Can I just stop taking my Xanax or Klonopin?

No, not safely, if you've been taking it regularly. Abrupt benzo withdrawal can cause seizures, severe rebound anxiety, and insomnia that drives people straight back. The safe path is a gradual taper, typically reducing the dose slowly over weeks to months with medical oversight.

I've been on benzos for years. Is it too late to get off?

No. Long-term users taper successfully all the time, it just takes longer and moves slower. Ashton-style protocols and modern equivalents are designed exactly for this. The work isn't just the taper; it's treating the anxiety or insomnia that the benzo was prescribed for.

Do I need detox for benzodiazepines?

It depends on the dose, duration, and what else is involved. Many people taper successfully in outpatient care. High-dose use, mixing with alcohol or opioids, or a history of withdrawal seizures calls for a medical detox first, which we coordinate with trusted Maine providers, followed by direct admission to our program.

My doctor prescribed these. Does that mean I'm addicted?

Prescribed use and addiction aren't the same thing. Physical dependence happens to most long-term users and is normal physiology. It becomes a clinical problem when doses escalate, you take them for the feeling rather than the condition, or you can't stop despite wanting to. Either way, we can help you sort out where you stand, no judgment.

What about the anxiety the benzo was treating?

That's the heart of our approach. Tapering without treating the underlying condition usually fails. CBT is first-line for panic, generalized anxiety, and insomnia, and unlike a benzo, the gains don't develop tolerance. Medication options with lower dependence risk exist too, managed by our medical team.

Does MaineCare cover benzo taper treatment?

In most cases, yes. MaineCare and nearly all commercial plans cover outpatient treatment, PHP, IOP, and therapy. We verify your benefits for free, in minutes, with no obligation.

A quiet Maine main street, representing calm recovery from benzodiazepine dependence

Benzo Addiction Treatment · Biddeford & Portland, Maine

The prescription that helped until it didn't.

Outpatient benzodiazepine addiction treatment in Biddeford, twenty minutes from Portland. Safe, gradual taper planning for Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Valium dependence, with therapy for the anxiety underneath. Never stop benzos suddenly, we'll help you do it right. MaineCare accepted.

855-449-7674

No waitlist · MaineCare accepted · Answered 24/7

What the research says

Benzo dependence is common dangerous withdrawal doesn't have to be

Every figure below links to the federal or peer-reviewed source it comes from. Research describes averages across large groups, not a promise about any one person's outcome.

30+ million

Over 30 million American adults report past-year benzodiazepine use. The vast majority take them as prescribed, but misuse and use disorder affect millions, often alongside opioids.

Source: SAMHSA, National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2023)

Never stop cold

Abrupt benzodiazepine discontinuation after regular use can cause seizures and, rarely, life-threatening withdrawal. Medical guidance consistently recommends a gradual, supervised taper.

Source: American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

Deadly with opioids

Benzodiazepines are involved in a substantial share of opioid overdose deaths, the combination suppresses breathing far beyond either drug alone. Both carry FDA boxed warnings about co-use.

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

Months, not days

Safe tapers from long-term benzo use typically take weeks to months, with dose reductions adjusted to symptoms. Slow tapers have far better success and far less misery than rapid ones.

Source: NICE / ASAM tapering guidance

Medically reviewed

Benjamin Crocker, MD

Psychiatrist · Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine · MD, The Ohio State University · Residency & fellowship training at the University of Michigan and LAC+USC Medical Center

Last reviewed August 2026. Read our editorial standards & clinical review process

Accredited & Licensed

LegitScript Certified
Joint Commission Accredited
Maine DHHS Licensed
Psychology Today Verified

When the anti-anxiety pill starts causing the anxiety

Benzo dependence is quiet , the signs

Most people we treat for benzodiazepine dependence started with a legitimate prescription for anxiety, panic, or sleep. Nobody chose this. The medication works, until tolerance builds, doses climb, and the pill you took to feel calm becomes the thing you can't function without.

Your dose doesn't work like it used to, and you've quietly increased it.
Anxiety between doses that's worse than the anxiety you started with.
Running out early, rationing pills, or panicking about a refill.
Getting prescriptions from more than one doctor, or supplementing online.
Memory gaps, brain fog, or feeling flat and detached.
A past attempt to stop that brought shaking, insomnia, or panic, so you went back.

Do not stop suddenly: benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause seizures. If you've been taking Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, or Valium regularly, a gradual taper with medical oversight is the only safe way off.

Individual therapy session for benzodiazepine dependence treatment in Maine

Starting treatment in Portland?

We'll check your benefits free in minutes, MaineCare and most major plans accepted.

Call 855-449-7674

Our program

A slow taper, real support

PHP

Partial hospitalization

Daily medical and clinical structure for the hardest phase of a taper, or when benzo dependence comes with heavy alcohol or opioid use.

Learn about PHP

IOP

Intensive outpatient

Three hours a day of therapy and medical oversight while your taper progresses, day and evening tracks so life keeps moving.

Learn about IOP

Outpatient

Weekly support through a months-long taper and beyond, where the anxiety that started all this finally gets treated properly.

Learn about OP

How we treat benzo dependence

Physician-guided taper planning

We coordinate with your prescriber and our medical team on a gradual reduction schedule adjusted to your symptoms, weeks to months, done right.

Treating the anxiety underneath

CBT and other evidence-based therapies treat the panic, insomnia, and worry the benzo was covering, so you don't need it back.

Medical detox coordination

For high-dose or polysubstance dependence, we arrange a safe medical detox with trusted Maine partners first, then step you straight into our care.

Sleep restoration

Rebound insomnia is where most tapers fail. We build non-medication sleep skills, including CBT for insomnia, into every plan.

Dual diagnosis care

Panic disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety treated in parallel with the taper by the same clinical team.

Group support

Tapering is lonely and slow. Groups with people doing the same hard thing keep you going when willpower runs out.

Our Spaces

Beautiful spaces built for comfort, community, and healing

Where you recover matters. Every room at Portland Treatment was designed to feel calm, open, and human, so you can focus on the work of getting well.

A Welcoming Front Door
The first room you walk into sets the tone. Warm light, real people, and a team that knows your name before you sit down.

Real People at the Front Desk
A friendly face, a calm lobby, and a team ready to help you take the first step without judgment.

Space to Reconnect
Our yoga therapy space is prepared with mats, bolsters, blocks, and room to practice mindful movement at your own pace.

Room to Breathe
Open, bright waiting areas designed to feel like a place you'd actually want to spend time, not a clinic hallway.

One-on-One Support
Private offices where honest conversations happen between clients and clinicians, safe, confidential, and focused on you.

Spaces Made for Connection
Comfortable group lounges where honest conversation happens and community starts to take hold.

Recovery Beyond the Session
Our community room hosts everything from movie nights to ping-pong tournaments, because healing needs joy, too.

Family participating in benzodiazepine recovery treatment near Portland, Maine

Benzo treatment near you

A taper this delicate needs a team close to home.

Benzodiazepine tapers take months of small adjustments, honest check-ins, and quick responses when symptoms flare. That's nearly impossible to do from a rehab three states away, it's exactly what outpatient care in Biddeford is built for.

Our center is five minutes from Saco, twenty from downtown Portland, and an easy drive from Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, Kennebunk, and Sanford. Day and evening IOP tracks fit around work while the taper does its slow, safe work.

Call 855-449-7674 Areas we serve

Insurance

In-network with almost every plan.

Portland Treatment is in-network with Anthem, UMR/UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, Martin's Point, TRICARE and MaineCare, Cigna is our only out-of-network plan. In-network means contracted rates, lower coinsurance and no balance bill. We verify your benefits free, in minutes, with no obligation.

Free, confidential, no obligation

Or read the coverage guide for your plan, Anthem rehab coverage, Cigna rehab coverage, MaineCare rehab coverage and other accepted insurance plans.

Benzo treatment questions

Can I just stop taking my Xanax or Klonopin?: No, not safely, if you've been taking it regularly. Abrupt benzo withdrawal can cause seizures, severe rebound anxiety, and insomnia that drives people straight back. The safe path is a gradual taper, typically reducing the dose slowly over weeks to months with medical oversight.
I've been on benzos for years. Is it too late to get off?: No. Long-term users taper successfully all the time, it just takes longer and moves slower. Ashton-style protocols and modern equivalents are designed exactly for this. The work isn't just the taper; it's treating the anxiety or insomnia that the benzo was prescribed for.
Do I need detox for benzodiazepines?: It depends on the dose, duration, and what else is involved. Many people taper successfully in outpatient care. High-dose use, mixing with alcohol or opioids, or a history of withdrawal seizures calls for a medical detox first, which we coordinate with trusted Maine providers, followed by direct admission to our program.
My doctor prescribed these. Does that mean I'm addicted?: Prescribed use and addiction aren't the same thing. Physical dependence happens to most long-term users and is normal physiology. It becomes a clinical problem when doses escalate, you take them for the feeling rather than the condition, or you can't stop despite wanting to. Either way, we can help you sort out where you stand, no judgment.
What about the anxiety the benzo was treating?: That's the heart of our approach. Tapering without treating the underlying condition usually fails. CBT is first-line for panic, generalized anxiety, and insomnia, and unlike a benzo, the gains don't develop tolerance. Medication options with lower dependence risk exist too, managed by our medical team.
Does MaineCare cover benzo taper treatment?: In most cases, yes. MaineCare and nearly all commercial plans cover outpatient treatment, PHP, IOP, and therapy. We verify your benefits for free, in minutes, with no obligation.

Sources & references

This page is educational and is not medical advice. Never stop benzodiazepines abruptly, withdrawal can cause seizures and can be life-threatening. Any taper should be planned with a medical professional. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or dial 911 for an emergency.

Keep exploring

Related care at Portland Treatment

Other conditions we treat

Alcohol rehab in Biddeford and Portland
Outpatient alcohol treatment with detox coordination.
Opioid addiction treatment
Therapy, groups and MAT coordination for opioid use.
Fentanyl rehab in Maine
Why fentanyl requires a different approach to opioid treatment.
Stimulant addiction treatment in Maine
Cocaine, meth and prescription stimulant care.

Programs that treat it

Partial hospitalization program (PHP) in Biddeford
Our most structured day treatment, five days a week, home each night.
Intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Southern Maine
Nine-plus clinical hours a week with day and evening tracks.
Outpatient program (OP) for ongoing recovery
One to two sessions a week that fit around work and family.
MAT coordination with local prescribers
We partner with local Suboxone, methadone and Vivitrol prescribers.

Serving Southern Maine

Addiction treatment for Portland, Maine
A 20-minute drive down I-95 from the Portland peninsula.
Addiction treatment in Biddeford, Maine
Our home clinic, in the mill district off Route 111.
Addiction treatment for Saco, Maine
Minutes across the river from our Biddeford clinic.
All Southern Maine areas we serve
Every city and town within driving distance of Biddeford.

There's a safe way off.
And it starts with one call.