Encino · San Fernando Valley · Los Angeles
Benzodiazepine addiction is the compulsive use of drugs like Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, or Ativan despite growing harm, driven by tolerance and physical dependence. Treatment here starts with a physician-supervised taper, never an abrupt stop, under 24-hour nursing.
“New Spirit Recovery helped me when I was detoxing hard for about a week. The staff were kind to me the whole time. When I thought about leaving early, they helped me slow down and choose recovery instead. By discharge I was grateful I stayed — they even set up appointments for my leg issues, and I’m doing better now.”
“New Spirit Recovery has changed my whole life drastically — they gave me a second chance to rewire my life and live a new one. The staff is caring and genuine, and the director and operations director guided me through the program and gave me every opportunity to be a better person. They set me up for success and I can’t thank them enough for saving my life.”
“New Spirit Recovery was beneficial to my recovery. Here I learned tools to help me manage my emotions safely — journaling and breathing have been amazing tools I picked up while here. All the staff were incredible and patient. I am grateful to have come here and actually use the tools suggested.”
“This program teaches you how to set realistic goals and become a better version of yourself, with all the tools to start building a new foundation. The therapist and case manager give each client an individualized, tailor-made treatment plan. Serene surroundings, a private chef, daily groups, and weekend outings. If you’re looking for a way out of addiction, give New Spirit Recovery a call.”
“The staff is amazing. I was completely unable to detox on my own and find the right path. The food and facilities were amazing — and I found my way again. My mom and I go to church together again now. Thank you all so much.”
CA DHCS licensed treatment · most admissions within 24–48 hours
Not sure where you stand?
Signs of benzodiazepine addiction include needing higher doses for the same calm, feeling anxious or unable to sleep when a dose is late, taking more than prescribed, failed attempts to cut down, and organizing your day around the next refill. Physical dependence can form in a few weeks, even exactly as prescribed. Our guide to benzodiazepines explains how the drug class works and why dependence forms so quickly.
Because benzodiazepines are usually prescribed for real anxiety, panic, or insomnia, the line between taking them as directed and depending on them can be hard to see from the inside. Tolerance and dependence build quietly, and the earliest warning signs often look like the very symptoms the medication was meant to calm
This self-check mirrors the questions clinicians ask when screening for a benzodiazepine use disorder: tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control, and the way use starts to crowd out everything else. Answer the six questions to see where you stand, then talk it through with our team.
This 6-question self-check is a private screening tool, not a diagnosis. It runs entirely in your browser and nothing is saved or sent. A clinician confirms what it means.
Ten minutes, a few questions, and a real answer about your coverage. Someone picks up at any hour, including this one. Please don’t try to taper alone.
How it takes hold
Benzodiazepine dependence is when the brain adapts to the drug and needs it to feel normal. With daily long-term use, tolerance climbs, the body's own calming chemistry downshifts, and stopping suddenly can trigger dangerous rebound anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. That is why benzodiazepines are tapered, never quit cold turkey.
Benzodiazepines calm the nervous system by boosting GABA, the brain's main "slow down" signal. The brain compensates, so within weeks the original dose does less. Taking a little more to get the same relief is the first quiet step toward dependence, and it often happens on a legitimate prescription.
This is benzodiazepine dependence syndrome: the body has recalibrated around the drug. Miss a dose and withdrawal starts, often as the very anxiety and insomnia the medication was meant to treat, now amplified. Dependence can form even when the medication is taken exactly as directed, which is why it is not a matter of willpower.
Dependence becomes addiction when use turns compulsive: taking more than intended, protecting the supply, and continuing despite harm to health, work, or relationships. Long-term effects can include memory and concentration problems, low mood, and, with higher doses, unsteadiness and falls. Xanax (alprazolam) is the benzodiazepine most often misused.
Alcohol sits with benzodiazepines in the small group of substances whose withdrawal kills. Seizures begin as early as 6 hours after the last drink and the risk stays highest through the first 48 hours. Delirium tremens develops in 3 to 5 percent of people going through alcohol withdrawal, usually 48 to 96 hours in, and it carries confusion, fever, and cardiovascular collapse. Both are emergencies, and both are the reason detox here runs under 24-hour nursing with physician oversight rather than at home.
Do not stop benzodiazepines on your own. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 any time, or call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Why people choose this one
Benzodiazepine withdrawal punishes shortcuts. A nurse practitioner adjusts the taper to your symptoms with 24-hour nursing, so the dose comes down at a pace your nervous system can actually tolerate.
Most people on long-term benzodiazepines started them for anxiety, panic, trauma, or insomnia. Our clinical director holds a dual mental-health and substance-use background, and dual diagnosis care is the default, not an add-on.
Jobs, custody hearings, probation officers, FMLA paperwork, a flight from another state. We handle that coordination as part of treatment so a taper that takes time doesn’t cost you everything else.
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The path through
Benzodiazepine addiction is treated with a gradual, physician-supervised taper under 24-hour nursing, followed by residential therapy and dual-diagnosis care for the anxiety, trauma, or insomnia underneath it. Care moves from medical detox to residential to step-down support. A clinical assessment sets the plan and the pace.
| Level of care | Medical oversight | Typical length | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical DetoxStart here | 24-hour nursing, physician oversight | 7–10 days, up to 21 days by medical necessity | Daily or heavy drinking where withdrawal needs medical management |
| Residential Treatment | On-site clinical staff, physician oversight | Often part of a ~35-day course | Medically stable and ready for daily therapy |
| Step-down (PHP / IOP / OP) | Scheduled clinical contact | Varies by plan | Returning to daily life with continued support |
We deliver medical detox and residential treatment at our own facilities. Step-down care is arranged through a vetted network we coordinate on your behalf. As a licensed licensed addiction treatment center in Los Angeles, we keep the same clinical team with you from the first taper dose through discharge planning.
Small enough to know your name
Co-Founder
Author and recovery specialist. Created the Rewired curriculum, ten modules that run here and nowhere else.
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Clinical Director
Licensed since 2018, dual mental-health and substance-use background. Oversees clinical programming across all properties. Twenty-four years in recovery himself.
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Director of Nursing
A Licensed Vocational Nurse since 2020 with extensive behavioral health and substance use experience across detox and residential settings
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Clinical Psychologist
Clinical supervisor and a professor at California Lutheran University. Works across sites on crisis management and treatment planning.
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Program Director
Directs day-to-day operations and client care. Seven-plus years in the industry, five in management.
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Operations Director
Handles the logistics that make admission possible, including travel and transport from LAX or Burbank.
Read full bioThe question everyone asks first
What you pay depends on your plan: your benefits, deductible, copay, and coinsurance. Most PPO plans cover benzodiazepine detox and treatment when it is medically necessary. Anyone quoting a price before reading your policy is guessing.
Coverage varies more than people expect, and is routinely better than assumed. We check your benefits for free and tell you exactly what we find, whether or not you come here.
We do not accept Medicaid, Medi-Cal, or Medicare. Cash pay is available; ask an admissions counselor what that looks like.
Veterans: we hold a VACCN/TriWest contract. Mention it when you call. Verify insurance.
Real people, real recovery stories
Reviews published by clients and families on Google, where our average is 4.8 out of 5.
These are unpaid reviews posted publicly on Google by individual clients and families. They describe those people’s own experiences, which vary; they are not a promise of any particular outcome, and no one was compensated for them.
Looking for benzodiazepine rehab near you?
Our benzodiazepine rehab is in Encino, with additional residences in Tarzana and Northridge. We admit from across the Valley, greater Los Angeles, and nationwide.
Common questions
Benzodiazepine addiction is compulsive use of benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, or Ativan despite harm, marked by tolerance, cravings, and withdrawal when use stops. It often begins with a legitimate prescription and is a medical condition, not a lack of willpower.
Treatment combines a gradual, physician-supervised taper under 24-hour nursing with therapy such as CBT and DBT, plus dual-diagnosis care for the underlying anxiety or trauma. Care usually moves from medical detox to residential treatment to step-down outpatient support.
Dependence syndrome is when the body adapts to benzodiazepines and needs them to feel normal, so missing a dose brings on withdrawal. It can develop even when the medication is taken exactly as prescribed, and it is different from, though it can lead to, addiction.
Long-term use is linked to memory and concentration problems, low mood, daytime sedation, and, at higher doses, unsteadiness and falls. Tolerance and dependence build over time, and abruptly stopping after regular use can cause dangerous withdrawal, including seizures.
Alprazolam, sold as Xanax, is the benzodiazepine most often misused, partly because it acts quickly and leaves the system fast, which can drive repeat dosing. Clonazepam (Klonopin) and diazepam (Valium) are also frequently involved.
Taking benzodiazepines daily for more than a few weeks typically builds tolerance and physical dependence, so the same dose does less and missing one triggers withdrawal. This can happen on a prescribed dose, which is why any change should be managed by a clinician.
No. Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly after regular use can cause seizures and other life-threatening withdrawal. They should always be reduced with a gradual, medically supervised taper. If you have already stopped and feel unwell, seek medical care right away.
Most major PPO plans cover benzodiazepine detox and treatment in Los Angeles when it is medically necessary. Cost depends on your benefits, deductible, and coinsurance. We verify your coverage free and give you a real number. We don’t accept Medicaid, Medi-Cal, or Medicare; cash pay is available.
