Integrative Approach to Stimulant-Use Disorder

SUD remains a significant public health problem with limited evidence-based treatment options available for many individuals. This chapter provides a review of integrative treatment approaches for stimulant use disorder, including current literature on evidence-based behavioral interventions, pharmacotherapy, and complementary and alternative treatments (CAM) for both cocaine and amphetamine use. Current epidemiology, physical and mental health effects, and public health impacts, of these disorders is also discussed. The chapter provides an overview of current mainstream treatments for these disorders and challenges that have been faced in developing effective treatment modalities. With the relative paucity of available traditional treatments, the chapter seeks to explore the evidence for the use of such CAM treatments as acupuncture, exercise, yoga, transmagnetic cranial stimulation (TMS), meditation, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).