Benzodiazepine Addiction Treatment
Medications like Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and Klonopin are often prescribed to manage anxiety, improve sleep, or calm panic attacks. But for some people, what started out as a solution to a problem can become something that deeply impacts mental and physical health.
You’re not alone in this. In the U.S., about 30.6 million adults — around 12.6% of the population — report taking benzodiazepines in a given year, and around 5.3 million report misusing them. Here in Arizona, prescribers issued more than 1.4 million benzodiazepine prescriptions in the most recent reporting year.
Misuse doesn’t happen because of weakness, but often begins as an attempt to find relief from stress, anxiety, or insomnia. Over time, though, the body and brain struggle to adjust to life without substances. Especially when they don’t have proper support.
At Crossroads Chandler, we meet clients at that turning point with understanding and structure. Our program combines evidence-based care with a strong recovery community, helping individuals rebuild stability, confidence, and hope.
What We Treat: Benzodiazepine Addiction and Misuse
Benzodiazepines affect the same areas of the brain that regulate fear, stress, and sleep. When used for too long or in high doses, the brain begins to rely on it to feel calm or to rest. Over time, natural balance fades, and symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, or panic can return even stronger than before.
What begins as a way to cope can slowly change how the brain works. Clients often describe feeling foggy, disconnected, or emotionally flat. Physically, withdrawal can cause shaking, sweating, and racing heartbeats. Mentally, it can feel like hope itself is slipping away.
It is hard enough to live with anxiety or insomnia without adding these challenges on top of it. Healing means finding safer, lasting ways to restore peace of mind and rebuild physical health. At Crossroads Chandler, we help clients stabilize, strengthen, and reconnect with life without needing to rely on benzodiazepines. It is time for new solutions and a new start.
How We Treat Benzodiazepine Addiction: Accessible and Comprehensive Care
At Crossroads Chandler, our program combines evidence-based care with peer guidance, helping clients rediscover what healthy living feels like one step at a time.
We believe recovery works best when it is supported from every angle. That’s why Crossroads integrates counseling, medication-assisted treatment options like Vivitrol and Suboxone, and holistic wellness activities that strengthen both body and mind.
What makes our approach different:
- Peer-led support: Many of our staff have lived experience in recovery and walk beside clients with genuine understanding and compassion.
- Integrated medical care: Three connected clinics provide ongoing medical and mental health support, including women’s health and pregnancy services.
- Holistic and spiritual options: Clients can participate in SMART Recovery or 12-Step meetings, wellness groups, and chapel services on campus.
- Comprehensive support services: Case management, employment assistance, and access to community resources help clients rebuild stability outside treatment.
- Accessible and affordable care: Crossroads accepts Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans and never turns clients away for financial reasons.
The Chandler campus was built to be a place of hope and renewal. Every client who walks through our doors is met with compassion, structure, and a team ready to help them start again.
Treatment Options for Benzodiazepines at Crossroads
Every recovery journey looks different. That is why Crossroads Chandler offers both residential and outpatient options, giving clients the flexibility and support they need at every stage of healing.
Residential Treatment (Right Track Program)
Our residential program provides a non-judgmental, healing environment for clients who need full-time support. Days are centered around counseling, recovery meetings, life skills training, and community connection. Clients live on campus with others who share the same goal of long-term sobriety. Many of our staff members have completed this program themselves, meaning they create an atmosphere of understanding and inspiration.
In residential care, clients also benefit from:<
- Daily group and individual therapy sessions
- Medication-assisted treatment for those who qualify
- Wellness and spiritual activities that support the whole person
- On-site medical care through Crossroads’ integrated clinics
- Case management and employment readiness services
Outpatient Treatment
Once clients complete residential care or are ready for more independence, our outpatient program helps them continue building stability while returning to work, school, or family life. Clients attend therapy and peer support sessions several days a week and stay connected to the same compassionate community that guided them through early recovery.
Outpatient services include:
- Individual and group therapy
- Peer recovery coaching
- 12-Step and SMART Recovery meetings
- Relapse prevention and coping skills training
- Ongoing case management and resource coordination
Both levels of care are designed to build confidence and independence, not isolation.
What’s Causing Your Addiction? Here Are Some Risk Factors
Benzodiazepine addiction rarely happens overnight, and there is no proven “cause”. For most people, it begins with an honest attempt to manage anxiety, panic, or insomnia. Over time, the body builds tolerance, and higher doses are needed to feel the same relief. That growing dependence can quietly turn into addiction before a person even realizes what is happening.
Certain factors can make someone more vulnerable to benzodiazepine addiction, including:
- Long-term or high-dose prescriptions that cause physical dependence.
- Co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
- Mixing substances, especially alcohol or opioids, increases both the risk and severity.
- Family history of substance use or mental health disorders.
- High stress or trauma exposure, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to self-medication or avoidance.
- Younger age or limited access to mental health support, where early coping skills are still developing.
Understanding these risk factors is not about blame. It’s about recognizing how complex this disorder can be and how much support real recovery requires. At Crossroads, we meet clients wherever they are and help them uncover the root causes behind substance use.
How To Know If You Need Treatment For Benzodiazepine Use Disorder
It’s not always easy to see when prescribed use has turned into dependence. Many people with benzodiazepine use disorder still manage their daily routines, but inside, they might feel anxious, foggy, or unable to relax without it. And that’s no way to live.
If stopping or cutting back feels impossible, that’s often the clearest sign that help is needed.
Below are some common signs that it might be time to reach out for support:
| Emotional or Mental Signs | Physical Signs | Behavioral Signs |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling anxious or irritable between doses | Shaking or tremors | Taking higher doses than prescribed |
| Trouble concentrating or memory problems | Dizziness or blurred vision | Visiting multiple doctors for refills |
| Needing the medication to function or sleep | Nausea, headaches, or sweating | Pulling away from friends or family |
| Feeling “off” or panicked without the drug | Heart palpitations | Mixing benzodiazepines with alcohol or other substances |
Not everyone will experience every symptom, but even a few can signal dependence. At Crossroads Chandler, we encourage anyone who feels stuck or unsure to reach out for an assessment. There’s no judgment and no pressure, only a team that’s ready to listen and help.
Recovery starts with one conversation. If life feels harder without the medication than with it, that’s the time to ask for help, and we’ll be here to walk that road with you.
Here’s What You Can Expect in Benzo Rehab
Starting treatment can feel overwhelming when you don’t know what to expect. It’s especially overwhelming for those who have relied on benzodiazepines to manage stress, anxiety, or sleeplessness. Here are some of the things you can expect here at Crossroads:
- A Supportive Start
Clients begin with a complete assessment that looks at their physical health, mental health, and history with benzodiazepines. If medical detox is needed, we coordinate care with trusted partners before clients transition into our residential or outpatient programs. Every plan is personalized to support lasting recovery. - Daily Structure and Purpose
Each day brings a balanced schedule of counseling, group therapy, recovery meetings, and wellness activities. The rhythm of daily life helps clients regain a sense of stability and learn how to cope with stress in healthier ways. - Whole-Person Healing
We don’t just focus on the substance. Treatment at Crossroads addresses the emotional, physical, and spiritual sides of recovery. Clients have access to medical care, medication-assisted treatment (Vivitrol or Suboxone when appropriate), and holistic options like fitness and spiritual services in our onsite chapel. - Planning for What Comes Next
As treatment progresses, case managers help clients prepare for life after rehab through employment assistance, community connections, and ongoing recovery planning. The goal isn’t just to stop using—it’s to create a life that feels worth protecting.
Get Help For Benzodiazepine Use Disorder Today at Crossroads in Chandler, Arizona
Recovery is possible, and it starts with one simple call.
At Crossroads, we’ve spent more than sixty years helping people rebuild their lives through structure, accountability, and compassion. Our Chandler program combines evidence-based care with a strong community of peers who understand what lasting recovery takes.
As a nonprofit, Crossroads accepts both Medicaid and commercial insurance and never turns anyone away because of cost. Clients have access to counseling, medical care, and wellness support all in one place.
If you’re ready to take that first step toward healing from benzodiazepine addiction, Crossroads is here to help. Call (602) 263-5242 today to learn more about our programs and start your recovery journey in Chandler, Arizona.
