordable in Thailand.

NIDA's principles of effective treatment identify structured daily routines during early residential treatment as a key factor in reducing acute withdrawal severity and improving clinical engagement. By Days 3 to 5, acute alcohol and opioid withdrawal symptoms typically begin to ease, allowing for more active participation in individual and group therapy. At Jintara, therapy and holistic sessions run concurrently with medical monitoring from the day you arrive.

By Day 3, the initial intensity of arriving in a new country, meeting new people, and starting detox begins to ease. You are still in the early phase, and it is still uncomfortable. But the structure is there, and you can feel it.

The nursing team checks your withdrawal scores multiple times daily during the acute phase, then reduces the frequency as symptoms stabilise. Medication is adjusted based on those scores, not on a fixed schedule.

Every client receives two individual therapy sessions per week from the day they arrive. There is no waiting period. Most rehabs delay individual therapy until Day 5 to 7 or until detox is complete. At Jintara, therapy and detox run in parallel from the start.

Group therapy may begin during this period, depending on how you are feeling. Jintara runs a four-week rotating group program. If you are physically able, the clinical team encourages you to attend, even during detox.

Leszek Kudiuk, Jintara's certified holistic practitioner (Reiki Master, meditation facilitator), provides two individual sessions per week. One Reiki therapy session (approximately 50 minutes) and one guided meditation and mindfulness session (approximately 50 minutes). These happen in the afternoons, in a private treatment room. Art therapy runs every Friday morning with an external facilitator. Thai massage is available throughout the week.

SAMHSA's TIP 45 treatment guidance specifies that a documented, individualised treatment plan should be reviewed with the client before the end of the first week of residential care, integrating medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial findings. By Days 5 to 7 at Jintara, the psychiatrist, clinical director, and nursing team compile all assessment results into a plan covering therapy goals, program duration, detox progress, and health follow-up.

The psychiatrist, Denise O'Leary, Lertkhwan Sukpia, and the support team meet weekly to review every client. Nurses write a daily report on each person, and all of this feeds into planning.

NIMH's guidance on psychotherapies identifies cognitive behavioural therapy, DBT, and EMDR as evidence-based modalities with demonstrated effectiveness for addiction, trauma, and co-occurring mental health conditions. At Jintara, the clinical framework is CBT-based, incorporating DBT modules across four core skills areas. EMDR therapy is introduced for clients with a stay of 60 days or longer and only after medical stabilisation is confirmed.

DBT modules (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) begin during the program. Jintara uses an abbreviated format covering all four core modules: Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. These sit under a CBT framework.

Jintara is not a 12-step program. Group work is CBT-led and integrates the four DBT skills modules across a four-week rotation. The framework focuses on cognitive and behavioural techniques rather than spiritual surrender or powerlessness framing. 12-step peer support is available for clients who want it, and is treated as an option, not the core model.

By the end of Week 1, you know what your program looks like, who your clinical team is, and what each day involves. The uncertainty that brought you here starts to be replaced by something more solid.

Your first-week assessment feeds directly into the full treatment program across the remaining days of your stay (30, 60, or 90 days total). Everything that happens from this point builds on the clinical foundation laid in these first seven days.

Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal carry a risk of life-threatening seizures without medical management, and opioid withdrawal produces severe physical symptoms including muscle pain, agitation, and insomnia. SAMHSA's TIP 45 treatment guidance recommends 24-hour clinical monitoring, standardised withdrawal scoring, and medication protocols adjusted in real time. At Jintara, nurses are awake overnight and use CIWA and COWS scoring every one to two hours during the acute phase.

Nobody pretends withdrawal is easy. It is one of the things people fear most about coming to rehab, and it is reasonable to be worried about it. What you actually experience during medical detox depends on the substance and how long you have been using.

Alcohol detox often involves sedation with benzodiazepines to prevent seizures. You will feel woozy and low-energy for the first few days. The medication does its job, but it does not remove all discomfort. Symptoms typically peak around Day 2 to 3, then begin to ease.

Opioid detox typically involves a methadone taper. The first couple of days may feel manageable. Discomfort often increases before it improves. The clinical team prepares you for this timeline so there are no surprises.

Cannabis and benzodiazepine withdrawals often bring agitation, restlessness, poor sleep, and anxiety. Some clients experience physical sensations that feel unfamiliar and frightening. Denise teaches coping skills early, including distraction, pool time, and nervous system regulation through the holistic program.

The nursing team monitors you around the clock throughout withdrawal. At Jintara, the nurses are awake during night shifts. They are not on call from a separate room.

Staff-to-client ratio is one of the most significant structural differences between small residential programs and large treatment facilities. NIDA's principles of effective treatment identify the quality and frequency of therapeutic contact as critical determinants of residential treatment outcomes. Jintara operates with a 3.2 to 1 staff-to-client ratio at a maximum of ten clients, which affects nursing frequency, clinical access, and the pace at which assessment and therapy begin.