Quick answer
Stopping Xanax, Klonopin, or Ativan abruptly can cause seizures, so the safe route is a gradual taper planned by a clinician. Kentucky recorded 148 benzodiazepine-involved overdose deaths in 2025, down 30.5% from 213. Within 30 miles of Hazard, 1 of the 40 listed programs reports benzodiazepine detoxification.
Benzodiazepines - alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan) - calm the nervous system, and the body adapts to them. When the dose drops too fast, the FDA's boxed warning describes what can follow: withdrawal reactions including seizures, which can be life-threatening. The safe path in Perry County runs through a supervised taper, and this page shows where to start one and what the Kentucky data say about benzos in 2025.
The taper is the treatment
The FDA tells prescribers to stop or reduce benzodiazepines with a gradual taper and states plainly that there is no standard schedule that fits everyone. The plan gets built after an assessment, then watched and adjusted when symptoms spike. Pausing at a dose before stepping down again is normal, not a failure. A rough week mid-taper is information for the next adjustment - not a reason to quit cold.
One Perry County pattern to raise with any prescriber: benzos rarely travel alone here. They get mixed with alcohol (which works on the same receptors), with opioids, or with methamphetamine - and Perry County's meth-involved deaths rose from 5 in 2024 to 6 in 2025, per the KIPRC annual report. A taper plan should list every substance you use, not just the benzo.
What the Kentucky numbers show
The KIPRC 2021-2025 annual report counts 148 benzodiazepine-involved drug overdose deaths in Kentucky in 2025, down 30.5% from 213 in 2024. That is 13.2% of the state's 1,125 drug overdose deaths. The trend has run one direction for four years: 307 in 2021, 252 in 2022, 229 in 2023, 213 in 2024, 148 in 2025.
The detail that should shape every taper conversation: KIPRC reports that 100% of the drug overdose deaths involving a benzodiazepine also involved at least one other drug. Fentanyl showed up alongside a benzodiazepine in 68 of the 2025 deaths. Benzos are rarely the solo killer - they amplify something else, which is exactly what a supervised taper is built to manage.
Perry County itself recorded 8 drug overdose deaths in 2025 per the 2025 Overdose Fatality Report; the state suppresses rates for counties with counts that small. In a county of about 26,700 people (Census 2024 estimates), each death lands hard.
Where to start in Hazard
A SAMHSA locator search within 30 miles of Hazard returns 40 substance use listings, and only one reports benzodiazepine detoxification: Still Waters Recovery in Oneida, roughly 24 miles out, which also lists alcohol, opioid, methamphetamine, and cocaine detox. That scarcity is normal in eastern Kentucky - most benzo tapers do not happen in a detox unit. They happen in three places:
- At the prescriber. The clinician who wrote the Xanax or Klonopin prescription can usually build the taper. Bring a full medication list and be direct about any alcohol or opioid use - combinations change the plan.
- At Kentucky River Community Care's Perry County programs (115 Rockwood Lane in Hazard, with Project ADDVANCE on Little Grapevine Creek Road). The listings show outpatient and intensive outpatient tracks with substance use counseling and telehealth, plus mental health services for the anxiety and insomnia that often sit under a benzo prescription in the first place.
- At an emergency department when symptoms are severe. Seizures, hallucinations, or confusion after cutting a benzo dose need medical care now, not next Tuesday.
If detox is the right fit, call Still Waters Recovery or ask Kentucky River Community Care for a referral. The KY HELP Call Center (1-833-8KY-HELP) can also locate open beds statewide.
Paying for a taper and treatment
Kentucky expanded Medicaid, so more adults with low incomes qualify than in non-expansion states. Kentucky Medicaid covers medically necessary substance use treatment, including counseling and medication. Confirm network status and prior authorization with your plan before you commit. Uninsured? The SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 gives free, confidential referrals.
How to start tonight
- In a medical emergency, call 911. A seizure or unresponsiveness is an emergency. For a crisis that is not medical, call or text 988.
- Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through your options 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.
- Call your prescriber tomorrow and ask for a taper plan in writing - doses, dates, and what to do if symptoms spike.
- If you take benzos with opioids or alcohol, keep naloxone (Narcan) at home; Kentucky pharmacies can dispense it without a prescription under the statewide protocol.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above.
Last updated: Sun Oct 18 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Can I stop taking Xanax or Klonopin on my own?
No - not safely after regular use. The FDA warns that abruptly stopping a benzodiazepine can cause withdrawal reactions including seizures, and it tells prescribers to use an individualized gradual taper. A clinician should build the plan and adjust it as symptoms change.
Where can I get benzodiazepine detox near Hazard?
Within 30 miles of Hazard, the SAMHSA locator lists one facility reporting benzodiazepine detoxification - Still Waters Recovery in Oneida, about 24 miles away. It also lists alcohol, opioid, methamphetamine, and cocaine detoxification. For severe symptoms, an emergency department is the fastest safe option; call 911 if someone is seizing.
Are benzodiazepines killing people in Kentucky?
Benzodiazepines were involved in 148 Kentucky drug overdose deaths in 2025, about 13.2% of the total, down 30.5% from 213 in 2024. The critical detail: every one of those deaths also involved at least one other drug, most often fentanyl. The risk concentrates in combinations, not in the benzo alone.
Who can manage a benzodiazepine taper in Perry County?
The prescriber who wrote the prescription is usually the fastest start. Kentucky River Community Care's Perry County programs in Hazard provide outpatient substance use and mental health care, and can screen for benzo and opioid or alcohol combinations. Bring a complete medication list to the first appointment.
What should I do if someone has a benzo withdrawal seizure?
Call 911 first. A withdrawal seizure needs an emergency department, not a home taper. For a crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988.