Conditions We Treat / Benzodiazepine Use Disorder
Benzo addiction treatment at Horizon Treatment Services starts with a safe way through withdrawal, then continues with residential and outpatient care. Because stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures, your first step is medical clearance from an emergency department, followed by withdrawal management at Palm Avenue Detox and residential treatment at Cronin House in Hayward. We’re a CARF-accredited nonprofit that has served the Bay Area since 1976.
What to know
Early signs are easy to miss because benzos are often prescribed.
Signs of benzo dependence and addiction
Older adults and pregnancy: Older adults face more sedation, falls, and memory effects. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, keep taking your medicine as prescribed and talk with your clinician before making any change.
Benzodiazepine addiction is a pattern of benzo use that keeps going even as it harms your health, work, relationships, or safety. Benzodiazepines, or “benzos,” are prescription sedatives used for anxiety, panic, insomnia, and seizures. Clinicians call the condition sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder.
Physical dependence is related but different. Regular use for more than about four weeks can lead your body to adapt, so withdrawal symptoms appear when you cut back, even if you’ve taken the medicine exactly as prescribed (ASAM, 2025). Dependence alone isn’t addiction, but both call for a careful plan to stop.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a boxed warning on every benzodiazepine covering abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence, and withdrawal. The FDA notes that stopping abruptly or lowering the dose too fast can cause withdrawal reactions, including seizures, that can be life-threatening (FDA).
| Physical dependence | Benzo use disorder (addiction) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your body adapts to regular use | Use keeps going even as it causes harm |
| Can happen with prescribed use? | Yes, after regular use for more than about four weeks | It can begin with a prescription |
| Withdrawal when stopping? | Yes | Often |
| Safe way to stop | A gradual, clinician-guided taper | A supervised taper plus treatment |
Benzo withdrawal can range from rebound anxiety and insomnia to seizures, which is why it should never be done alone or cold turkey. Timing depends on the drug: symptoms tend to start within a day or two after the last dose of a short-acting benzo such as alprazolam or lorazepam, and later with a long-acting benzo such as diazepam.
| Symptoms | What to do |
|---|---|
| Rebound anxiety, panic, irritability, trouble sleeping | Tell your prescriber or care team. Don't increase or restart your dose on your own. |
| Tremor, sweating, fast heartbeat, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound | Get a medical evaluation. These can signal a taper that's moving too fast. |
| Confusion, hallucinations, seizures | Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now. |
Some people have lingering symptoms, such as anxiety or poor sleep, for months after stopping. Follow-up care helps you manage them (ASAM, 2025).
A phone screening matches you to the right starting point. For most people withdrawing from benzos, the path looks like this.
Horizon's detox programs are clinically managed, not hospital-based. An emergency department checks whether it's safe for you to withdraw in that setting first. Some people with very high risk need hospital-level care before detox.
SUD counselors, case managers, and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) check your vital signs and other risk factors regularly. If you meet medical necessity, a nurse practitioner can prescribe withdrawal medications by telehealth, Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Co-ed residential care in Hayward with 24/7 staff support, individual and group counseling, trauma-focused therapy, case management, family support, and on-site 12-Step meetings. IMS certification allows on-site health assessments and medication support.
Live at home while you attend individual and group counseling at Project Eden Adult Outpatient in Pleasanton.
| Program | Level of care | Location | Typical length | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Avenue Detox | Clinically managed withdrawal management | San Mateo (San Mateo County) | Typically 5 days or longer, based on medical necessity | Adults withdrawing from benzos after emergency department clearance |
| Cherry Hill Detox | Clinically managed withdrawal management | San Leandro (Alameda County) | About 4 to 6 days on average | Alameda County adults withdrawing from alcohol or drugs |
| Cronin House | Clinically managed residential treatment | Hayward (Alameda County) | Up to 90 days, based on clinical need | Co-ed adults 18+ past withdrawal, with co-occurring mental health needs |
| Project Eden Adult Outpatient | Outpatient | Pleasanton (Alameda County) | Varies by treatment plan | Adults who can live at home while attending counseling |
After detox
A full benzo taper often takes longer than a detox stay. Before discharge, we plan your next level of care with you, and your plan should name who will manage any taper that continues.More programs
A benzo taper lowers your dose in small steps over weeks to months, so your brain can readjust without dangerous withdrawal. The 2025 Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering, led by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and endorsed by nine medical societies, recommends:
Outpatient or supervised?
Many tapers happen as an outpatient with the prescriber who manages your benzos. A more supervised setting may be safer if you've taken high doses for a long time, had withdrawal seizures before, also use alcohol or opioids heavily, are pregnant, or don't have a stable place to stay.Many people start benzos for anxiety, panic, or insomnia, so we treat those conditions alongside substance use. At Cronin House, regular measurement-based assessments for trauma, depression, and anxiety guide your plan and show your team when to adjust it. Palm Avenue Detox serves adults with co-occurring mental health needs and plans next steps with both in mind.
Treatment combines counseling and support services, matched to your needs and program.
During withdrawal management at Palm Avenue
A nurse practitioner can prescribe withdrawal medications by telehealth when medically necessary.
Individual counseling, patient education, and crisis support during your stay.
Discharge planning so your next level of care is set before you leave.
In residential and outpatient care
One-on-one work on triggers, sleep, anxiety, and your goals.
Peer support and practice with recovery skills.
Available at Cronin House when you need it.
Helps you work through mixed feelings about change. Horizon trains staff through its Motivational Interviewing Academy.
Helps loved ones understand recovery and support your next steps.
IMS certification at Cronin House allows on-site health assessments and medication support.
Transition planning and connections to community resources.
AA and NA meetings held on-site at Cronin House.
Starting benzo treatment takes a few clear steps, and family members or partner agencies can call for someone too.
Have this ready
Call (510) 784-5874. Commercial insurance intakes run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family visits aren't available during detox.
What to bring
Leave at home
Horizon accepts Medi-Cal and many commercial plans, plus county-funded programs and self-pay, and accepted coverage varies by program. There’s nothing to check online first: staff ask about your coverage during the phone screening. Eligible Medi-Cal members and county residents can often get care at low or no cost.
No insurance? Call anyway, or reach your county’s access line below.
| If you live in | County access line | Horizon program |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County | ACCESS Call Center, (800) 686-0101 | Palm Avenue Detox |
| Alameda County | CenterPoint, (844) 682-7215 | Cherry Hill Detox, Cronin House |
Cronin House serves adults across Alameda County. Each Horizon program has its own phone line, so call before you arrive.
View programSan Mateo, San Mateo County
San Leandro, Alameda County
Pleasanton, Alameda County
Horizon Treatment Services holds CARF 3-Year Accreditation, and our California programs are licensed by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
Horizon began in Alameda County as Horizon House and has worked alongside Bay Area counties as a nonprofit for more than 40 years.
Addiction psychiatrist John R. Knox, MD, is Medical Director of Cronin House and Palm Avenue Detox.
We serve people regardless of race, gender, class, or sexual orientation, and we're LGBTQ+ affirming. Services are offered in English and Spanish, and a language line supports many other languages.
Still have a question we didn’t answer? Our team can walk you through your options.
No. Stopping suddenly, or cutting your dose too fast, can cause withdrawal seizures that can be life-threatening. Talk with your prescriber about a gradual taper, or call us at (510) 582-2100 to talk through safe next steps. If someone has a seizure or can’t be woken, call 911.
Yes, at Palm Avenue Detox. Anyone withdrawing from benzodiazepines, such as Xanax or Valium, needs medical clearance from an emergency department before admission. Horizon’s detox programs are clinically managed, not hospital-based, so clearance confirms the setting is safe for you.
It depends on your dose, how long you’ve used benzos, and your health. Detox at Palm Avenue typically lasts five days or longer, residential care at Cronin House lasts up to 90 days, and outpatient care follows your treatment plan. A full taper can take months.
Horizon accepts Medi-Cal and many commercial plans, and accepted coverage varies by program. Staff check your coverage during the phone screening, and eligible Medi-Cal members can often get care at no cost. See coverage by program, or call to confirm.
Often, yes, with the prescriber who manages your benzos and a slow, flexible schedule. A more supervised setting may be safer after long-term high-dose use, past withdrawal seizures, or heavy alcohol or opioid use. Outpatient counseling at Project Eden can support your recovery during and after a taper.
Clinicians may switch you to a longer-acting benzo and lower it slowly, and may use other medicines for specific symptoms. At Palm Avenue Detox, a nurse practitioner can prescribe withdrawal medications by telehealth when medically necessary. Share every medication you take when you call.
Yes. Family members and partner agencies can call on your behalf, and Cronin House offers family counseling or support services when appropriate, so loved ones can understand recovery and support your next steps. Family visits aren’t available during detox at Palm Avenue.
Often, yes. Palm Avenue Detox admissions are open 24 hours a day by phone at (650) 513-6500 once you’ve had emergency department clearance for benzo withdrawal. Cronin House residential care starts after a screening call, and our main line at (510) 582-2100 can help you choose.
You don't have to stop benzos alone, and you shouldn't. Call us, and we'll help you find the safest next step. There is no judgment here.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk with a qualified healthcare provider before changing any medication. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Medically Reviewed By
Medical Director - Cronin House, Alameda County | Palm Avenue Detox, San Mateo County, MD
Last reviewed: October 2026
Dr. John R. Knox is a board-certified general psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist serving as Medical Director at Cronin House and Palm Avenue Detox. He provides clinical leadership for the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, with an emphasis on effective stabilization,…
MD
