“Archangels gave me my life back. Their team is the most amazing, caring people I have ever met. The housing they sent me to was amazing, the groups are amazing, and this whole project is amazing. If you're tired of being sick and tired, reach out and save your life.”
“This facility is run by some of the best people you could ever ask for. They are extremely professional and truly dedicated to helping those struggling with mental health and addiction. They truly saved my life. I will be forever grateful for everything they did for me.”
“I had the honor of touring this facility, and it was absolutely beautiful, clean, and thoughtfully designed. But more than how it looked, you could feel the love in every detail. Watching the staff interact with clients genuinely touched my heart.”
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A 60-second walkthrough of the Tinton Falls clinic, the space where the program actually runs.
Benzodiazepines are a class of medications prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, panic disorder, seizures, and acute alcohol withdrawal. Common names include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), and temazepam (Restoril). At appropriate doses for short periods, they work as intended. Used daily for months or years, even as prescribed, they produce physical dependence; in many cases they produce a full use disorder. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous, even fatal. This page covers how benzo dependence develops, what the withdrawal looks like, why a medical taper is essential, and what treatment looks like.
Do not stop taking a benzodiazepine suddenly if you have been taking it daily for more than a few weeks. A medically managed taper is the safe path.
Benzodiazepines act on GABA-A receptors, enhancing the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The effect calms anxiety, reduces muscle tension, induces sleep, and at higher doses suppresses respiration. Over weeks of daily use, the brain compensates by down-regulating GABA receptor sensitivity, so the medication's effect wanes (tolerance), and the brain becomes hyperexcitable when the medication is absent (withdrawal).
Tolerance can develop in as little as a few weeks of daily use. Dependence can be present in someone using the medication exactly as prescribed; that is not a moral failing or a sign of "abuse." It is a pharmacological fact of how the medication works.
When dependence is present and the person is also experiencing the broader pattern of impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and craving described by DSM-5 substance use disorder criteria, the diagnosis shifts from "physiological dependence" to "sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder."
Benzodiazepine withdrawal is one of the few substance withdrawals that can produce seizures and, in severe cases, death. It is among the most medically dangerous withdrawals in addiction medicine, alongside alcohol withdrawal.
The withdrawal syndrome can include:
The severity correlates with the dose, duration of use, and the specific medication. Short-acting benzodiazepines (alprazolam, lorazepam) produce faster, sometimes more severe withdrawal than long-acting ones (diazepam, clonazepam).
Group rooms, private therapy offices, the medical office, family programming rooms, and the wellness space, designed for clinical depth and nervous-system regulation.
The standard of care for benzodiazepine dependence is a slow, structured taper supervised by a medical provider. There is no universally correct taper schedule; the right one depends on:
Common elements of a well-run taper:
For clients whose dependence is severe, or who have other medical or psychiatric complications, an inpatient medical detox is often the right starting point. The Archangel Centers does not provide detox on-site; we coordinate placement with an accredited partner facility. See medical detox in Tinton Falls or medical detox in Charlotte.
When benzo use has moved beyond physiological dependence into the pattern of substance use disorder (using more than prescribed, taking benzodiazepines from sources outside a legitimate medical relationship, combining with other depressants, continued use despite consequences), the diagnosis is sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder. Treatment follows the SUD continuum:
Combined respiratory depression is among the most common fatal drug combinations. The FDA carries a black-box warning on the combination of benzodiazepines and opioids for that reason. If a person is using both, treatment planning addresses both, often with attention to the order of stabilization (typically: stabilize the opioid use disorder with buprenorphine first, then taper benzodiazepines carefully under medical supervision, or coordinate both at once in an inpatient setting).
Treatment integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed care with EMDR available in individual therapy. The medical provider manages MAT (Suboxone, Vivitrol, Sublocade) and psychiatric medications when indicated.
Intake uses the full evidence-based battery: ASAM Criteria, LOCUS for mental health acuity, PHQ-9, GAD-7, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, plus biopsychosocial, nutrition, and pain screens. The assessment drives the treatment plan from day one.
See Our ModalitiesMost people on benzodiazepines were prescribed them for a reason. Panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress, and insomnia do not vanish during a taper; they often intensify. Effective treatment of the underlying condition is part of the taper plan:
For more on the co-occurring picture, see anxiety and addiction and PTSD and addiction.
“I came back from rock bottom. I'm here because I want to show others they can too. This isn't just a business. It's my mission.”- Mike Sorrentino, Founder
Mike and Lauren Sorrentino did not set out to build a generic treatment center. They wanted a recovery-grounded program that mixes lived experience, licensed clinical expertise, and family programming that actually moves the needle for the people who love someone in active addiction.
The clinic that resulted is small enough that each client knows their primary therapist by name, but resourced enough to deliver the full ASAM continuum from Partial Care through outpatient continuing care, with MAT and EMDR available when clinically indicated.
Read the Full StoryMost clients leave the first admissions call with a clinical assessment, an insurance verification, and a scheduled start date. Recovery starts with a decision, not a commitment. The admissions line is staffed around the clock.
Confidential, 24/7 admissions. Same-week placement is often available. Verify your insurance free of charge before any commitment.
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