Quick answer
Psychostimulants such as methamphetamine were involved in 28% of Ohio's unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2023, and 77% of those deaths also involved fentanyl. There is no FDA-approved medication for meth use disorder, but behavioral therapy works. Portsmouth has outpatient and intensive outpatient options within 30 miles.
Methamphetamine takes a hard toll on sleep, mood, and thinking, and quitting is a long climb - but it is one people make. In Ohio, meth is now entangled with fentanyl: most overdose deaths that involve a stimulant also involve the synthetic opioid. There is no medication for meth use disorder, so structured behavioral care is what works. Here is what is available around Portsmouth and how to begin.
What does methamphetamine treatment involve?
It depends on how long you have been using, how much you sleep and eat, and whether fentanyl is in the mix. If you are still working and using intermittently, regular outpatient counseling is a realistic start. If use has taken over your days, an intensive outpatient program with several sessions a week gives more structure while you keep living at home. If you are in a sustained crash - barely sleeping or eating, deeply depressed - a period of stabilization with medical monitoring may come first. None of it rests on willpower alone; it rests on matching the intensity of care to where you are.
What the Ohio data show
The Ohio Department of Health found that psychostimulants such as methamphetamine were involved in 28% of Ohio's unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2023 - 1,267 deaths - and that 77% of psychostimulant-related deaths also involved fentanyl. That overlap is why a meth page has to talk about naloxone: the stimulant you can see is not always the only drug in the dose.
Locally, the Ohio Department of Health counted 47 unintentional overdose deaths in Scioto County in 2024, down from 81 in 2023. That is a sharp improvement, but the county's 2020-2024 average rate of 118.5 per 100,000 was still the highest in Ohio, and most local overdose deaths involve more than one substance.
Treatment is behavioral
No medication is FDA-approved for methamphetamine use disorder, so treatment is behavioral and structured:
- Contingency management - small, tangible rewards for verified periods of not using, among the best-supported approaches for stimulant use disorder.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - builds skills to handle triggers, cravings, and the situations that lead back to use.
- The Matrix Model - an intensive outpatient approach developed specifically for stimulant users, combining individual and group counseling with relapse-prevention education.
Because recovery from meth often means rebuilding sleep, appetite, and routine, ask a program how it supports those basics alongside the counseling.
Within 30 miles of central Portsmouth, the SAMHSA treatment locator lists 37 substance use treatment facilities (pull dated October 23, 2026):
- 31 offering outpatient care and 23 providing intensive outpatient programs
- 8 offering residential care and 8 offering detoxification
- 34 report offering telemedicine or telehealth therapy, which can make frequent counseling realistic
- 25 offer a sliding fee scale, and all 37 report accepting Medicaid
Where to get help in Portsmouth
The ADAMHS Board of Adams, Lawrence and Scioto Counties (919 Seventh Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662; 740-354-5648) funds behavioral health services across the tri-county area and can direct you to a program that fits. Among its providers, The Counseling Center offers outpatient addiction treatment and recovery housing in Portsmouth, and Shawnee Family Health Center combines behavioral health and primary care. Ask the board about telehealth or evening options if a weekday drive is hard.
Free naloxone is available through Naloxone.Ohio.gov and the local health district - carry it, because meth is often cut with fentanyl.
Paying for meth treatment in Portsmouth
Ohio Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use disorder treatment for eligible members, including outpatient and intensive outpatient counseling. Ohio expanded Medicaid in 2014, so many low-income adults qualify. If you are uninsured, ask the ADAMHS Board about payment help before ruling a program out; most local facilities also offer sliding-scale fees.
How to start today
- If someone is overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone. For a crisis, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to speak with a treatment specialist, or use this form:
Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers, and we check your benefits before you commit.
- Search findtreatment.gov from any Portsmouth ZIP code and filter for outpatient or intensive outpatient care, or for telehealth.
- Carry naloxone in case fentanyl is present - it is free through Naloxone.Ohio.gov.
Methamphetamine use is treatable, and the programs that help are closer than most people expect. The first call does not commit you to anything - it just gets a plan started.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above. Other Methamphetamine treatment in Ohio: Methamphetamine treatment in Akron, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Canton, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Chillicothe, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Cleveland, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Columbus, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Dayton, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Hamilton, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Kettering, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Lorain, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Springfield, Ohio, Methamphetamine treatment in Steubenville, Ohio.
Last updated: Fri Oct 23 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Is there medication for methamphetamine addiction?
No medication is FDA-approved to treat methamphetamine use disorder, according to NIDA. Behavioral treatment - cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, and the Matrix Model - is the main evidence-based approach, usually delivered through outpatient or intensive outpatient care.
Does meth in Ohio contain fentanyl?
Frequently. The Ohio Department of Health found that 77% of 2023 unintentional overdose deaths involving psychostimulants like methamphetamine also involved fentanyl. Anyone using meth should assume fentanyl may be present, carry naloxone, and avoid using alone.
What treatment is available near Portsmouth for meth use?
Within 30 miles of central Portsmouth, the SAMHSA locator lists 37 substance use treatment facilities, including 31 offering outpatient care, 23 providing intensive outpatient programs, 8 with residential care, and 34 offering telehealth, in a pull dated October 23, 2026.
Why are telehealth options important for meth treatment?
Many people with meth use disorder work or live outside Portsmouth, and telehealth lets them keep appointments without long drives. Of the 37 facilities within 30 miles, 34 report offering telemedicine or telehealth therapy, which can make regular counseling realistic.
What should I do if someone overdoses?
Call 911. If the person is unresponsive or breathing slowly, give naloxone if you have it - meth is often cut with fentanyl, and naloxone can reverse that. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.