The treatment of stimulant dependence

Rehabilitation efforts offered to individuals with stimulant dependence incorporate a series of maneuvers to accomplish three major goals. Following active detoxification, most clinicians attempt to: (1) increase motivation for abstinence and maintain a high level of commitment to this goal; (2) help individuals to rebuild a stable life-style without substances; and (3) actively work toward ways of decreasing the probability of relapse (relapse prevention). While these activities incorporate education, counseling, outreach to families and exposure to self-help groups (e.g. Cocaine Anonymous), numerous pharmacological approaches have been tested. Each mode of drug therapy is based on a reasonable hypothesis, but appropriately controlled and structured clinical trials have not yet revealed any pharmacological approach for rehabilitation of stimulant-dependent individuals for which the risks have been shown to outweight the assets.