Living Sober in Thailand (Video)
In repsonse to one of my other posts Tan asked
What suggestions do you have for expats in Thailand to fill their time with positive, non-drinking-related activities?
I previously touched upon this issue in another post ‘Sober things to do in Thailand‘ In this video I attempt to expand on this topic.
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Related posts:
Sober Living is Fun So I decided Not to Drink Myself to Death - Video
Life is Mystery When Recovering from Drunkenness
Is Sober in Ireland harder than sober in Thailand?
in the US
in the UK
Paul, thanks for the video and great tips. I must say, as a former Thailand expat myself (I lived roughly 2.5 years up country and 2 years in BKK), its quite eye-opening and refreshing to listen to someone (you) who clearly has found (and finds) happiness and pleasure in participating in so many of these great activities that Thailand offers.
Its always seemed to me that far too many expats focus in only on the partying scene there as their main form of entertainment. It is no wonder so many expats there are (I’ll be blunt) alcoholics who spend countless hours drinking in the pubs/bars. I say that with some humility of course because *I* was also one of those individuals who spent far too much of my time in the bars, neglecting all the other great things that Thailand has to offer.
But I don’t want to go off on a tangent about expat behavior in Thailand as that is an entire issue of its own. I think the lesson of your video – at least to me – is that no matter where one is, there are in fact fun and enjoyable things to do, but we alcoholics have to see, recognize, and experience them as truly fun things and activities. I think this is a big challenge.
Speaking for myself, I’ve been more or less programmed to equate “fun” with drinking. Let’s face it – we are basically bombarded with social messages telling us that having fun means having alcohol to drink. I guess that’s the magic of commercial advertising, eh?
Upon quitting the bottle, I think many of us initially struggle with finding fun in non-drinking activities. It takes time for us to find enjoyment in taking a walk in the park, going fishing, browsing a bookstore, etc, just because we’re still programmed with a habit of thinking that having fun necessitates drinking. But like what you said, sobriety can awaken a long dormant side of yourself that can find enjoyment in non-alcohol related activities. It just takes time.
It can take a bit of time Tan, but once we start getting interested in life again great things start to happen. It is like the world is a different place, but of course it is only us who have changed.