Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
in West Palm Beach, FL
Concierge telemedicine for benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, and dependence treatment throughout Florida.
Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
Mark Leeds, D.O., offers benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, opioid dependence treatment, and alcohol use programs to patients in West Palm Beach and throughout Palm Beach County. Dr. Leeds’ concierge telemedicine practice brings specialized addiction medicine and tapering expertise directly to patients via weekly secure video appointments, eliminating the need to navigate traffic on I-95 or search for a local provider with specific experience in long-term benzodiazepine management. For West Palm Beach patients, this means receiving the focused, expert care that complex medication tapers demand — without leaving home.
Living in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach is the largest city in Palm Beach County and a place where many individuals seek Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing in West Palm Beach, FL. As the cultural and commercial hub of South Florida’s Gold Coast, the city blends urban energy with subtropical warmth, from the Clematis Street waterfront to the Norton Museum of Art and its rapidly growing downtown district. Its population includes young professionals, families, and a significant retiree community, creating demand for thoughtful, personalized addiction recovery support.
Palm Beach County has a dense concentration of healthcare providers, yet patients seeking physicians experienced in evidence-based benzodiazepine tapering protocols — such as the Ashton Manual — often find that local options are limited. Many prescribers are willing to start a patient on a benzodiazepine but far fewer have the training or inclination to guide a patient safely off one. Dr. Leeds’ telemedicine practice fills this gap for West Palm Beach residents.
The city’s access to outdoor recreation — waterfront parks, the Intracoastal Waterway, and nearby nature preserves — provides patients with valuable outlets for physical activity and stress reduction during the tapering process, complementing the medical care Dr. Leeds provides.
Medication Tapering & Deprescribing Programs
Treatment Programs Available in West Palm Beach
Dr. Leeds’ foremost specialization is benzodiazepine tapering, with a particular emphasis on structured protocols rooted in the Ashton Manual methodology. Patients who have developed physical dependence on Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, Valium, or other benzodiazepines receive a carefully designed taper plan that prioritizes safety and minimizes withdrawal symptoms. Physical dependence on these medications is not addiction — it is a normal physiological adaptation, and patients deserve a treatment approach that reflects this distinction.
Psychiatric medication deprescribing is also a core component of Dr. Leeds’ practice. Patients who wish to discontinue antidepressants, antipsychotics, sleep medications, or other psychotropic drugs benefit from the same careful, gradual approach used in benzodiazepine tapering — slow dose reductions, close monitoring, and adjustments based on individual response.
Additional services include opioid dependence treatment with buprenorphine, alcohol treatment using the Sinclair Method and naltrexone, and low dose naltrexone protocols.
OUR STORY
ABOUT Mark Leeds, D.O.,
About Dr. Mark Leeds
Mark Leeds, D.O., is an osteopathic physician specializing in benzodiazepine tapering, addiction medicine, and medication deprescribing. Dr. Leeds is a member of the Board of Directors of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC), a leading nonprofit working to educate the public and medical community about benzodiazepine risks and proper prescribing practices. He also hosts The Rehab Podcast, providing accessible, evidence-based information on addiction and recovery topics.
Through his concierge telemedicine model, Dr. Leeds provides weekly one-on-one appointments and 24/7 text access to every patient. As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Leeds brings a whole-patient perspective to treatment, considering the interconnection of physical, neurological, and psychological factors in each patient’s care.
SERVICES AT GLANCE
OUR SERVICES
Here are some of the services provided by Mark Leeds, D.O. via concierge telemedicine throughout Florida.
Alcohol Treatment and the Sinclair Method
For West Palm Beach patients dealing with problematic alcohol use, Dr. Leeds offers the Sinclair Method — an evidence-based protocol using naltrexone taken before drinking to block the brain’s endorphin reward response to alcohol. Through pharmacological extinction, the Sinclair Method gradually reduces the desire to drink without requiring immediate abstinence. This approach has strong research support and can be particularly effective for patients who have not responded well to traditional treatment models.
Patients are monitored through weekly concierge appointments where Dr. Leeds reviews drinking logs, assesses medication response, and provides ongoing support. For patients who prefer abstinence-based treatment or have contraindications to naltrexone, Dr. Leeds offers alternative approaches tailored to their situation.
Benzodiazepine Tapering and the Ashton Manual Protocol
The Ashton Manual has become the most widely referenced guide for benzodiazepine withdrawal management, and for good reason. Developed by Professor Heather Ashton based on years of clinical experience running a benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic, the manual provides detailed tapering schedules, explains the pharmacology behind benzodiazepine dependence, and offers practical guidance for both patients and clinicians. Dr. Leeds has studied the Ashton Manual extensively and applies its principles as the foundation of his tapering practice for West Palm Beach patients and throughout Florida.
A central recommendation of the Ashton Manual is the diazepam crossover. Because diazepam has a long half-life (20-100 hours for the parent compound and its active metabolite), it produces more stable blood levels than shorter-acting benzodiazepines like alprazolam (half-life 6-12 hours) or lorazepam (half-life 10-20 hours). These stable blood levels translate to fewer interdose withdrawal symptoms and smoother dose reductions. Dr. Leeds guides patients through the crossover process carefully, often converting the dose in stages rather than all at once, and monitoring closely for any complications.
Not every patient requires a diazepam crossover. Some patients are already on diazepam or clonazepam (which also has a relatively long half-life), and others may have medical reasons that make direct tapering from their current benzodiazepine preferable. Dr. Leeds evaluates each situation individually. The key principle — whether or not a crossover is used — is that the taper must be gradual, with reductions small enough that the nervous system can adjust at each step. Rushing this process risks triggering severe withdrawal, seizures, or Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND).
Physical dependence on benzodiazepines is not addiction. The Ashton Manual itself makes this distinction clear: patients who have taken benzodiazepines as prescribed and developed physiological dependence are not exhibiting drug-seeking or addictive behavior. They are experiencing a normal biological response. Dr. Leeds’ clinical approach honors this distinction at every stage, treating each patient with the respect and medical rigor their situation demands.
Services & Approach to Medication Tapering
Benzodiazepine Tapering
Dr. Leeds specializes in safe, medically supervised benzodiazepine tapering using the Ashton Manual crossover protocol, hyperbolic tapering, and compound pharmacy formulations. Learn more about tapering services.
Psychiatric Deprescribing
Safe tapering of SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentinoids, and antipsychotics using the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and individualized hyperbolic dose reduction. Learn more.
Opioid Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment using buprenorphine (Suboxone, ZubSolv) with individualized dosing strategies for maintenance or gradual tapering. Learn more.
Alcohol Treatment
The Sinclair Method using naltrexone gradually reduces cravings through pharmacological extinction. Does not require abstinence to begin. Learn more.
Concierge Telemedicine in West Palm Beach
Dr. Leeds’ concierge telemedicine practice delivers weekly video appointments directly with the physician — ensuring that each dose adjustment and clinical decision is informed by current patient feedback. Between appointments, patients have 24/7 text access to Dr. Leeds for urgent questions, symptom concerns, or pharmacy coordination issues. This level of access is what distinguishes concierge care from conventional outpatient models.
For West Palm Beach patients, the telemedicine format offers practical advantages beyond convenience. It eliminates the stress of commuting to appointments during a physically and emotionally challenging process, provides consistency of care with the same physician at every visit, and ensures that the treatment relationship is never interrupted by scheduling bottlenecks or office closures. Complex protocols like the Ashton Manual crossover and hyperbolic tapering require this level of sustained attention to execute safely.
Concierge Telemedicine in West Palm Beach
Dr. Leeds’ concierge telemedicine practice delivers weekly video appointments directly with the physician — ensuring that each dose adjustment and clinical decision is informed by current patient feedback. Between appointments, patients have 24/7 text access to Dr. Leeds for urgent questions, symptom concerns, or pharmacy coordination issues. This level of access is what distinguishes concierge care from conventional outpatient models.
For West Palm Beach patients, the telemedicine format offers practical advantages beyond convenience. It eliminates the stress of commuting to appointments during a physically and emotionally challenging process, provides consistency of care with the same physician at every visit, and ensures that the treatment relationship is never interrupted by scheduling bottlenecks or office closures. Complex protocols like the Ashton Manual crossover and hyperbolic tapering require this level of sustained attention to execute safely.
Subutex Treatment
Dr. Leeds prescribes Subutex (buprenorphine) for West Palm Beach patients with opioid physical dependence. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that relieves withdrawal symptoms and reduces cravings while producing minimal euphoria at therapeutic doses. It is an effective, well-studied medication that allows patients to stabilize and focus on their recovery.
Through the concierge model, Dr. Leeds monitors buprenorphine treatment closely with weekly appointments, ensuring proper dosing, addressing side effects, and supporting the patient through each phase of treatment.
West Palm Beach residents ready to begin a safe, evidence-based benzodiazepine taper or explore treatment options for medication dependence can contact Dr. Leeds today to schedule a consultation.
Outpatient Telemedicine vs. Inpatient Rehab
West Palm Beach is home to numerous residential rehabilitation facilities, yet most of these programs are poorly equipped to manage long-term benzodiazepine tapers. The standard rehab model — a 28-day stay with rapid medication reduction — is designed around alcohol and opioid detoxification, not the months-long process that safe benzodiazepine tapering requires. Patients discharged after a rapid benzo taper frequently experience severe rebound symptoms and may be worse off than when they entered.
Dr. Leeds’ outpatient telemedicine model provides an evidence-based alternative. Patients remain at home, continue their daily lives, and receive expert medical care on a timeline that matches their clinical needs — not an insurance company’s coverage limits. The weekly appointment structure and Ashton Manual protocols Dr. Leeds employs are specifically designed for the kind of gradual, careful tapering that benzodiazepine dependence demands.
Low Dose Naltrexone
Dr. Leeds offers low dose naltrexone (LDN) to select West Palm Beach patients who may benefit from its immune-modulating properties. LDN is prescribed at doses far below standard naltrexone levels and is prepared by compounding pharmacies. Dr. Leeds evaluates each patient’s suitability for LDN individually and monitors their response through ongoing telemedicine appointments.
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Methadone vs. Buprenorphine
Although Palm Beach County has several methadone clinics, the daily in-person visit requirement can be a significant barrier for working patients or those with transportation challenges. Buprenorphine, which Dr. Leeds prescribes via telemedicine, offers comparable effectiveness for opioid dependence treatment with the convenience of at-home dosing and the privacy of a direct physician relationship.
Patients in West Palm Beach who are currently on methadone and wish to transition to buprenorphine can receive careful medical guidance from Dr. Leeds throughout the conversion. This transition requires specific clinical expertise and close monitoring — precisely what the concierge telemedicine model provides through its weekly appointment structure.
Opioid Dependence and Withdrawal
Opioid physical dependence is a medical condition that develops through regular use of opioid medications — whether prescribed for legitimate pain management or obtained otherwise. Withdrawal symptoms can be debilitating, including severe muscle and bone pain, gastrointestinal distress, insomnia, and profound anxiety. These symptoms often prevent patients from discontinuing opioids without medical assistance, regardless of their desire to stop.
Dr. Leeds provides opioid dependence treatment to West Palm Beach patients using buprenorphine-based medications. Weekly telemedicine appointments allow for precise dose management, ongoing assessment of the patient’s progress, and responsive adjustments to the treatment plan as clinical needs evolve.
Oxycodone Dependence
Palm Beach County has been significantly affected by the opioid crisis, and oxycodone dependence remains a common concern. Patients who have developed physical dependence on oxycodone — whether through a legitimate prescription or other circumstances — can receive expert treatment from Dr. Leeds via concierge telemedicine. Treatment involves stabilization on buprenorphine, careful dose management, and the sustained medical oversight that the weekly appointment model provides.
Oxycodone Withdrawal and Detox in West Palm Beach
On Netflix, there is a series that tells the story of the Purdue Pharma corporation, and their part in starting the opioid epidemic. Oxycodone is an opioid medication that has been around for decades.
While oxycodone can be useful to treat acute and chronic pain, there is a risk of becoming addicted to the drug. Purdue took oxycodone and packaged it into a tiny tablet with very high dosages.
For example, Percocet is a brand version of oxycodone that ranges from 2mg to 10mg. Oxycontin, on the other hand, comes in dosages up to 80mg. Originally, there was even a 160mg tablet.
Purdue used multimillion dollar campaigns to infiltrate the scientific and medical community, to the extent that well-respected institutions developed protocols that encouraged doctors to treat patients with more oxycodone and Oxycontin. Additionally, doctors were presented with research showing that opioids only rarely caused addiction.
What can you do if you live in West Palm Beach and you are concerned about going through oxycodone withdrawal? Are there oxycodone detox programs in the West Palm Beach area?
Fortunately, oxycodone withdrawal, like any other opioid withdrawal, can be treated by a concierge addiction treatment doctor. In fact, oxycodone addiction and dependence are somewhat easier to treat than fentanyl analogs being sold on the streets as heroin.
If you are looking for a private oxycodone detox in the comfort of your own home, call Dr. Leeds for more information.
Call Now For The Best in Addiction Recovery & Rehabilitation Services in West Palm Beach, FL
Concierge Telemedicine vs. VIP Rehab
West Palm Beach and the surrounding Palm Beach County area are well known for upscale “VIP” and “executive” rehabilitation programs that charge premium rates for resort-like amenities. While the facilities may be impressive, the clinical approach to benzodiazepine tapering inside these programs is usually no different from standard rapid detox — a protocol that is fundamentally inadequate for patients with established physical dependence on benzodiazepines.
Dr. Leeds’ concierge model offers what no 30-day facility can: an Ashton Manual-based taper executed over months, with weekly physician appointments, hyperbolic dose reductions, compounding pharmacy coordination, and 24/7 direct access to the treating physician. This is not a shortened version of specialized care — it is the full clinical protocol that safe benzodiazepine tapering requires, delivered at a fraction of the cost of luxury rehab and without removing the patient from their home and community.
Mindfulness and Wellness During Tapering
Benzodiazepine tapering is a process that affects the whole person — physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Dr. Leeds encourages West Palm Beach patients to incorporate mindfulness practices, light exercise, and stress management techniques as supportive measures alongside their medical treatment. Activities like walking along the waterfront, gentle yoga, or structured breathing exercises can help patients manage the day-to-day challenges of dose reductions without replacing the essential role of proper medical oversight.
Mindfulness Meditation for Addiction Recovery in West Palm Beach
If you are looking for a wonderful place to start practicing mindful meditation, West Palm Beach is an excellent place to live or visit. There are many places where you can stop and take a break, to focus on your breath, relax your body, and be aware of the present moment.
Mindfulness and mindful meditation are important tools to help with addiction recovery. Taking a meditation or yoga class is one way to get started on practicing the art of being present in the here and now.
Addiction is a condition that thrives on people running on autopilot. The condition of addiction takes advantage when people are not fully conscious and aware.
By making an effort to be mindful and to practice meditation, you will be better prepared to battle any addiction that you are currently struggling with. We also offer support for benzodiazepine tapering & deprescribing in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, and Miami, FL, for individuals seeking personalized addiction recovery care. For more information on mindful meditation and addiction recovery, please call Dr. Leeds, or send a message through this website.
FAQs About Addiction Recovery in West Palm Beach, FL
Meth causes the neurons in the central nervous system to release more dopamine, which has a variety of effects on how the user feels and behaves. Unfortunately, the effects of meth on the nervous system can be long-lasting, even after the user discontinues use of meth.
Drug detoxification is a process to help eliminate a dangerous drug from a user’s system. The goal of detoxification is to minimize harm to the brain and body. The method of detox depends on the drug in question. Opioid detox and alcohol detox can be performed with medication assistance.
Alcohol can cause serious problems for pregnant women. The fetus is at great risk from the effects of alcohol. If a woman drinks, and has trouble reducing her alcohol intake, it can be a major issue if she becomes pregnant. For the safety of the baby, she must stop drinking.
While there are programs that claim to be benzodiazepine retreat facilities, they are often more focused on addiction treatment and recovery. The problem with this is that benzodiazepine dependence is often not addiction related. An ideal benzodiazepine retreat would be supportive of a long-term, gradual taper without shaming the client.