Stimulant use care, built around you.

Stimulant use disorder is a substance use disorder driven by use of cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, or prescription stimulants, diagnosed when at least two of eleven clinical criteria appear in a twelve-month period, including tolerance, cravings, using larger amounts than intended, and continued use despite consequences, with severity rated mild, moderate, or severe (NIDA). In daily life, the pattern often shows up as escalating use to reach the same effect, hard crashes between use, sleep and appetite disruption, and mounting cardiac, dental, or psychiatric symptoms. Outpatient care is appropriate across that severity range when the assessment indicates the level of structure that fits.

Yes, most adults with stimulant use disorder can be treated effectively in outpatient care when the clinical picture is matched to the right level of care (ASAM Criteria). The Stepwell Center treats stimulant use disorder across four outpatient levels in Lakeway, Texas: PHP for the most structure, IOP for daily clinical contact while continuing to work, Evening IOP for working adults, and Outpatient for maintenance. Patients whose assessment indicates a need for medical stabilization for cardiac, psychiatric, or sleep symptoms begin with that step before entering outpatient care.

There are currently no FDA-approved medications for stimulant use disorder, and contingency management is the most effective available treatment, supported by high-certainty evidence and a strong recommendation from the ASAM and AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline (ASAM/AAAP). Medications may still be prescribed at Stepwell to treat co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, or insomnia that often accompany stimulant use, with selection informed by your clinical interview and, when indicated, pharmacogenetic testing. The behavioral plan, not a pill, drives the change for the stimulant disorder itself.

Contingency management is a structured behavioral treatment in which verifiable abstinence from stimulants, confirmed by drug testing, is reinforced with predefined incentives such as vouchers or gift cards on a documented schedule (SAMHSA). The approach is the most effective psychosocial treatment for cocaine and methamphetamine use disorders, with decades of randomized-trial evidence behind it. At The Stepwell Center, contingency management is integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing inside your prescribed plan rather than offered as a standalone intervention.

Stimulant use disorder is treated with the same behavioral framework as other substance use conditions, but without an FDA-approved medication option for the disorder itself, the behavioral plan carries more of the weight, and contingency management moves to the front of the modality mix rather than serving as an add-on (NIDA). Medical oversight focuses on cardiac, sleep, and psychiatric symptoms rather than on agonist or antagonist medication. Treatment outcomes are meaningful even when reduced use, not full abstinence, is the early goal, with corresponding improvements in cardiovascular health, mental health, and overall functioning.

Yes, integrated treatment that addresses stimulant use disorder and a co-occurring mental health condition in the same plan is the standard of care when both are present, and approximately 21.2 million US adults have both a substance use disorder and a mental illness in the same year (SAMHSA). Stimulant use commonly co-occurs with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and unprocessed trauma, and treating one alone tends to leave the other free to keep pulling the pattern back. At Stepwell, integrated dual diagnosis care is built into every plan when both conditions are present, written and delivered by a single care team rather than referred out.

The Stepwell Center offers same-day or next-day admission to its comprehensive assessment program, with treatment placement following the assessment, typically beginning within a week of your first call. Speed applies to getting you into the assessment, not to skipping it. Your prescribed plan is what determines your starting level of care, the modality mix, and any medication considerations for co-occurring conditions. Call 512.743.9285 or use the contact form to begin.