Substance use
Benzodiazepine addiction treatment in Ohio
Outpatient treatment for benzodiazepine dependence in Columbus and Dayton, built around a supervised taper. Stopping abruptly can cause seizures, so nothing changes before an assessment.
- Ambulatory detox
- Available for this substance
- Treated at
- Ambulatory detox, Partial hospitalization, Intensive outpatient, Outpatient, Virtual IOP
- Where
- Columbus, Dayton
- Admissions
- (614) 665-8878
Withdrawal seizure risk
Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly after regular daily use can cause seizures and delirium, and severe withdrawal can be fatal. That risk exists at doses taken exactly as prescribed, whether or not the prescription is yours. Call before you change anything. If you have already run out, get medical help today, at an emergency department if Leora is closed or cannot see you quickly. If someone has a seizure or trouble breathing, call 911.
Dependence and withdrawal
Alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam and diazepam are prescribed for anxiety, panic and insomnia. Physical dependence can develop within weeks of regular use. In 2020 the FDA added a boxed warning to the whole class, covering abuse, misuse, addiction, physical dependence and withdrawal reactions. Taken with opioids they slow breathing more than either does alone and raise the risk of fatal overdose, which carries its own FDA boxed warning, so keep naloxone at home.
Withdrawal timing follows the half-life. With alprazolam or lorazepam, symptoms can begin within a day of the last dose. With diazepam or clonazepam, onset can be delayed by several days. Rebound anxiety and insomnia are often mistaken for the original condition returning, and a clinician can tell them apart by timing.
The taper
Benzodiazepines come off gradually, on a written schedule set by the prescriber.
- A nurse practitioner and a registered nurse go through your current dose and how long you have been taking it, along with anything else you take.
- The prescriber writes a taper schedule. Nobody can give an honest timeline before that assessment.
- A common approach converts you to a longer acting benzodiazepine and reduces in steps, keeping blood levels steadier. The rate slows when symptoms flare, which for some people means months rather than weeks.
- Tell the assessing clinician who prescribes the benzodiazepine now.
Ambulatory detox candidacy
Ambulatory detox at both facilities covers benzodiazepines: medically supervised withdrawal on an outpatient basis, limited to mild to moderate withdrawal that does not need 24/7 medical supervision. There are no beds and no overnight care. A nurse practitioner and a registered nurse assess every person first, looking at medical history, current medications and overall health, and not everyone is a candidate. Tell them about any of these:
- a history of withdrawal seizures or delirium
- high daily doses, or many years of continuous use
- heavy drinking alongside the benzodiazepine
- pregnancy, or serious medical conditions
- previous attempts at stopping that went badly
If the assessment finds you need more care than an outpatient program can give, you are told so. Both facilities welcome walk-ins.
Levels of care
- Partial hospitalization
- 5 days a week, about 6 hours a day. 4 hours therapy group, 1 hour relapse prevention, 1 hour nurse education. Lunch provided.
- Intensive outpatient
- 3 to 5 days a week, 3 hours a day, 9 to 15 hours a week.
- Outpatient
- 1 to 2 days a week, 2 hours of group, plus individual sessions.
- Virtual IOP
- fully remote, anywhere in Ohio, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions.
- Nurse practitioner
- weekly in partial hospitalization, every 2 to 3 weeks in intensive outpatient and outpatient.
- Therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy treat the anxiety or sleep problem underneath. Leaving it untreated is a common reason tapers fail.
- Alumni program
- ongoing counseling, help finding work and twelve step meetings.
Sources
References for this page:
- US Food and Drug Administration, 2020 benzodiazepine boxed warning
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, TIP 45
Common questions
Can I stop taking benzodiazepines on my own?
How long does a benzodiazepine taper take?
I take them exactly as prescribed. Is that addiction?
Can the taper be done as an outpatient?
I have already run out. What do I do now?
Where this is offered
Hope inspired
Talk to admissions about the right next step.
Outpatient addiction and mental health treatment in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, from ambulatory detox to outpatient therapy groups. Walk-ins welcome. Call now, or leave your number and admissions will call you back.
