Why Women Use Methamphetamine
NIDA’s research offers an answer worth hearing. Women report using the drug because they believe it will increase energy and decrease exhaustion associated with work, home care, child care and family responsibilities.1 Weight loss is another incentive women cite, and one reported significantly more by women than by men.1 NIDA also reports that women tend to begin using methamphetamine at an earlier age than men do.1 Sol treats methamphetamine use disorder in Riverside through three substance use levels of care: High-Intensity IOP, IOP and OP.
Read that first sentence again. Energy, exhaustion, work, home care, child care. That is not a description of recklessness. It is a description of a woman trying to meet a load that could not be met, with the only thing that seemed to make it possible.
Key Takeaways
- NIDA reports women use methamphetamine for energy against exhaustion from work, home care, child care and family responsibilities, and cite weight loss significantly more often than men.1
- There is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder or any other stimulant use disorder.2
- Withdrawal symptoms peak 2 to 3 days after last use and may last a week, with low mood and cravings persisting for several months.2
- Some neurobiological effects appear at least partially reversible, and some changes are very long lasting.3
- NIDA states that stopping methamphetamine use at any point during pregnancy can improve birth outcomes.2
Show all 5 takeaways
The Reason Behind the Reason
The three findings in the answer block are NIDA’s, not ours, and they describe something specific. Energy for a load that does not fit into the hours available. Weight, in a culture that keeps score. An earlier start, which usually means an earlier version of the same pressure.
NIDA also reports a pattern that runs across substances and matters here. Women often have a shorter history of using a substance, yet typically enter treatment with more severe medical, behavioral, psychological and social problems, because women show a quicker progression from first using the substance to developing dependence.4
Those two things together explain a lot of what women describe. A shorter history, which sounds like it should mean it is not serious yet, and a more severe picture at the point of asking for help.
And on why a women-only program: NIDA states that women, pregnant or not, have unique needs that should be addressed during substance use disorder treatment, and that effective treatment should recognize sex and gender differences, understand the types of trauma women sometimes face, and provide added support for women with child care needs.5
What Methamphetamine Is and What It Does
NIDA describes methamphetamine as a powerful lab-made stimulant with high addiction potential, classified by the DEA as a Schedule II stimulant, which makes it legally available only through a nonrefillable prescription.2
That prescription form is real, which surprises people. The FDA has approved methamphetamine for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and for short-term treatment of obesity.2 It is not widely prescribed, and it is not what is being sold.
On immediate effects, NIDA names paranoia, anxiety, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, stroke, increased blood pressure and kidney damage.2
On longer-term physical effects, NIDA lists weight loss, severe tooth decay and tooth loss, and skin sores.3 The dental effects are real, and a dentist can talk you through the options.
One more, for scale: NIDA states methamphetamine is the second most commonly found drug in people who fatally overdose, after synthetic opioids.2
Paranoia, Voices and Things That Are Not There
This is the symptom women are least likely to tell anyone about, and the one most likely to be mistaken for something else.
NIDA describes symptoms of psychosis including seeing or hearing things that are not there, and deeply believing false stories or ideas, even when not intoxicated.2
It also notes that heavy drinking and stress have been shown to increase the odds that someone who has experienced methamphetamine-associated psychosis in the past will have psychosis symptoms again.2
On how long: NIDA states psychotic symptoms can sometimes last for months or years after a person has quit using methamphetamine.3 Sometimes, and can. Not always, and not inevitably. If it is happening, it is a clinical matter, help is available, and it is worth sharing at assessment so you do not have to carry it alone.
Have I Done Permanent Damage?
The answer sits somewhere in the middle, and both halves come from the same NIDA page.
The hopeful half: some of the neurobiological effects of chronic methamphetamine misuse appear to be, at least, partially reversible. NIDA explains that methamphetamine misuse greatly reduces the binding of dopamine to dopamine transporters in the striatum, a brain area important in memory and movement, and that with prolonged abstinence, dopamine transporters in this area can be restored.3
The sober half: function in other brain regions did not recover even after 14 months of abstinence, which NIDA says indicates some methamphetamine-induced changes are very long lasting.3 Neuroimaging has shown alterations in dopamine system activity associated with reduced motor speed and impaired verbal learning.3
So: not permanent destruction, and not a clean slate either. Some of it comes back with time off it, some of it takes a long time, and some of it may not.
What Stopping Is Actually Like
NIDA states that after someone who uses methamphetamine repeatedly stops, they may quickly experience withdrawal symptoms, even if they do not have stimulant use disorder.2
The symptoms are depression, anxiety, irritability, pain and discomfort, sleep problems, cravings and trouble concentrating.2 They peak 2 to 3 days after last use and may last for a week.2
Then the part that catches people. After the acute phase, NIDA states a person may still experience low mood, anxiety and cravings for several months.2 Knowing about those months ahead of time can help you plan for them with support.
Methamphetamine withdrawal is not medically dangerous in the way alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can be. It can be emotionally very hard, and the depression deserves care rather than waiting it out.
What Actually Treats This
First, what does not exist. NIDA states there is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder or any other stimulant use disorder.2 On its research report page NIDA is more specific: there are currently no medications that counteract the specific effects of methamphetamine or that prolong abstinence from and reduce the misuse of methamphetamine.6
What does have evidence is behavioral. NIDA describes contingency management as offering people small, tangible incentives such as prizes, cash, vouchers or gift cards to help keep people from using methamphetamine and to continue treatment, and states that contingency management interventions have been shown to be effective.26
NIDA also describes the Matrix Model, a 16-week comprehensive behavioral treatment approach combining behavioral therapy, family education, individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing and encouragement for non-drug-related activities.6
Sol does not use the Matrix Model. We mention it because NIDA does, so you know what it is if you hear the name. What Sol’s week holds is below.
Along the way, women are recognized for milestones like steady attendance with a charm for a bracelet. It is a small, warm way to mark progress, separate from the treatment itself.
What Sol provides is individual and group therapy, CBT, medication management for co-occurring conditions, and treatment for the depression, trauma or ADHD that so often sits underneath stimulant use. See depression, ADHD, PTSD or dual diagnosis.
See our therapy approaches.
If You Are Pregnant
NIDA states that methamphetamine use during pregnancy is associated with adverse health and developmental outcomes, including an increased chance of placental abruption and premature birth.2
And then the sentence that matters more than any of the risk language: NIDA states that research shows stopping the use of methamphetamine at any point during pregnancy can improve birth outcomes.2
At any point. Not only in the first trimester, not only if you stopped before you knew. Whatever has already happened, stopping now still changes the picture, and that is worth knowing before you decide whether to tell anyone.
What Is Actually Happening Nationally
CDC data shows stimulant deaths, like opioid deaths, have been falling.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Psychostimulant overdose death rate | Down 19.8%, from 10.6 to 8.5 per 100,000 | 2023 to 20247 |
| Psychostimulant-involved overdose deaths | 28,722, down from 34,855 | 2024 against 20237 |
| Share of methamphetamine-involved deaths co-involving opioids | 68.8% | Jan 2021 to Jun 20248 |
| US drug overdose deaths, estimated | 69,973, down almost 14%. Third consecutive annual decline. | Calendar year 20259 |
“Psychostimulants with abuse potential” is CDC’s category and it includes amphetamine and methylphenidate alongside methamphetamine. It is not a methamphetamine-only count and should not be described as one.
How Much Treatment
Typically suits
What the week holds
Read more
High-Intensity IOPMost intensive substance use level
Typically suits
The first weeks, when the crash and the sleep are at their worst
What the week holds
Sol’s most intensive substance use level, with days structured like PHP: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Read more
IOPIntensive outpatient
Typically suits
The common fit: real treatment alongside work or family
What the week holds
Three days a week, you choose which three, starting at 9:00 AM or 10:30 AM
Read more
OPOutpatient
Typically suits
Protecting a recovery that is holding through the long stretch
What the week holds
Ongoing support and relapse prevention
Read more
If home is part of what makes this hard, our supportive housing affiliate has a 10-bed, all-female home about ten minutes from our treatment center. It is run by a separate organization, and admissions can tell you more.
Starting Treatment
1
Call or Send Your Insurance Details
Admissions answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2
Assessment
A clinician looks at how much and how long, what the days after stopping have been like, and whether anything else is going on.
3
Verify Your Insurance
We contact your plan confidentially and explain what we learn.
4
Start Date
Set around what your week can hold.
If you have been seeing or hearing things, say so. It is more common than you think, help is available, and nobody here is going to react the way you are expecting.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
“I only started because I could not keep up” is something many women say. It is not an excuse, and it deserves a kinder answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our admissions line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (951) 972-5085.
Why Do Women Use Meth?
NIDA reports that women say they use it because they believe it will increase energy and decrease exhaustion associated with work, home care, child care and family responsibilities. Weight loss is another incentive women cite, reported significantly more often by women than by men. NIDA also reports women tend to start using it at an earlier age than men.
Does Meth Cause Permanent Brain Damage?
Not a clean yes or no. NIDA states some neurobiological effects appear at least partially reversible, and that dopamine transporters in the striatum can be restored with prolonged abstinence. It also states function in other brain regions did not recover even after 14 months of abstinence, indicating some changes are very long lasting.
Is There a Medication for Meth Addiction?
No. NIDA states there is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder or any other stimulant use disorder. Contingency management and other behavioral treatments are what have evidence behind them.
How Long Does Meth Withdrawal Last?
NIDA states symptoms peak 2 to 3 days after last use and may last for a week. After that acute phase, low mood, anxiety and cravings may continue for several months. Knowing about the months ahead of time can help.
Will the Paranoia and Hallucinations Stop?
NIDA states psychotic symptoms can sometimes last for months or years after a person has quit. It also notes heavy drinking and stress increase the odds of symptoms returning in someone who has had methamphetamine-associated psychosis before. Help is available, and it is worth telling a clinician about.
Can My Teeth Be Fixed?
Tooth decay and tooth loss are among the physical effects NIDA lists. Dental damage is a dental question rather than an addiction one, and a dentist can talk you through the options.
Is It Too Late to Stop If I Am Already Pregnant?
No. NIDA states research shows stopping methamphetamine use at any point during pregnancy can improve birth outcomes. At any point.
Are Meth Deaths Still Rising?
No. CDC reports the overdose death rate involving psychostimulants with abuse potential fell 19.8% between 2023 and 2024, and 2025 was the third consecutive annual decline in total US overdose deaths. That category includes amphetamine and methylphenidate as well as methamphetamine.
Does Insurance Cover Meth Treatment?
Every plan is different, so the quickest way to know is to verify your insurance. Sol accepts most major insurance plans, and benefits are confirmed individually before admission. Sol can often work with HMO policies through a single case agreement. Sol does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, Molina, IEHP, Kaiser, TRICARE or TriWest.
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The Load Was Real, and So Is the Support
A conversation with admissions is the least dramatic possible first step, and it commits you to nothing.
4175 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Confidential, and nobody is going to ask you to promise anything on the phone.
Sources9
- 1.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Substance Use in Women Research Report: Sex Differences in Substance Use. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-differences-in-substance-use
- 2.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Methamphetamine. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/methamphetamine
- 3.National Institute on Drug Abuse. What are the long-term effects of methamphetamine misuse? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-are-long-term-effects-methamphetamine-misuse
- 4.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Substance Use in Women Research Report: Sex Differences in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-differences-in-substance-use-disorder-treatment
- 5.National Institute on Drug Abuse. Substance Use in Women Research Report: Summary. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/summary
- 6.National Institute on Drug Abuse. What treatments are effective for people who misuse methamphetamine? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-treatments-are-effective-people-who-misuse-methamphetamine
- 7.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2023-2024, NCHS Data Brief No. 549, January 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db549.htm
- 8.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Stimulants, United States, January 2018-June 2024. MMWR 2025;74. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7432a1.htm
- 9.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease for Third Consecutive Year in 2025, May 13, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/releases/20260513.html
Medical Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Methamphetamine use disorder can only be diagnosed by a qualified clinician. Psychosis, seizures, chest pain or loss of consciousness need urgent medical care rather than a website. Sol Women’s Treatment is certified by DHCS for outpatient and intensive outpatient services (330246AP) and licensed by CDSS (facility 331881576), and does not provide detox, inpatient or residential care. No two women respond identically and nothing here promises a result. In a medical emergency call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.