Cocaine and stimulant addiction, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and the misuse of prescription stimulants, is a treatable medical condition in which use becomes compulsive despite serious harm. There is no medical detox for stimulants the way there is for alcohol, but the crash and cravings are intense, and structured therapy makes the difference. At Heights Behavioral Health in Houston, stimulant addiction is treated through outpatient care and our flagship Individualized Intensive Programming.

Stimulants pull people in fast because they deliver energy, confidence, and focus, then take far more than they give. By the time the consequences pile up, stopping alone feels almost impossible. It is not a willpower problem. It is how these drugs rewire the brain’s reward system, and it responds to treatment.

The Fentanyl Factor in Stimulant Deaths (2023)
Cocaine and other stimulants are increasingly deadly because of what is mixed into them.

≈70% also involved fentanylStimulant only ≈30%

In 2023, nearly 70% of U.S. stimulant-involved overdose deaths also involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Source: NIDA analysis of CDC WONDER data, 1999–2023.

What Are the Signs of Stimulant Addiction?

  • Using more, or more often, than you intended
  • Intense cravings and a crash of exhaustion and low mood between uses
  • Needing more for the same effect
  • Neglecting work, health, sleep, or relationships
  • Failed attempts to cut down or stop
  • Using to function, cope, or avoid the crash

Why Is Stimulant Recovery Different?

Unlike alcohol or opioids, stimulants rarely require a medical detox, and there is no widely approved medication to treat the addiction itself. That puts the weight of recovery on skilled therapy, structure, and support, which is exactly where outpatient treatment is strong. The early crash, depression, and powerful cravings are real, and a structured program helps you get through them safely.

How Do We Treat Cocaine and Stimulant Addiction?

Care starts with a clinical assessment, then combines individual therapy with group work. Our Houston groups include Relapse Prevention, Addiction Education, Shame Resilience, and skills groups in CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing, plus Mindfulness and experiential options. Contingency-style structure and relapse prevention are central, because the cravings come in waves and a plan beats willpower every time.

Stimulant use is often tied to depression, ADHD, trauma, or another condition that the drug was masking. Our dual diagnosis care treats those together, which is one of the strongest predictors of lasting recovery.

Caught in the cycle of using and crashing?

One confidential call with our Houston team can help you find a way out that fits your life.

Call (877) 549-5102

Chart of what Heights Behavioral Health treats: substances including alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine, opioids and fentanyl, benzodiazepines, marijuana dependence, and prescription misuse and polysubstance; behavioral addictions including sex love and pornography addiction, gambling, and technology gaming and internet; treated alongside dual diagnosis, trauma and PTSD, and mental health
Substance use and behavioral addictions are treated alongside the mental health conditions underneath them, in one plan.

What Makes Individualized Programming Different for Stimulant Recovery?

Generic programs treat everyone the same, but stimulant recovery depends on your specific triggers and what the drug was doing for you. Our flagship Individualized Intensive Programming builds the plan around you, at PHP or IOP intensity, with a clear relapse prevention plan.

When Is Outpatient Stimulant Treatment Not Enough?

If there is acute medical risk, severe depression, or a safety crisis, a higher level of care comes first, and we will help you find it. For non-clinical support, our sister practice Heights Mentoring may be a fit.

Paying for care

Heights Behavioral Health is a private-pay, out-of-network provider, and we are clear about pricing before you commit to anything. See how cost and out-of-network benefits work.

If this is an emergency or you are thinking about harming yourself, call 911, or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In Harris County, The Harris Center operates a 24-hour crisis line at 713-970-7000. Heights Behavioral Health is an outpatient program and is not a 24-hour crisis service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need detox for cocaine or meth?

Stimulants generally do not require a medical detox the way alcohol or opioids can, but the crash, depression, and cravings are intense. A structured program helps you through that early period safely, and we assess for any medical needs first.

Is there a medication for stimulant addiction?

There is no widely approved medication that treats stimulant addiction itself, which is why skilled therapy, structure, and relapse prevention are so central. We coordinate medication for co-occurring conditions like depression where appropriate.

Do you take insurance?

We are private pay and out of network, and not contracted with insurance plans. We explain what the recommended level of care costs before you start rather than after an intake. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, we provide a superbill you can submit.

Can stimulant addiction really be treated outpatient?

Yes, for many people. Outpatient care provides intensive structure and support while you live at home, and it can step up or down based on what you need.

What if I am also depressed or have ADHD?

That is common, and treating the underlying condition is essential. Our dual diagnosis approach addresses both the stimulant use and what is underneath it.

There Is a Way Out of the Cycle

Stimulant addiction responds to structure, support, and a plan built around you. One confidential call is the first step.

Call (877) 549-5102 for a Confidential Consultation

Contact Admissions

Start a Confidential Conversation

One confidential message connects you with our admissions team and a clear next step. Prefer to talk now? Call (877) 549-5102.

Name(Required)
Please let us know what's on your mind. Have a question for us? Ask away.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSAT

Joni Ogle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) with over 37 years of clinical experience in mental health and addiction recovery, dual diagnosis treatment, behavioral addictions, and family intervention. She is the founder of Heights Behavioral Health and Heights Mentoring in Houston, Texas, where she leads a team of licensed clinicians. Joni specializes in complex presentations including co-occurring mental health disorders, high-functioning addiction, and young adult failure-to-launch patterns.

Confidential, private-pay behavioral healthcareCall (877) 549-5102