Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
in Jacksonville, FL
Concierge telemedicine for benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, and dependence treatment throughout Florida.
Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing in Jacksonville, FL
Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
Dr. Leeds offers expert benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, opioid dependence treatment, and alcohol use disorder therapy to patients across Florida via telemedicine. For Jacksonville residents, telemedicine eliminates one of the most persistent barriers to specialized care: geography. Physicians who focus specifically on benzodiazepine tapering and withdrawal management are rare nationwide, and in North Florida, they are nearly nonexistent. Dr. Leeds’s telemedicine practice brings this specialized expertise directly to Jacksonville patients without requiring travel to South Florida or out of state. Appointments are conducted by secure video, and patients receive the same individualized attention and medical oversight that an in-person visit would provide.
Living in Jacksonville
Jacksonville is Florida’s largest city by land area and the economic and cultural anchor of the First Coast region. Situated in the northeast corner of the state, Jacksonville has a character distinct from South and Central Florida, shaped by its proximity to Georgia, its deep military roots, and its position along the St. Johns River and Atlantic coastline. The city supports a large healthcare sector, but specialty care for benzodiazepine dependence and psychiatric medication tapering remains limited in this part of the state.
The greater Jacksonville metropolitan area includes communities such as St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Orange Park, and Fleming Island, all of which are served by Dr. Leeds’s telemedicine practice. Because Dr. Leeds is licensed to treat patients throughout all of Florida, any resident of the Jacksonville metro area or elsewhere in the state can schedule an appointment without geographic restrictions.
Jacksonville is home to Naval Station Mayport and NAS Jacksonville, making it one of the largest military communities in the southeastern United States. Active-duty service members, veterans, and military families in the area sometimes face a particular challenge with benzodiazepine dependence: medications prescribed through the VA system or military healthcare for anxiety, insomnia, or PTSD can lead to physical dependence over time. When these patients seek help reducing their medication, they often find that the providers available to them lack specialized training in safe tapering protocols. Dr. Leeds works with patients from military and veteran backgrounds who need this type of focused care.
Medication Tapering & Deprescribing Programs
Treatment Programs for Jacksonville Patients
Dr. Leeds’s practice centers on benzodiazepine tapering for patients who have developed physical dependence on medications such as Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Valium. Physical dependence is not addiction. It is a predictable physiological response that can affect anyone who takes these medications regularly, regardless of whether they followed their doctor’s instructions perfectly. Dr. Leeds provides the careful, gradual dose reductions needed to help the nervous system readjust safely.
Psychiatric medication deprescribing is another core service. Many Jacksonville patients are taking multiple psychiatric medications and want to reduce their medication burden, whether due to side effects, a desire for fewer pills, or a change in their clinical needs. Dr. Leeds manages the tapering of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and other psychiatric medications with the same careful, individualized approach used for benzodiazepines. Discontinuation syndromes from these medications are real and can be distressing, but they are manageable with proper medical guidance.
Dr. Leeds also provides medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence using buprenorphine products (Subutex and Suboxone), alcohol use disorder treatment using the Sinclair Method with naltrexone, and low dose naltrexone prescribing. Jacksonville patients can access all of these services through telemedicine.
OUR STORY
ABOUT Mark Leeds, D.O.,
About Dr. Mark Leeds
Mark Leeds, D.O. is an osteopathic physician whose practice is dedicated to helping patients safely reduce and discontinue medications that have caused physical dependence. He is a board member of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC), a nonprofit organization that works to educate the public and medical professionals about the risks associated with long-term benzodiazepine use. Dr. Leeds is also the host of The Rehab Podcast, where he explores topics related to dependence, withdrawal, and treatment with a range of expert guests.
Dr. Leeds runs a concierge telemedicine practice that prioritizes direct, responsive communication between physician and patient. Jacksonville patients are not routed through layers of office staff or forced to wait weeks for follow-up appointments. The concierge model provides direct access to Dr. Leeds, which is essential for the kind of ongoing, symptom-responsive care that benzodiazepine tapering demands. As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Leeds considers the full picture of each patient’s health, not just the medication list on a chart.
SERVICES AT GLANCE
OUR SERVICES
Here are some of the services provided by Mark Leeds, D.O. via concierge telemedicine throughout Florida.
Alcohol Treatment with the Sinclair Method
Dr. Leeds treats alcohol use disorder using the Sinclair Method, a pharmacological approach that uses naltrexone taken before drinking to block the endorphin reward that alcohol produces. Over the course of several months, this process of pharmacological extinction gradually reduces cravings and drinking behavior without requiring the patient to achieve abstinence first. The Sinclair Method has strong clinical evidence behind it and offers a practical alternative for Jacksonville patients who have not responded to traditional treatment models.
For patients on the First Coast who have tried AA, inpatient rehab, or willpower-based approaches without lasting success, the Sinclair Method provides a fundamentally different mechanism of action. Dr. Leeds monitors each patient’s progress through regular telemedicine appointments, tracking drinking levels and adjusting the treatment plan as the extinction process unfolds. No group attendance is required, and treatment is private and conducted entirely through telemedicine.
Benzodiazepine Tapering: Overcoming the Specialist Gap in North Florida
One of the most significant challenges facing Jacksonville patients with benzodiazepine dependence is the scarcity of physicians who specialize in tapering. Most general practitioners and psychiatrists in North Florida did not receive extensive training in benzodiazepine withdrawal management during their medical education, and the handful of specialists who focus on this area tend to practice in South Florida’s larger metro areas. This means that Jacksonville residents who need expert tapering have historically faced a difficult choice: travel long distances for care, rely on a local provider who may not have the necessary expertise, or attempt to manage the taper on their own.
Telemedicine eliminates this geographic barrier entirely. Dr. Leeds’s practice is specifically designed to reach patients in areas where benzodiazepine tapering specialists are unavailable. Jacksonville patients receive the same expert medical oversight, individualized taper schedules, and responsive between-appointment communication that patients in any other part of the state receive. The quality of care is determined by the physician’s expertise, not by the patient’s zip code.
The consequences of the specialist gap are real and measurable. Patients in North Florida frequently report being told by their doctors to simply stop taking their benzodiazepine, or being given taper schedules that reduce the dose far too quickly. The result is often severe withdrawal, emergency room visits, reinstatement at the original dose, and a growing sense that getting off the medication is impossible. Dr. Leeds has worked with many patients in exactly this situation and can provide a safe path forward. Physical dependence on benzodiazepines is a medical condition that responds to proper treatment, and no patient should have to suffer because the right specialist does not happen to practice nearby.
For military veterans and active-duty service members in the Jacksonville area, the specialist gap can be particularly acute. Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed within the VA system or military healthcare for PTSD, anxiety, and insomnia. When these patients develop physical dependence and seek help tapering, they may find that their assigned providers lack the specific training needed to manage benzodiazepine withdrawal safely. Dr. Leeds works with veteran and military patients who need access to specialized tapering care outside of the VA system, while respecting the unique circumstances of their medical histories.
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 for Jacksonville Patients
The concierge model of Dr. Leeds’s practice is especially valuable for patients in the Jacksonville area, where local access to benzodiazepine tapering specialists is limited. Rather than settling for a provider who treats tapering as a side task, Jacksonville patients can work directly with a physician whose entire practice is focused on this type of care. The concierge structure means direct communication with Dr. Leeds, responsive appointment scheduling, and the kind of attentive oversight that medication tapering requires.
Telemedicine appointments are conducted by secure video, and patients can schedule from home, work, or any private location in Florida. Between scheduled appointments, patients have direct access to Dr. Leeds for questions and symptom updates. This ongoing communication is not a luxury; it is a clinical necessity during a benzodiazepine taper, where unexpected symptoms can arise and dose adjustments sometimes need to happen promptly. Jacksonville patients receive the same level of access and responsiveness as every patient in Dr. Leeds’s practice, regardless of distance.
Concierge Telemedicine for Jacksonville Patients
The concierge model of Dr. Leeds’s practice is especially valuable for patients in the Jacksonville area, where local access to benzodiazepine tapering specialists is limited. Rather than settling for a provider who treats tapering as a side task, Jacksonville patients can work directly with a physician whose entire practice is focused on this type of care. The concierge structure means direct communication with Dr. Leeds, responsive appointment scheduling, and the kind of attentive oversight that medication tapering requires.
Telemedicine appointments are conducted by secure video, and patients can schedule from home, work, or any private location in Florida. Between scheduled appointments, patients have direct access to Dr. Leeds for questions and symptom updates. This ongoing communication is not a luxury; it is a clinical necessity during a benzodiazepine taper, where unexpected symptoms can arise and dose adjustments sometimes need to happen promptly. Jacksonville patients receive the same level of access and responsiveness as every patient in Dr. Leeds’s practice, regardless of distance.
Subutex Treatment for Jacksonville Patients
Dr. Leeds prescribes Subutex (buprenorphine without naloxone) to patients with opioid dependence who have clinical reasons for using the single-ingredient formulation rather than the combination product. These reasons may include documented naloxone sensitivity, specific medical conditions, or other factors that Dr. Leeds evaluates individually. Jacksonville patients receiving Subutex are monitored through regular telemedicine appointments to ensure proper dosing and treatment effectiveness.
Schedule a Consultation
Jacksonville and North Florida residents seeking specialized benzodiazepine tapering or other treatment services can contact Dr. Leeds to arrange an initial telemedicine consultation. All appointments are available to patients throughout the state of Florida.
Outpatient Telemedicine vs. Inpatient Rehabilitation
Pompano Beach patients are sometimes advised that inpatient rehabilitation is necessary for benzodiazepine or psychiatric medication discontinuation. In most cases, this is not true. Benzodiazepine tapering requires months of gradual dose reductions that cannot be completed in a 30-day stay, and psychiatric medication deprescribing demands ongoing adjustments over extended periods. Rapid detox protocols used in many residential programs can be dangerous and often result in patients restarting their medications after discharge.
Dr. Leeds’ outpatient telemedicine model provides the sustained, individualized care that these processes require. Patients remain at home, continue working, and maintain their routines while receiving expert medical management through weekly appointments.
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Dr. Leeds offers low dose naltrexone (LDN) for select Pompano Beach patients as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. LDN is prescribed at much lower doses than standard naltrexone and has shown promise for immune modulation and chronic pain management. It is obtained through a compound pharmacy and may be discussed during consultation to determine its potential benefit for the individual patient.
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Methadone vs. Buprenorphine
Daily methadone clinic visits are burdensome for Pompano Beach patients trying to maintain normal lives. Buprenorphine offers a meaningful alternative — it can be prescribed via telemedicine, taken at home, and carries a lower overdose risk due to its partial agonist properties.
Dr. Leeds can evaluate whether transitioning from methadone to buprenorphine is appropriate and manage the process through his concierge telemedicine practice. For patients already on buprenorphine, ongoing management and eventual tapering are also available.
Opioid Dependence and Withdrawal
Opioid dependence results from neurological adaptation to the chronic presence of an opioid. The brain adjusts its own chemistry, and when the drug is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms emerge — pain, anxiety, insomnia, and gastrointestinal distress among them. This is a physiological process, not a moral one.
Dr. Leeds treats opioid dependence in Pompano Beach patients using buprenorphine-based medications, combined with weekly telemedicine monitoring and individualized treatment planning. The goal is stabilization first, with a long-term plan tailored to each patient’s needs and readiness.
Oxycodone Dependence
Oxycodone is one of the most frequently prescribed opioids and one of the most common causes of physical dependence. Pompano Beach patients who have developed dependence on oxycodone — whether through a legitimate prescription or otherwise — can work with Dr. Leeds to transition to buprenorphine, which manages withdrawal and cravings while providing a stable platform for recovery.
Concierge Telemedicine vs. VIP Rehab
South Florida’s luxury rehab centers promise premium experiences, but premium amenities do not equate to premium medicine. For benzodiazepine tapering and psychiatric deprescribing, the quality of the medical protocol matters far more than the quality of the facility. Many luxury programs use the same rapid detox approaches that cause patients unnecessary suffering.
Dr. Leeds’ concierge telemedicine model delivers what no facility can: long-term, specialized medical care from a physician who focuses exclusively on tapering and deprescribing. Patients stay home, maintain their privacy, and receive weekly physician contact and 24/7 text access for as long as their treatment requires.
Mindfulness and Wellness During Deprescribing
Tapering from psychiatric medications — whether benzodiazepines, SSRIs, or gabapentinoids — can be emotionally and physically taxing. Dr. Leeds encourages Pompano Beach patients to incorporate mindfulness practices, gentle exercise, adequate sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques as supportive measures during the deprescribing process. These strategies complement medical management and help patients maintain stability through the inevitable difficult days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. In addition to benzodiazepine tapering, Dr. Leeds helps patients deprescribe SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentinoids like gabapentin and pregabalin, atypical antipsychotics, and other psychiatric medications that can cause withdrawal syndromes when stopped too quickly. Each medication is addressed individually with a tailored reduction plan.
SSRI discontinuation syndrome occurs when an SSRI is stopped or reduced too quickly. Symptoms can include brain zaps, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, flu-like feelings, and emotional instability. These symptoms are often mistaken for a relapse of the original condition, leading to the medication being restarted unnecessarily. Dr. Leeds designs gradual tapers to minimize discontinuation symptoms.
When multiple medications are reduced simultaneously, it becomes impossible to determine which medication is causing any withdrawal symptoms that arise. By tapering one medication at a time, Dr. Leeds can clearly identify the source of symptoms and make precise adjustments. This approach is safer and more comfortable for the patient.
Yes. Despite being widely prescribed and sometimes portrayed as low-risk, gabapentin can cause significant withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, pain, sweating, and in rare cases seizures. Physical dependence on gabapentin develops with regular use, and the medication should be tapered gradually under medical supervision rather than stopped abruptly.
With the patient’s consent, Dr. Leeds can communicate with other treating physicians to ensure that everyone involved in the patient’s care is informed about the deprescribing plan. This coordination helps prevent conflicting treatment decisions and ensures a unified approach to the patient’s medication management.
