Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

CD: People are often quite willing to spend considerable sums of money on a car or other possessions. Unfortunately, they frequently take much less care of themselves, their health and their well-being.

They believe that surrounding themselves with beautiful things will make them happy. Sadly, this is only true to a very limited extent.

Anyone who is beginning to fall into patterns of addiction urgently needs to find a way to change course before they harm themselves and those around them.

By working intensively with us, you can gain valuable insights and inspiration for the years ahead. We are delighted that so many people have been able to do just that.

CD: Most of our guests are self-employed professionals or senior executives who cannot leave their businesses, medical practices or other professional responsibilities for an extended period. Others prefer not to be away from their families for too long.

Occasionally, we also welcome guests who have left their active working or family lives behind and are searching for a new sense of purpose. We also work with younger people who have realised that their alcohol consumption could seriously damage both their professional and personal lives.

Guests who come to us because of burnout are usually well aware of how easily people can turn to alcohol or medication when suffering from severe exhaustion or lack of sleep.

Whether someone has been drinking “just” a bottle of wine every day for some time and has realised that things cannot go on like this, has been consuming large quantities of alcohol daily, or “only” drinks heavily for several days at a time – most of our guests share the goal of living an alcohol-free life after their stay.

Guests who come to us because of burnout also tend to view alcohol much more critically after their time at Vida Libre and approach it with greater caution.

It is not uncommon for our guests to stay in touch with one another after their stay. We welcome some truly lovely, open-minded people here!

CD: Take a closer look at your own drinking habits by answering the questions on our website under “Self-assessment / Alcohol problems”.

Physical detoxification is complete within a maximum of ten days, although any withdrawal symptoms that occur usually disappear after just a few days.

However, you have only truly overcome your dependence when you no longer feel that you need alcohol, whether daily or occasionally – to change your mood, help you fall asleep, feel happier or more confident, or simply escape from everyday life for a few days…

KH: Before starting your rehabilitation, it is helpful to have been alcohol-free for a while. This also allows you to make better use of your first few days at Vida Libre.

For those who only drink very heavily from time to time, this is usually not a problem. However, in cases of daily alcohol consumption, medically supervised detoxification is strongly recommended due to the potentially life-threatening risks, depending on your general health and the severity of your alcohol dependence.

There are several options:

CD: You can undergo inpatient detoxification before travelling to Mallorca.

RE: Another option is medically supervised alcohol withdrawal at our finca. With daily medical supervision, I will be there for you as a nurse during the first few days. Our doctor will prescribe appropriate medication to ensure that your detoxification takes place safely. This offers significant advantages compared with undergoing outpatient withdrawal at home.

If you would prefer to undergo alcohol detoxification at a local private clinic with a German doctor from the outset, we will pick you up directly from the airport and accompany you to an excellent private clinic. Once your stay there is complete, we will bring you to Vida Libre.

KH: During medically supervised withdrawal, I will provide you with the appropriate medication in consultation with our nurse. However, if the medical assessment of your health and general condition upon arrival indicates that detoxification in a hospital is necessary, I will arrange your admission. Over the past few years, this has only been necessary in two cases.

CD: We can discuss in advance whether any of these options would be appropriate for you and which you would prefer. If necessary, I will be happy to contact the relevant healthcare professionals in your home country or on Mallorca beforehand.

If you need to spend the first few days of your stay undergoing alcohol withdrawal with us, we recommend extending a two-week stay accordingly to ensure that you have sufficient time for your rehabilitation.

CD: We have plenty of examples showing that this is possible. Some doctors and addiction counsellors underestimate the intensity of a stay with us.

One good example is an American client who stayed with us nine years ago and has remained alcohol-free ever since. In the decades before his stay, he had never managed to go more than three months without alcohol.

Drawing on my many years of experience in addiction therapy, I would be happy to discuss this with your healthcare professionals.

CD: No, we do not provide medication for this purpose, as our experience with it so far has not been sufficiently convincing.

You would only receive medication for a short period to support your detoxification, should you choose to undergo it at Vida Libre.

CD: Anyone who wants to practise controlled drinking is already showing that they have lost control. Trying to regain that control is a battle that cannot be won and may ultimately lead to drinking more and more. I do not know anyone who has won this battle.

Some people manage to reduce their alcohol consumption for a while (days or weeks, sometimes even months), but eventually they return to their previous level of drinking and often exceed it.

When therapists offer controlled drinking as a treatment option, they are playing a dangerous game with their clients’ health. This is negligent and irresponsible and should never be the goal of treatment or support.

There is no reliable rational criterion for this, which is why I tell everyone: “Believe me, this is how it is.”

It has to do with the long-term damage caused by alcohol. Somewhere between habit and regular consumption, the mechanism that allows controlled drinking breaks down.

My convictions and my own personal experience allow me to make this absolute statement. The goal for anyone affected must always be abstinence. There is no positive alternative, because ultimately, this is about saving lives. The other path leads to progressive deterioration and, eventually, death.

RE: The concept of “controlled drinking” still implies that alcohol is needed to create certain feelings or states of mind, or at least to conform to social expectations (New Year’s Eve, birthdays, parties, anniversaries, etc.).

CD: In this way, an addictive substance (a toxin that damages cells) becomes a seemingly indispensable part of everyday life.

Unlike in previous decades, smoking is no longer socially acceptable. (Back in the 1950s and 1960s, offering guests cigarettes was considered part of good hospitality in Germany. And nobody would have been sent out onto the balcony!)

On the website of a well-known NLP training institute (and I have great respect for NLP!), I once read: “Stop smoking in 10 days”, followed by “Controlled drinking”.

When I asked whether they could also teach people to smoke in a controlled way, I was told that they would be happy to teach me that too, but that it would not be covered by health insurance.

Any former smoker can only shake their head at that.

Nowadays, it is socially acceptable to give up smoking, whereas alcohol is (still) regarded as seemingly indispensable.

Spare yourself the torment of this supposed “choice”. Your health and well-being should be more important to you.

Some guests are initially frightened by the idea of “never again” drinking alcohol because they fear it will mean losing their freedom. In reality, however, it is a gain in freedom – but do not expect to be able to come to terms with this emotionally without help.

That is the work we do together.

There have been clients who nevertheless decided to try “controlled drinking”. We are pleased that we were subsequently able to help them let go of alcohol altogether, sparing them another exhausting struggle with it.

CD: Some guests come to us in the early stages of burnout. Through our resource-focused approach, we can work together to shift their inner outlook in a way that allows symptoms such as severe exhaustion, insomnia and others to disappear surprisingly quickly.

I am continually impressed by people’s capacity to recover!

If we find that a much longer break is needed, we discuss with our guest and their local healthcare professionals how further support can be provided.

What matters is that the intensive time spent at Vida Libre can help set a new course for the future, making it easier to continue the therapeutic work once back home.

CD: Alcohol would not help you at all – quite the opposite. Alcohol problems sometimes begin when people try to cope with burnout by self-medicating with alcohol. And if you find it difficult to go without alcohol for two or three weeks, you may already have developed a greater dependence on it than is good for you.

During your stay with us, you will discover that you can live well without alcohol and, where possible, without medication, by learning alternative ways to relax.

RE: Yes, three to four guests are ideal. It also enables us to look after everyone particularly well.

We have already had a situation where someone wanted to extend their stay for another week and we were able to arrange for that, with the consent of the other guests. We then had four guests for that limited amount of time.

CD: Certainly. Of course not everyone is ready to do so, because they might not like to discuss their private experience with people they do not know. Also, some guests might shy away from the public eye because they are well-known figures.

CD: We are happy to be recommended – however, I would like to be in contact with any future guest. They should come to us out of their own accord, since this is the only way we can work together effectively. Of course sometimes people need a bit of a nudge to start out on something that they want anyway, but they do need to summon up the courage to engage in our work themselves.

CD: You are welcome to bring someone for a night (or a maximum of two) at the beginning of your stay. Many guests, even those who travel a lot on business and are therefore flexible, do not feel very well when they first arrive. They ask themselves: “What expects me here? Will I feel at ease? Normally it is me who determines things – how will I manage here?” etc.

In this kind of situation, it can be helpful to have someone close to you at your side.

We are also looking forward to getting to know your relatives, either in person or by phone after a few days, with your consent.

However, you need time to yourself here, or else you cannot use your stay effectively.

Let me give you an example: A client’s husband (of many years) stayed in a hotel on Mallorca for the duration of the two weeks and she met him for coffee every so often. I also had a chance to speak to him.

Various individual solutions are possible, however you should be able to be on your own in our house.

CD: Of course! You should however make sure that your family or your company will manage most things without you for the duration of your stay.

I might also recommend to you to stay completely off the phone for three days. This does not apply if you have small children at home of course.

We have set up a fast internet connection in the meantime, but we ask our guests to show moderation in using it. After all, your time with us is the perfect chance to organise things differently from back home.

CD: During your stay with us, I am happy to speak to your partner over the phone. Of course I only do so with your consent. It can be helpful for us to get to know the situation from the perspective of your next of kin. Anything said in the coaching sessions will of course not be discussed with them, unless you want me to.

If is often strange for those at home to think that you are in a place unknown to them discussing personal matters at length with people that they have not met. Being in touch by phone can provide reassurance.

Even after your stay, your family and friends can contact me / us at any time if they wish.

CD: Maybe your carer thinks that you do not need regeneration with us and that you can learn to live well again with his or her help. It is up to you to decide that!

We are also frequently confronted with the argument that it is impossible to change things in two to three weeks – see our answer above. We are happy to talk to your doctor / therapist / addiction counsellor. Maybe this will give them a better idea of who we are and what our commitment is.

There is a prejudice about private institutions just wanting to make money and not providing adequate service, which may be true occasionally (we also know a few examples) – but this does not apply to us. If your carer happens to be on a holiday on Mallorca, they are welcome to come and meet us!

CD: Yes, you can. There are people who do not benefit from attending groups. Others feel that groups are the right place for them and give them strength.

At Vida Libre, our guests (and us) naturally form a mini group – conversations often take place very informally, over breakfast or dinner, during joint excursions or when we give our presentation on how addiction arises – which is less of a presentation and more of a conversation on how you assess yourself in your specific situation. Our “philosophical night” also gets us talking to each other.

CD: At Vida Libre, we all have different backgrounds and opinions. I will support you on the religious / spiritual path you have chosen, to the best of my ability. For many people, this is very important and naturally forms part of their life. For others, it can become a source of strength.

However, I do not believe that physical and mental health has to be linked with a conventional religious / spiritual path.

For example, some people experience their connection with existence by way of an intense bond with nature. It is important to us that different views are accepted, also among our guests, for example during our philosophical night.

If you would like to attend a service on Sunday or go to a synagogue or mosque on other days – we will of course arrange this for you!

All: No, unfortunately, this is not possible. Neither is it possible to stay at a hotel and to use our offerings selectively.

However, you might not want to have your coaching session on a particular day because you have too much to digest or you might not be up for exercise and the like and would rather go for a walk at the beach by yourself.

Our concept is a holistic one – this is what makes Vida Libre special.

Maybe you would like to add another week holidaying on Mallorca after your stay with us?

CD:  Upon your arrival, we will discuss your dietary requirements and possible allergies with you. There is a wide choice of breakfast items and I will take your wishes and habits into consideration. One thing not to miss is a healthy fruit juice mix every morning. At lunchtime, you will be offered a light snack and for dinner, you are welcome to make your own suggestions.

If you take an interest in cooking yourself, I am happy to hear your ideas! And if you would like to join in, this is also possible.

You are welcome to talk to us at any time about anything related to board and lodging!

CD: Upon your arrival, you will be given a daily schedule. Except on Sundays, we meet every morning at 9 am for yoga, followed by breakfast at 9.30 am. 90 Minutes of coaching are obligatory every day (Mon – Sat) – in the morning or in the afternoon, taking turns with other guests. There is a two-hour break at lunchtime. When you are not in your coaching session, you have the following options: massages, aqua fitness, intensive yoga, power training, jogging, experiencing groundwork with a horse…etc. You could also go for a meditative walk (at the beach) or go for little hikes and excursions, or you could visit Felanitx’s market on a Sunday.

However, we will make sure that you still have enough leisure time, which you need to rest and reflect!

CD: It depends on the person – as much contact over the phone and / or via email as is desired and makes sense, even after the refresher week.

This is how we have stayed in touch with many of our guests over a long time. They all know that they can turn to us at any time without having to worry.

Thanks to Zoom, communication is even more direct now.

If you are interested, we are happy to continue to support you and to help you to find suitable offerings near you. Contact via email and/or telephone calls (within reasonable limits) or a meeting over a cup of coffee are for free. For continuing coaching sessions after your stay please visit our page on prices to find out more.

If you come back to Majorca for holidays we would be happy for you to visit us!

Go ahead and use our knowledge and our experience, just like we will do – with regard to your expertise – if and when we need it.