Can I stop taking benzodiazepines on my own?

The FDA warns against it. For people who have taken a benzodiazepine for weeks or months, stopping abruptly or cutting the dose too quickly can cause serious withdrawal reactions, including seizures, which can be life-threatening. The agency recommends working with a health care professional on a gradual taper instead.

Why are benzodiazepines showing up in Huntington overdose deaths?

The state's Cabell County profile found benzodiazepines were a factor in 21% of the county's 2024 overdose fatalities, and fentanyl in 69%. Combining benzodiazepines with opioids is especially dangerous: the FDA requires boxed warnings on both drug classes because the combination can slow or stop breathing.

Where can I get help in Huntington?

Prestera Center is the local comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider serving Cabell County and holds Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic status. The state's 24/7 HELP4WV line, 1-844-HELP4WV, offers free, confidential referrals anywhere in West Virginia. Our helpline at (800) 653-9376 can also walk you through options.

What does a supervised benzo taper look like?

Clinicians use a gradual, planned dose reduction rather than an abrupt stop. The FDA notes that prescribers may pause a taper or return to a previous dose if withdrawal symptoms appear, then resume more slowly. Every taper is individualized, so a medical assessment is the first step.

Who do I call in a crisis tonight?

If someone is unresponsive, seizing, or having trouble breathing, call 911 immediately. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988 any time, or call HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV. All three are free and confidential.

Benzodiazepine Detox and Treatment in Huntington, WV

If you have been taking a benzodiazepine such as alprazolam, lorazepam, or clonazepam for weeks or more, the safest way off it is a medically supervised taper — not a sudden stop. The FDA has warned since 2020 that abrupt discontinuation can cause seizures and other life-threatening withdrawal reactions. In Huntington, benzodiazepines appeared in 21% of Cabell County's 2024 overdose deaths, so this is not a fringe risk in your community. Here is what supervised care looks like and how to reach it.

Why benzodiazepine withdrawal needs medical supervision

Benzodiazepines work on the same calming brain receptors as alcohol, and the body adapts to them in a similar way. When the dose drops too fast, the nervous system rebounds: the FDA's updated boxed warning describes withdrawal reactions that can include seizures, and symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, tremors, muscle pain and stiffness, insomnia, and memory problems. Some patients have had withdrawal symptoms lasting many months.

A supervised taper manages this. A clinician builds a gradual dose-reduction schedule, watches withdrawal severity, and adjusts when needed. The FDA's guidance to prescribers explicitly contemplates pausing a taper or returning to a prior dose before continuing more slowly. In other words, difficulty during a taper is a signal to adjust the plan with your provider, not proof that tapering failed.

What the Cabell County data shows

The West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy's Cabell County At-A-Glance 2025 profile, which draws on state health and pharmacy data for the county's 91,489 residents, records:

108 overdose fatalities in 2024, down from 166 in 2023
Benzodiazepines present in 21% of the 2024 overdose deaths
Fentanyl present in 69%, methamphetamine in 53%, and cocaine in 31%
Opioid prescription dispensing down 57.6% from 2014 to 2024

Two of those numbers belong together. Most of the overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines in Cabell County happen alongside other substances, above all fentanyl. The FDA requires its strongest warning — a boxed warning — on both opioid and benzodiazepine labeling because the combination can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. If you take opioids for pain or use illicit pills, tell the prescriber who manages your benzodiazepine; the taper plan needs to account for everything on board.

Where to start in Huntington

Prestera Center is the local comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider for Cabell County and operates as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which means it must serve people regardless of ability to pay. West Virginia Medicaid covers substance use disorder treatment, and the state's certified treatment system includes withdrawal management beds staffed around the clock.

Practical first steps:

Call HELP4WV, 1-844-HELP4WV, a free 24/7 state line, for a same-day referral conversation
Contact your primary care or the prescriber who wrote the benzodiazepine and say you want help stopping safely — that conversation can begin a taper today
Use our confidential helpline at (800) 653-9376 if you would rather talk through the options with a person first

No one can promise which program will fit you, but every one of these routes starts with the same step: a clinical assessment of how long you have been taking the medication, at what dose, and alongside what else.

How to start today

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.

Emergency and crisis lines

If someone is unresponsive, seizing, or struggling to breathe, call 911 first. For a mental health or substance use crisis that is not a medical emergency, call or text 988, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV. Do not wait out a benzodiazepine withdrawal seizure at home.