The Dangerous Cycle We’re Normalizing: Stimulants by Day, THC by Night
The Dangerous Cycle We’re Normalizing:
Stimulants by Day, THC by Night
By Dr. Hasti Raveau, PhD, LP
Founder & CEO
A few years ago, a friend of mine was struggling. I couldn’t name it at the time… but something in me knew that what I was seeing was addiction right in front of me.
Addiction is not unfamiliar in my family. I have an uncle I never got to meet because he died of addiction. Other family members have battled alcoholism and dependency in various forms. And my own brother, who died by suicide, was struggling with substance use at the time. Addiction has a way of weaving itself into the lives of good people until it starts rewriting who they are.
Recently, I spoke with my friend and colleague Dr. Jamarie Geller, a brilliant psychiatrist, about an epidemic of adults unknowingly living in a stimulant-downer cycle. During the day, they take Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin to stay focused and productive. At night, they turn to weed, THC gummies, alcohol, or other sedatives to slow down enough to sleep. She called it “a dangerous combo that’s become completely normalized.”
The next morning, I woke up with a pit in my stomach. I remembered that friend from years ago was prescribed high doses of Adderall, and taking 10-20 mg THC gummies every night. What we brushed off as “coping” was a biochemical tug-of-war between two substances pulling in opposite directions.
What Stimulants Are For — and How They Go Wrong
Stimulant drugs were designed to help people with ADHD regulate attention, alertness, and executive functioning. When prescribed and monitored properly within a trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming framework they can be life-changing. But at times, that’s not the story. People are:
Misdiagnosed because symptoms of trauma, OCD, or chronic stress can look like ADHD.
Accurately diagnosed, but poorly treated by primary care doctors instead of psychiatric prescribers.
Given high doses without close follow-up, sleep monitoring, or curiosity about the person’s life context.
Already using THC daily, and seeking stimulants to offset the negative effects. Sometimes prescribers don’t ask the right questions. Sometimes patients minimize or hide their use.
When we medicate dysregulation without understanding its roots, stimulants can quietly become traps.
The “Functional” Addiction Hiding in Plain Sight
Our culture has conditioned us to believe that exhaustion, multitasking, and caffeine jitters are signs of success. The capitalist model thrives on people who can suppress their needs and keep producing.
But stimulants that are not properly prescribed and managed by well trained providers allow us to override our biology. To push through burnout, skip meals, and ignore our circadian rhythms. When that high drops at night, our nervous systems crash, and we crave something to soften the fall.
Enter THC, alcohol, and sedatives.
Today’s THC products can be up to 30 times more potent than what existed a generation ago. Long-term use is linked to cognitive dulling, reduced motivation, increased anxiety, and disrupted REM sleep, which are the very thing people often turn to weed to fix.
What begins as a way to “balance out” becomes a cycle of dependence, and the brain stops remembering how to regulate itself.
The Science Behind the Trap
Chronic stimulant use increases dopamine and norepinephrine activity, rewiring the brain’s reward circuits and raising baseline stress levels.
THC, especially in high doses, suppresses REM sleep, alters short-term memory, and disrupts our natural system that helps regulate mood and stress.
When used together in alternation, the body loses its internal cues for when to activate and when to rest.
Stimulant-downer patterns double the risk of developing substance use disorders and mood instability.
The Hidden Cost for Parents
Now imagine this pattern layered onto parenthood. Parents who misuse stimulants to get through long workdays only to come home depleted, crashing, and needing something fast to “take the edge off” before bedtime. They operate like machines, and in the process, the nervous system never really lands. The result? Irritability. Emotional numbness. Guilt. Poor sleep. Disconnection. And a slow death of joy.
What Do We Do From Here?
We start by telling the truth that this is a cultural illness. That slowing down, resting, and feeling are acts of rebellion against systems that profit from our exhaustion.
Clinically, it means encouraging prescribers to look beyond symptoms and into the why. To ask about trauma. To screen for secondary conditions. To integrate therapy, lifestyle changes, and nervous-system regulation into treatment plans.
A Final Reflection
I think back to my friend, and to the many families I’ve known who have lost someone to addiction. I think about how addiction often starts with pain, pressure, and a system that tells us to keep going at all costs.
If we want to end this cycle, we need to create a world where people don’t need to chemically toggle between extremes just to function.
At Mala, our mission is to end intergenerational cycles of trauma by helping people reconnect to their bodies, their values, and their capacity for balance. We’re here to remind individuals, parents, and communities that the goal is to build lives and systems that honor our nervous systems, not override them.
Know the Signs: When “Use” Becomes Dependence
If you or someone you love is using stimulants during the day and THC or other sedatives at night, here are signs that this pattern may be becoming dangerous:
You need higher doses of either to feel the same effect.
You feel anxious, restless, or empty when not taking them.
You can’t sleep without THC or can’t focus without stimulants.
You experience frequent mood swings, irritability, or exhaustion.
Your life starts revolving around managing energy instead of living it.
If this sounds familiar, please don’t let shame or fear silence you. Reach out for help. Dependence is not a moral failing.
The following psychotherapy providers have immediate openings for children, adults, and couples and are ready to support you on your healing journey:
ANN ARBOR / VIRTUAL
Elena Chambers - All Ages & Families
Jill Jackson - All Ages
Kayla Szatkiewicz - All Ages & Families
Meret Flessenkamper - All Ages, Couples, & Families
Nicolas Jakowiec - All Ages, Couples, & Families
Shannon Jirous - All Ages & Families
Tanya Sharma - All Ages & Families
FARMINGTON HILLS / VIRTUAL
Kenny Montemayer - All Ages, Couples, & Families
PLYMOUTH / VIRTUAL
Antoinette Ulmer - All Ages, Couples, & Families
Caleb Bonno - All Ages
Philip Ognenovski - All Ages, Couples, & Families
VIRTUAL
Fatin Jafri - All Ages, & Parent Coaching
At Mala, we know that medication is about finding balance, stability, and clarity so healing can take root. Our psychiatric team slows down and listens. We consider the whole person.
Our medication management program is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and collaborative. We don’t simply manage medications; we partner with you to uncover what your mind and body need to feel steady and safe. Every decision is made with curiosity, consent, and care, always mindful of your unique story and long-term wellbeing.
We believe that the goal of psychiatric care isn’t to silence your symptoms, but to help you hear what they’re trying to tell you. Together, we work toward balance that lasts — not just during the day, not just at night, but through every season of your life.
If you have any questions concerning care at Mala or would like to reach out for another reason, we’d love to hear from you.
Until next time,
The Mala Child & Family Institute Team
