Quick answer
Stopping a benzodiazepine like alprazolam or lorazepam suddenly can cause seizures — the FDA has warned about this since 2020. Benzodiazepines were present in 8% of Mason County's 2024 overdose deaths, almost always alongside stronger depressants. Here is what a supervised taper looks like and how to start one near Point Pleasant.
Published: 2026-10-26 Updated: 2026-10-26
Benzodiazepines show up in a small share of Mason County's overdose deaths — 8% in 2024 — but the share understates their role, because benzos usually deepen the effect of whatever else is on board rather than killing on their own. If you want off alprazolam, lorazepam, or clonazepam, the exit has to be gradual. Here is what a safe taper looks like and where to get one near Point Pleasant.
Can I stop taking benzodiazepines on my own?
It depends on how long you have taken them, 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 and then continue. Mild, short-term use is a different conversation, and a prescriber can judge which situation 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. The FDA's updated boxed warning describes what happens when the dose drops too fast: 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 handles that rebound in a controlled way — a step-down schedule, regular check-ins, and adjustments as your body responds. A rough stretch during a taper is information, not failure.
What the Mason County data shows
The West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy's Mason County profile records 11 fatal overdoses in 2024, down from 12 in 2023, for the county's 29,354 residents. Benzodiazepines were present in 8% of the 2024 deaths, while methamphetamine appeared in 77%, fentanyl in 69%, and alcohol in 15%.
Read the 8% with context. Benzos rarely kill alone; they kill in combination, especially with opioids, because both classes depress breathing — which is why the FDA requires its strongest label warning, a boxed warning, on both. Opioid prescription dispensing in Mason County fell 62.9% between 2014 and 2024, so street pills are the bigger risk today: a tablet pressed to look like a prescription benzo can carry fentanyl.
Where to start in Point Pleasant
- Your prescriber — the clinician who wrote the benzodiazepine can usually begin a taper conversation and is often the fastest route to a plan
- Prestera Health Services in Point Pleasant, Mason County's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which must serve people regardless of ability to pay and reports same-day screening without an appointment
- WV Wellness and Recovery LLC, also in Point Pleasant, which offers outpatient treatment
- HELP4WV, 1-844-HELP4WV — West Virginia's free, confidential, 24/7 line for substance use and mental health referrals
A FindTreatment.gov pull dated October 26, 2026 within 30 miles of Point Pleasant lists 14 substance use programs; 2 report a detoxification service and 2 report residential care. The closest detox program is across the Ohio River in Gallipolis, Ohio, about 4 miles away — though Ohio facilities take Ohio Medicaid, not West Virginia Medicaid. For most benzodiazepine situations, the practical first step is a clinic-based taper, not a detox bed.
How to start today
- 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.
- 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.
- Book a taper conversation with your prescriber, and be honest about everything else you use — especially opioids and alcohol.
- If you have no prescriber, ask Prestera or HELP4WV for a medication review this week.
A benzodiazepine withdrawal seizure is not something to ride out at home. With the right taper, coming off one is uncomfortable and slow — but it is safe, and the first appointment is in town.
Learn more: drug and alcohol rehab in Point Pleasant, opioid treatment in Point Pleasant, 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.
Other Benzodiazepine treatment in West Virginia: Benzodiazepine detox in Beckley, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Bluefield, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Buckhannon, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Charleston, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Elkins, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Fairmont, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Huntington, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Logan, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Morgantown, West Virginia, Benzodiazepine detox in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Last updated: Mon Oct 26 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Frequently asked questions
Can I stop taking benzodiazepines on my own?
The FDA advises against it. For people who have taken a benzodiazepine for weeks or months, abrupt discontinuation or cutting the dose too fast can cause serious withdrawal reactions, including seizures that can be life-threatening. The agency recommends a gradual taper worked out with a health care professional.
Where can I get benzodiazepine help in Point Pleasant?
Prestera Health Services in Point Pleasant is Mason County's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which must serve people regardless of ability to pay, and WV Wellness and Recovery also offers outpatient care in town. A FindTreatment.gov pull dated October 26, 2026 lists 14 programs within 30 miles, including 2 that report a detoxification service.
Why are benzodiazepines dangerous with fentanyl?
Both drug classes carry FDA boxed warnings about combining them: opioids plus benzodiazepines can slow or stop breathing. Mason County's state profile found fentanyl present in 69% of 2024 overdose deaths and benzodiazepines in 8% — benzos rarely kill on their own, but they deepen the depressant effect of whatever else is on board.
Who should I talk to first about tapering?
Usually the prescriber who wrote the benzodiazepine — they can build a step-down schedule and adjust it if symptoms flare. If you have no prescriber, Prestera Health Services in Point Pleasant offers assessment and counseling regardless of ability to pay, and HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV provides free 24/7 referrals statewide.
Who do I call in a crisis?
If someone is unresponsive, seizing, or struggling to breathe, call 911 immediately. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, or call HELP4WV at 1-844-HELP4WV. All are free and confidential.