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Stimulants (cocaine, meth, Adderall)

The 'crash' is psychological more than physical — but it's heavy.

Risk: moderate

About stimulants (cocaine, meth, adderall)

Stimulants flood the brain with dopamine and norepinephrine, producing energy, focus, and euphoria. The crash that follows reflects depleted neurotransmitters — recovery is mostly time, sleep, and structure.

CocaineCrackAdderallRitalinMDMA (partially)

Health statistics

~28,000

US overdose deaths involving cocaine (2022)

Source: CDC

~34,000

US overdose deaths involving psychostimulants (2022)

Source: CDC

~5 million

US adults with stimulant use disorder

Source: NSDUH 2023

Short-term effects

•Increased energy, alertness, confidence
•Suppressed appetite, raised heart rate and blood pressure
•Anxiety, paranoia, insomnia at higher doses

Long-term health risks

•Heart attack and stroke even in young, healthy users
•Nasal damage (cocaine), dental damage (meth)
•Stimulant-induced psychosis with chronic use
•Depression and anhedonia during recovery

Want a plan made just for you?

Sage can build a personalized stimulants (cocaine, meth, adderall) detox plan after 4 quick questions.

What to expect — timeline

Hours 1–24
The crash: exhaustion, deep hunger, depression, oversleeping.
Day 2–7
Cravings spike. Mood is flat. Cognitive fog. Anhedonia.
Weeks 2–4
Sleep slowly normalizes. Pleasure starts returning. Cravings hit in waves.
Months
Full dopamine recovery takes months. Patience with yourself matters.

What helps

•Sleep as much as your body wants — the crash needs rest.
•Eat actual meals on a schedule even if you have no appetite.
•Sunlight + walking + protein. Boring, but it's what works.
•Don't make big decisions in the first two weeks. Brain isn't fully online.
•Identify your triggers (places, people, time of day) and route around them.

Red flags — go to ER

Suicidal thoughts (depression in stimulant withdrawal can be severe).
Chest pain, irregular heartbeat — go to ER.
Psychotic symptoms persisting beyond a few days.

When to get help

No medication detox exists, but therapy (especially contingency management and CBT) genuinely works for stimulants. Reach SAMHSA for a referral.

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