Support for stimulant use.

Stimulant use, including cocaine and methamphetamine, can affect physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, and day-to-day stability. Starfish looks beyond the substance itself to understand the wider factors affecting your health and recovery.

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Overview

Stimulant use, including cocaine and methamphetamine, often shows up differently than other substance use: intense periods of use followed by crashes, changes in sleep and appetite, and effects on mood that can look like or overlap with anxiety and depression. Because there is no FDA-approved medication for stimulant use disorder the way there is for opioid or alcohol use, treatment leans more heavily on counseling, structure, and support.

Care starts with an assessment that looks at your pattern of use and what else is going on, since stimulant use very often travels alongside other mental health concerns.

Who This May Help

Stimulant use support can help whether use is occasional or a daily pattern.

  • Your stimulant use is affecting your sleep, appetite, mood, or ability to function day to day
  • You experience intense crashes or low periods after use
  • Your use is affecting work, school, relationships, or finances
  • You are managing stimulant use alongside anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition
  • You have tried to cut back and found it harder than expected
  • You want structured, ongoing support rather than a one-time conversation

What to Expect

From your first conversation to ongoing care, here is how it usually goes.

  1. A confidential assessment

    Your pattern of use and what else may be contributing to it, with a clear recommendation at the end. See Substance Use Assessment.

  2. A counseling-centered plan

    Since medication options are more limited for stimulant use, counseling and structured support are usually the core of treatment. See Recovery-Focused Treatment.

  3. Attention to co-occurring symptoms

    Mood and sleep changes tied to stimulant use are addressed directly, not treated as separate from it.

  4. Ongoing support

    Continued check-ins and, for many people, connection to peer support as recovery continues. See Recovery Support.

Stimulant Use FAQs

Is there medication for stimulant use disorder?

There is no medication specifically approved for stimulant use the way there is for opioid or alcohol use, so counseling and structured support are usually the core of treatment.

Why does stimulant use affect my mood so much?

The crash after stimulant use can closely resemble depression, and heavy use can worsen anxiety. Your care team will help sort out what is tied to use and what may need its own attention.

Do I have to stop using before starting treatment?

No. You do not need to have already stopped, and being honest about current use leads to better care, not less of it.

Is this confidential?

Yes, with the same protections as any other behavioral health treatment.

Can I get help for my mental health at the same time?

Yes. Stimulant use and mental health concerns are often addressed together rather than in separate tracks. See Individual Therapy.