The iconic yogi and spiritual leader B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “As animals, we walk the earth; as bearers of divine essence, we are among the stars. As human beings, we are caught in the middle, seeking to reconcile the paradox of how to make our way upon earth while striving for something more permanent and more profound.” Unfortunately, for millions of people, those profound experiences are out of reach due to excessive stimulant use and stimulant addiction. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one to fully recover and live their lives to their fullest potential.

Better Understanding Addiction

Addiction (both substance-related and behavioral) affects millions of people around the world every day. It is a disease that does not discriminate and has the potential to affect anyone who uses substances excessively. Also, the word “disease” is important.

Many people view addiction as some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is a fallacy. It is now widely understood that addiction is a disease. Addiction has more in common with other chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes than it does with a choice. This is because, like those other chronic diseases, addiction will almost always get worse without some type of professional intervention.

It is also important to understand that addiction is a “family disease.” This means that it is a disease that affects the entire family, not just the individual who is struggling. Because of this, addiction is often referred to as a “tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path.” This can be especially true with stimulant use and addiction.

Better Understanding Stimulant Use and Addiction

Millions of people struggle with the type of stimulants known as psychostimulants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Psychostimulants with abuse potential are a subset of stimulants that have a higher likelihood of being misused due to their effects on the central nervous system. Psychostimulants with abuse potential include illegal drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy, as well as prescription stimulants. Approximately 34,000 people died from a drug overdose involving psychostimulants with abuse potential in 2022, accounting for nearly 32% of all drug overdose deaths that year.”

One of the most excessively used stimulants is cocaine. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Cocaine is a Schedule II drug, which means that it has a high potential for misuse but can be administered by a doctor for medical uses, such as local anesthesia for some eye, ear, and throat surgeries.” Also, “Cocaine use ranges from occasional to repeated or compulsive use, with a variety of patterns between these extremes. Any route of administration can potentially lead to the absorption of toxic amounts of cocaine, causing heart attacks, strokes, or seizures – all of which can result in sudden death.”

Meth is also a significantly serious stimulant. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Methamphetamine (meth) is a synthetic stimulant that is addictive and can cause considerable health adversities that can sometimes result in death…. Meth not only changes how the brain works but also speeds up the body’s systems to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels – increasing blood pressure and heart and respiratory rates. People who repeatedly use meth may also experience anxiety, paranoia, aggression, hallucinations, and mood disturbances.” While there are variations, all of these substances have similar signs and symptoms.

The Signs and Symptoms of Stimulant Use and Addiction

Stimulant addiction is a complex disease, and, yes, as previously mentioned, it is a disease. Now, of course, the signs and symptoms of excessive stimulant use and addiction are going to vary based on the individual. However, there are some universal signs that someone may be struggling. The following are just a few of those universal signs and symptoms:

• Feeling overly anxious, nervous, or “stressed out”
• Struggles with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
• Having feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness
• Feeling depressed
• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
• Loss of appetite and sudden changes in weight (loss or gain)
• Engaging in other risky behaviors
• Exhibiting excessive mood swings
• Not being able to stop using and drinking once started
• Harming oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

As one can see, stimulant addiction should never be minimized. It can be life or death. This is why if any, many, or all of these symptoms are present it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences. The good news is that there is hope and help. But first, one must get to the underlying issues and root/core causes of the addiction.

Getting to the Underlying Issues of Stimulant Use and Addiction

It is critical that one get to the underlying issues of stimulant use and/or stimulant addiction. It is important to remember that addiction is never surface-level. It is less about the drink or the drug than it is about what causes one to use the drink or the drug. For many people, these causes are related to underlying trauma and/or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

Many people don’t realize just how prevalent trauma is both in the U.S. and around the world. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “General population studies have shown that a large proportion of people in developed countries have been exposed to at least one TE [traumatic events] in their lifetime (estimates from 28 to 90%), with the most common events being the unexpected death of a loved one, motor vehicle accidents and being mugged. Much more limited evidence for less developed countries suggests that fatalities due to injuries and accidents are more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries….”

PTSD is also highly prevalent. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Center for PTSD, “About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives…. About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.” The good news is that many of these underlying issues can be addressed in day treatment.

Better Understanding Day Treatment for Stimulant Use and Addiction

Day treatment is an ideal form of recovery for individuals struggling with stimulant addiction. This is especially true for those individuals who are unable to commit fully to an inpatient facility. Day treatment allows these individuals an opportunity to treat their issues while also keeping a foot in their everyday lives.

However, just because an individual does not reside in day treatment, that does not mean that the process is any less intense or effective. Most day treatment plans require an individual to be present eight hours a day, five days a week. They also often require alcohol and drug testing and attendance at recovery meetings. Most day treatment programs also use the multi-angled approach.

The Importance of Individualized and Comprehensive Addiction Treatment

The reality now is that the recovery and treatment industry is worth billions of dollars. While this is positive in that there may be more locations for people to get sober, the negative is that many of these recovery centers are more focused on their financial bottom line than they are on the well-being of their clients.

These are also the same treatment centers that only offer “one-note” overarching recovery plans that don’t focus on the individual. Here at Northstar Recovery Center, we know that this type of treatment rarely works, which is why all of our recovery plans focus on the individual from the very start.

We utilize a comprehensive and individualized intake process that takes into account an individual’s biology, psychology, family dynamics, and goals for the future. From there, we can create a customized recovery plan that utilizes multiple means, methods, and modalities.

The Multiangled Approach for Healing Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually

Now, the multiangled approach is all about healing the individual holistically (holistic meaning “whole”). This means healing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It means healing all parts of the capital “S” Self.

The multiangled approach also means pulling modalities from all realms of recovery. This includes experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy, holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation, and psychotherapies like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Mental Wellness: Treating Stimulant Use and Addiction With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Taking care of one’s mental wellness is essential for healing from stimulant addiction. One of the best ways to focus on this mental wellness is with psychotherapies like CBT and DBT. These therapies get to those critical underlying issues that were previously mentioned. These therapies help one to see the negative way that they have been viewing themselves and the world around them. Once this awareness occurs, then one can begin to change the negative addictive behaviors that are associated with these negative views.

DBT can be particularly effective because it focuses on acceptance and changes. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “[T]he therapist continually seeks to balance and synthesize acceptance and change-oriented strategies in the most effective possible manner. Within each session, the therapist works to provide a balance of acceptance and validation with problem-solving/behavior-change strategies. In suggesting solutions or skills, he or she often suggests both acceptance-based (e.g., radical acceptance, tolerating distress, being mindful of current emotional or other experiences) and change-based (e.g., solving the problem, changing behaviors, changing environments and reinforcement contingencies, changing cognitions) solutions.” Art therapy can also be highly effective.

Emotional Wellness: Treating Stimulant Use and Addiction With Art Therapy

It is important that one also focus on their emotional well-being when it comes to stimulant addiction recovery. This focus can come from many different areas. One of the most commonly utilized areas is the realm of experiential therapy, of which art therapy is a major variation.

Art therapy can be highly effective for treating addiction, especially if there are co-occurring mental health issues. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Participating in creative activities can help people cope with stress and despair and alleviate the burden of chronic mental illnesses. Many cultures have accepted the idea that artistic expression may considerably aid in the healing process… Over the last decade, health psychologists have carefully examined how art therapy helps heal emotional traumas, enhances awareness of oneself and others, establishes self-reflection capacity, reduces mental manifestations, and transforms behaviors and ways of thinking.” Another ideal experiential therapy is nature immersion therapy. 

Physical Wellness: Treating Stimulant Use and Addiction With Nature Immersion Therapy

Taking care of one’s physical wellness is crucial for overall long-term recovery. This includes the benefits that nature can have on one’s physical being. According to the U.S. National Park Service, “Spending time enjoying the view in parks may encourage you to move your body! Maybe you want to take a short walk and enjoy the view from a different angle, or maybe looking out over a vista will inspire you to hike and experience the place in a new way. Who knew taking in the view could lead to a great workout!”

Nature immersion therapy also offers a myriad of other benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning… While cognitive restoration and physiological well-being are the prominent and renowned benefits of nature exposure, there is one important construct that is often overlooked in environmental psychology research studies – that is, the human-nature relationship; also known as connectedness to nature (CN).” This “CN” can also occur when practicing yoga or meditating outdoors.

Spiritual Wellness: Treating Stimulant Use and Addiction With Yoga Therapy and Mindfulness Meditation

B.K.S. Iyengar also said, “Spirituality is not some external goal that one must seek, but a part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal.” Yoga and meditation can help this divine revelation. Yoga and meditation have been practiced for thousands of years. Originally they were practiced solely for spiritual and/or religious purposes, but they have since moved into many other arenas. This includes the realm of recovery.

Meditation has also been shown to reduce relapse. According to the peer-reviewed journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, “Researchers and clinicians have begun to explore mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for intervening in SUDs and relapse prevention. Mounting evidence supports the use of MBIs to address psychiatric disorders. Building on the first-generation MBIs’ (eg, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MBSR; Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, MBCT) success in intervening in stress-related conditions and affective disorders, newer MBIs like Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) use tailored mindfulness-based intervention strategies to reduce, stop, and prevent substance use.”

This is important because many people don’t realize just how prevalent relapses in the U.S. actually are. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Also, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.” This is significantly true for those with stimulant addiction.

The Importance of Long-Term Success at Northstar Recovery Center

Here at Northstar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why all of our recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive with a focus on the future. That future starts now.

Recovery is out there. The key is to reach out and grab it. It is time. We can help.

Stimulant use and stimulant addiction can be devastating for both the individual and those loved ones closest to them. The good news is there are many effective means, methods, and modalities to treat the negative effects of stimulant use. One can also fully recover with effective and focused day treatment. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about how to heal from stimulant addiction, please reach out to Northstar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.