Benzodiazepine Treatment in Buckhannon, WV

Published: 2026-10-26 Updated: 2026-10-26

If you have been taking a benzodiazepine — alprazolam, lorazepam, clonazepam, or a similar prescription — the way off it has to be gradual. The FDA has warned since 2020 that stopping these medications abruptly, or tapering too quickly, can cause withdrawal seizures and other life-threatening reactions. Here in Upshur County, benzodiazepines often show up alongside fentanyl, which is where the danger multiplies. Here is what safe withdrawal looks like and how to reach it from Buckhannon.

Can I stop taking benzodiazepines on my own?

It depends on how long and how much you have taken, but the short answer is no — not without a plan. For anyone who has used a benzodiazepine for weeks or months, the FDA advises against abrupt discontinuation or cutting the dose too quickly, because the nervous system rebounds and seizures can follow. What works instead is a slow taper designed by a clinician, who can pause it or step back to a prior dose if symptoms flare, then continue more slowly. Short-term, low-dose use is a different situation, and a prescriber can judge which one you are in.

Why the taper matters

Benzodiazepines quiet the nervous system much the way alcohol does, and the body adapts to them over weeks and months. Drop the dose too fast and the FDA's updated boxed warning describes a rebound: seizures, anxiety and panic attacks, tremors, muscle pain and stiffness, insomnia, and memory problems, with some people reporting symptoms that last many months. A supervised taper manages that rebound in a controlled, planned way. A rough stretch during a taper is information about pace, not a failure.

What Upshur County's data shows

The West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy's Upshur County profile records 5 overdose fatalities in 2024, down from 6 in 2023, for the county's 23,650 residents. Fentanyl was present in 60% of those deaths and methamphetamine in 60%, with alcohol and other opioids in 40% each.

Notably, the county profile does not report a separate benzodiazepine share the way it does for some larger counties — so there is no honest local percentage to quote for benzos here, and with a county this small any figure would rest on a handful of cases. What the data does show is the pattern that matters most: fentanyl dominates, and benzodiazepines rarely kill on their own. They kill in combination, because opioids and benzos both depress breathing — the reason the FDA requires its strongest label warning, a boxed warning, on both drug classes.

Where to start in Buckhannon

• Your prescriber — the clinician who wrote the benzodiazepine can usually begin a taper conversation and is often the fastest route to a plan
• Appalachian Community Health Center, 27 South Kanawha Street, Buckhannon ((304) 472-2022) — the county's designated comprehensive behavioral health provider, offering outpatient assessment and treatment
• HELP4WV, 1-844-HELP4WV — West Virginia's free, confidential, 24/7 line for substance use and mental health referrals

A useful sequence: tell your prescriber you want to stop safely, mention everything else you take or use — especially opioids — and expect a written taper schedule. A FindTreatment.gov pull dated October 26, 2026 within 30 miles of Buckhannon lists two facilities that report benzodiazepine detoxification, both in the Clarksburg area about 20 miles away, alongside their alcohol and opioid detox services; 11 facilities in the radius accept Medicaid and 5 offer a sliding fee scale. If your situation also involves heavy opioid or alcohol use, ask about a setting with around-the-clock medical staffing, which West Virginia Medicaid covers for members who qualify.

How to start today

1. In an emergency, call 911. If someone is unresponsive, seizing, or struggling to breathe, do not wait. For a non-medical crisis, call or text 988, or call HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV.
2. Call or text (800) 653-9376 to talk through treatment options with a person — no pressure, no commitment — or use the form below and we will reach out:

Calling is free; the referral service is paid for by treatment providers.

3. Book a taper conversation with your prescriber, and be honest about everything else you use.
4. If you have no prescriber, call ACHC's Kanawha Street office or HELP4WV for a medication review this week.

A benzodiazepine withdrawal seizure is not something to ride out at home. Coming off one slowly is uncomfortable, but it is safe — and the help is only a short drive from Buckhannon.

Learn more: drug and alcohol rehab in Buckhannon, opioid treatment in Buckhannon, and medically supervised detox.

This page is general health information, not medical advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any facility named above.

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