If someone you love uses methamphetamine and is thinking about stopping, the most common thing that stops them is not knowing what the first few days will actually be like. This article walks through that honestly, and covers the Colorado-specific pieces (coverage, levels of care, and what to ask) that generic national articles leave out.
Why methamphetamine detox is different
Withdrawal from alcohol or benzodiazepines can be medically dangerous; it can involve seizures and require medical management. [1] Methamphetamine withdrawal does not generally carry that same risk of life-threatening complications. What makes it hard is different: it involves both psychological and physiological symptoms, and it is the point at which people most often give up and return to use.
That distinction matters because it changes what good care looks like. For meth, the value of a supervised setting is less about managing a medical emergency and more about getting someone through the days when everything feels flat, sleep is broken, and cravings are loudest, with nursing staff present and without access to the substance.
What withdrawal from methamphetamine involves
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and SAMHSA describe methamphetamine withdrawal as involving fatigue and heavy sleepiness, increased appetite, vivid or unpleasant dreams, agitation or irritability, anxiety, strong cravings, and depressed mood that can include thoughts of self-harm. [2][3] Symptoms are typically most intense early and then ease gradually, though low mood and cravings can persist longer than the physical symptoms do.
Two things are worth saying plainly. First, depressed mood is a common part of methamphetamine withdrawal, resulting from both neurobiological changes and psychological adjustment during early recovery. It is not a character flaw or evidence that treatment is failing. Second, because methamphetamine withdrawal can involve significant mood changes, anhedonia, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, sleep disturbance, intense cravings, hopelessness, and suicidal thinking, this is a period when close clinical monitoring of both psychiatric symptoms and overall functioning is particularly important. [3] If someone is having thoughts of suicide, that is an emergency. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by call or text, and 911 is the right call if someone is in immediate danger.
The appropriate length of withdrawal management and continued treatment is determined collaboratively by the patient and treatment team based on the individual’s symptoms, clinical needs, progress, and response to care rather than a predetermined timeline.
What medically supervised withdrawal management looks like
At Sheridan Grove Recovery, medically supervised withdrawal management means:
- An assessment on arrival, covering the substances involved, medical history, mental health history, and current medications.
- Monitoring by nursing staff, with qualified medical providers treating symptoms as they arise.
- Attention to co-occurring mental health conditions, which are common alongside stimulant use.
- Sleep, nutrition, and hydration support during the acute phase.
- A clear, individualized plan for continued care and recovery, developed collaboratively before withdrawal management ends to support a safe and coordinated transition to the next appropriate level of care.
There is currently no medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for methamphetamine use disorder. [2] Medications may be used to treat co-occurring medical or mental health conditions during methamphetamine withdrawal. If the patient is also using opioids, including through possible fentanyl exposure, medications for opioid use disorder may also be clinically appropriate.
What comes after withdrawal management
Withdrawal management on its own is not treatment for a substance use disorder. National clinical guidance is consistent on this: detoxification is a first step that should be followed by treatment, because stopping use does not by itself address what drives it. [1]
Residential treatment means living on site while receiving structured clinical care. For methamphetamine specifically, the treatments with the best evidence are behavioral rather than pharmacological, and include cognitive behavioral therapy and community reinforcement approaches. [2][3]
Sheridan Grove Recovery provides cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and motivational enhancement therapy, trauma-informed care, life skills work, and relapse prevention, with case management and discharge planning throughout.
Paying for treatment in Colorado
Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid)
Sheridan Grove Recovery accepts Health First Colorado. Have the member ID available when you call so benefits can be verified before admission.
Commercial and marketplace plans
Both Medicaid and commercial insurance are accepted at Sheridan Grove, and coverage for a specific plan is verified on the call. Federal parity law requires that plans covering substance use benefits not apply more restrictive limits to them than to medical and surgical benefits. [4] Marketplace plans must cover substance use disorder services as an essential health benefit. [5]
Veterans
Sheridan Grove Recovery is a VA Preferred Provider and accepts TRICARE. Mention military service when you call; it changes the verification path.
People involved with the justice system
Sheridan Grove Recovery accepts court-referred admissions and people coming directly out of incarceration. If you are working with a drug court, a probation officer, or a public defender in Arapahoe County or the Denver metro, admissions staff can speak with them directly.
What is changing for Colorado treatment access
Two Colorado developments are worth knowing about if you are weighing options now.
The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration is updating its Provider Rules (2 CCR 502-1) to align the state’s behavioral health continuum with the adult ASAM Criteria, the national standard used to define levels of substance use care such as withdrawal management, residential treatment, and intensive outpatient. [6] For families, the useful takeaway is that “level of care” is a defined clinical concept, not marketing language, and you can ask a provider which ASAM level they are licensed to deliver.
Separately, Colorado is changing how it reimburses behavioral health services, and some safety-net providers have already reduced or closed residential programs ahead of the change. [7] Publicly funded residential capacity in the Denver metro is tighter than it was a year ago, which is a practical reason to confirm availability and payer acceptance before a crisis rather than during one.
Questions to ask before admission
- Which ASAM levels of care are you licensed by the Colorado BHA to provide?
- Do you provide medically supervised withdrawal management on site, or do you refer out for it?
- What evidence-based behavioral approaches do you use for stimulant use specifically?
- How are co-occurring mental health conditions handled: on site, or by referral?
- Are you accredited by a national body such as The Joint Commission?
- Will you verify my benefits before admission, and will you tell me in writing what I would owe?
- Do you accept court-referred admissions?
Frequently asked questions
Is meth withdrawal dangerous? It is generally not medically dangerous in the way alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal can be; those withdrawals can involve seizures and require medical management. [1] Methamphetamine withdrawal involves both psychological and physiological symptoms, including profound fatigue, disrupted sleep, strong cravings, depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, and anhedonia. In some individuals, depressive symptoms may include hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm, making careful monitoring particularly important during this period. [2][3] If someone is having thoughts of suicide, that is an emergency. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by call or text, and 911 is the right call if someone is in immediate danger.
Can you detox from meth at home? Some people attempt to withdraw from methamphetamine at home, but doing so without supervision can present significant challenges. Intense cravings, profound fatigue, sleep disruption, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, and anhedonia can increase vulnerability to return to use. In some cases, depression and hopelessness may also be accompanied by suicidal thoughts. [3] If someone is having thoughts of suicide, that is an emergency. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by call or text, and 911 is the right call if someone is in immediate danger. A supervised setting provides nursing monitoring, medical treatment of symptoms, clinical assessment of safety, and connection to ongoing treatment during this vulnerable period. It also removes access to the substance during the hardest part.
Is there a medication for meth addiction? There is currently no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder. [2] Effective treatment is behavioral, and includes cognitive behavioral therapy and community reinforcement approaches. [3] Medication is still used for co-occurring conditions and for opioid use disorder when both are present.
What happens after detox? Withdrawal management alone is not treatment. National guidance is that detoxification should be followed by treatment that addresses the substance use disorder itself. [1] At Sheridan Grove Recovery that means residential treatment, with the level of care determined clinically.
Does Colorado Medicaid cover residential treatment? Sheridan Grove Recovery accepts Health First Colorado. Coverage for a specific admission depends on medical necessity and authorization, which is why benefits are verified before admission.
What if fentanyl is also involved? That is increasingly common, because fentanyl has been found in supplies sold as methamphetamine. It changes the clinical plan: medication for opioid use disorder may be appropriate, and the withdrawal picture is different. Say so during the assessment even if you are not certain.
Will you take a court-ordered referral? Yes. Sheridan Grove Recovery accepts court-referred admissions and people coming out of incarceration. Have the referring officer or attorney’s contact information available when you call.
Treatment in Aurora, Colorado
Sheridan Grove Recovery provides medically supervised detox and residential treatment for adults in Aurora, Colorado, serving the Denver metro area. Admissions is available 24/7, and we’ll verify your benefits. Call 303.268.2987.
Sheridan Grove Recovery · 2000 S. Blackhawk St, Aurora, CO 80014 · Accredited by The Joint Commission · Colorado BHA license 2884-BHE001
Sources
- SAMHSA, TIP 45: Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment. https://library.samhsa.gov/product/tip-45-detoxification-and-substance-abuse-treatment/sma15-4131
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Methamphetamine Research Report. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/methamphetamine
- SAMHSA, TIP 33: Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders. https://library.samhsa.gov/product/tip-33-treatment-stimulant-use-disorders/pep21-02-01-004
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/private-health-insurance/mental-health-parity-addiction-equity
- HealthCare.gov, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Coverage. https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage/
- Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, Laws and Rules (Provider Rules 2 CCR 502-1, ASAM alignment). https://bha.colorado.gov/for-service-providers/laws-and-rules
- Colorado Politics, “Rate reductions force Jefferson Center to close key recovery program as Colorado reimbursement rates change,” July 9, 2026. https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2026/07/09/rate-reductions-force-jefferson-center-to-close-key-recovery-program-as-colorado-reimbursement-rates-change/