Clinically reviewed by Tia Conard, LCSW · August 25, 2026
For years, much of the conversation about overdose risk has centered on fentanyl. But recent Arkansas State Crime Laboratory data point to a changing picture. Methamphetamine is now involved in a larger share of Arkansas overdose deaths than fentanyl, and the gap between the two has widened considerably.
That shift changes what to look for in a treatment program. This article explains what stimulant use does, how withdrawal differs from opioid withdrawal, and what care looks like at Hickory Grove Recovery in Morrilton.
What Arkansas data shows
Arkansas State Crime Laboratory figures reported in June 2026 show methamphetamine involvement in overdose deaths rose from 47% in 2023 to 54% year-to-date in 2026. Over the same period, fentanyl involvement fell from 43% to 16%. [1]
The share of overdose deaths involving stimulants is rising even as the substances most families have been reading about recede.
For a family choosing a program, the useful conclusion is narrow. A program organized entirely around opioid care may not be built for what a person who primarily uses methamphetamine needs, and the reverse is also true. It is a fair question to ask a provider directly.
How stimulant withdrawal differs from opioid withdrawal
This is the part families most often get wrong, usually because they have read about opioids.
Opioid withdrawal is physically dramatic and there are medications approved specifically to treat it. Stimulant withdrawal is different. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are currently no medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat methamphetamine use disorder; the treatments with the strongest evidence behind them are behavioral. [2]
Withdrawal from stimulants tends to present psychologically rather than physically: low mood, exhaustion, heavy sleep, difficulty feeling pleasure in ordinary things, and strong cravings. [2] Because it looks less like a medical emergency than opioid withdrawal, it is frequently underestimated, including by the person going through it.
Two implications follow:
- “They aren’t physically sick, so they don’t need a program” is a mistaken read. The psychological phase is where most people return to use.
- Medical supervision still matters, both because stimulant use commonly occurs alongside other substances and because the mental health symptoms during this period need clinical attention.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse identifies behavioral approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, among those with evidence behind them for stimulant use disorder. [2]
Signs worth paying attention to
Families usually notice a pattern before they can name it:
- Long stretches awake, followed by sleeping for extended periods
- Marked weight loss and reduced appetite
- Dental problems and skin sores
- Growing suspicion or paranoia, sometimes without an obvious trigger
- Money disappearing without explanation
- Withdrawal from people who were previously close
Not every item on that list means stimulant use. Several appearing together is worth a conversation, and worth an assessment.
What treatment involves
Hickory Grove Recovery is a 75-bed treatment center at 12 Hospital Dr in Morrilton, Arkansas, serving Central Arkansas and the Little Rock area. We are licensed by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and accredited by The Joint Commission.
We provide two levels of care:
- Medically supervised withdrawal management (detox): Reserved for patients experiencing acute withdrawal from opioids, alcohol, or benzodiazepines when 24-hour medical and nursing oversight and withdrawal-management medications are indicated. Patients whose substance use does not require acute medical withdrawal management, including those using methamphetamine or other stimulants without concurrent acute opioid, alcohol, or benzodiazepine withdrawal, are admitted directly to residential treatment.
- Residential treatment: The appropriate level of care for patients who do not require acute medical withdrawal management, as well as for patients transitioning from detox once medically stable. Treatment includes individual and group therapy, cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy approaches, trauma-informed care, and support for sleep, nutrition, hydration, mental health symptoms, family involvement, and discharge planning.
We treat co-occurring mental health conditions alongside substance use, which is directly relevant here: the depressive symptoms that follow stimulant use frequently overlap with a mental health condition that was already present.
Two further points. We admit adults who are justice-involved or recently released: that is not an exclusion for us. And we are coed, with couples able to admit to the same facility and stay in different gender-appropriate rooms, which removes a barrier that keeps some people from starting at all.
Care is planned individually by clinicians after assessment. Admissions answers 24 hours a day.
Coverage in Arkansas
Hickory Grove accepts commercial insurance, TRICARE, Marketplace plans, and private pay. If your coverage is an ARHOME plan, it is written as commercial coverage, not “Arkansas Medicaid,” so call admissions and have your benefits verified.
Arkansas Medicaid is not accepted directly. ARHOME coverage is reached through managed-care plans, and Hickory Grove is not currently accepting Medicaid or PASSE members.
If you are not sure what you have, call and we will verify it and tell you what we find before anyone commits to anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a medication for methamphetamine use disorder? No medication is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat methamphetamine use disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse identifies behavioral approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, as those with the strongest evidence behind them. [2]
Does someone need medical detox for stimulants? Not typically. Stimulant use alone, including methamphetamine use, does not generally require admission to medically supervised withdrawal management at our facilities. Patients who are not experiencing acute withdrawal from opioids, alcohol, or benzodiazepines are generally admitted directly to residential treatment.
Importantly, going directly to residential treatment does not mean going without medical care. Residential treatment still includes medical evaluation and ongoing medical visits, nursing and clinical oversight, and medications when appropriate to manage symptoms and support stabilization. The treatment team can address concerns commonly associated with stopping stimulants, including changes in sleep, appetite and nutrition, hydration, mood, anxiety, and other physical or mental health symptoms.
The initial assessment also identifies whether alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, or other substances are involved. If a patient is experiencing acute opioid, alcohol, or benzodiazepine withdrawal requiring medically supervised withdrawal management, detox may be appropriate before transitioning to residential treatment.
What does stimulant withdrawal feel like? Commonly reported effects include exhaustion, extended sleep, low mood, difficulty experiencing pleasure in ordinary activities, and strong cravings. [2] It presents psychologically more than physically, which is why it is often underestimated.
Is meth really more common than fentanyl in Arkansas now? In terms of involvement in overdose deaths, yes. Arkansas State Crime Laboratory data shows methamphetamine involved in 54% of overdose deaths year-to-date in 2026, compared with 16% for fentanyl. [1]
Does Hickory Grove accept Arkansas Medicaid? Not directly. ARHOME is reached through managed-care plans, and Hickory Grove is not currently accepting Medicaid or PASSE members. An ARHOME plan is written as commercial coverage, not “Arkansas Medicaid,” so call admissions and have your benefits verified.
Can someone come to Hickory Grove if they have a criminal record? Yes. We admit adults who are justice-involved or recently released. Probation, parole, or a court-ordered referral does not by itself rule out admission.
How far is Morrilton from Little Rock? Morrilton sits in Conway County, roughly an hour northwest of Little Rock along Interstate 40. Many of the families we work with are from the Little Rock metro.
What should we have ready when we call? The person’s name and date of birth, insurance information if you have it, which substances are involved and roughly when they were last used, any current medications, and any mental health history you know of. Call even if you have only part of that.
Talk to admissions
If you are seeing these signs in someone in your family, call Hickory Grove Recovery at 501.509.5143. Admissions answers 24 hours a day. We will verify your coverage, walk you through what care would involve, and tell you honestly whether we are the right place.
Sources
- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “Meth has overtaken fentanyl in Arkansas drug deaths.” June 19, 2026. https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/jun/19/meth-has-overtaken-fentanyl-in-arkansas-drug/
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Methamphetamine DrugFacts.” https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine