
Family Support During Benzodiazepine Tapering: Why It Matters
Why Family Involvement Shapes Tapering Outcomes Benzodiazepine tapering is a medical process that affects every part of a person’s daily life. Family members who understand
Mark Leeds, D.O. provides individualized concierge telemedicine for benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric drug tapering, opioid addiction treatment, and weight management—all from the comfort of your home in Florida.

Medical Experience

Comprehensive Care

Statewide Florida
Medical Management: Available to patients residing in Florida
Dr. Leeds specializes in addiction medicine, psychiatric medication management, evidence-based deprescribing, and weight management through his concierge telemedicine practice. With a deep understanding of the distinction between physical dependence and addiction, Dr. Leeds provides individualized care that places each patient at the center of all treatment decisions. Recovery coaching and counseling are integrated into your treatment plan, and all protocols follow the Ashton Manual, Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, The Sinclair Method, and other evidence-based approaches.

Medical support for safe, gradual discontinuation of benzodiazepines and z-drugs (Ambien, Lunesta) following evidence-based protocols. Dr. Leeds is experienced with benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND), protracted withdrawal, and acute withdrawal syndromes. Protocols include hyperbolic tapers, liquid tapers, cross-tapering strategies, and individualized schedules designed around your body's healing timeline.
Ashton Manual
Maudsley Guidelines
Liquid Tapers
Hyperbolic Tapers
BIND Support
Withdrawal Support

Evidence-based treatment using buprenorphine products including Suboxone, Sublocade, and Brixadi, with specialized protocols for fentanyl transitions and individualized dosing strategies that respect patient goals for either maintenance or gradual tapering. Comprehensive approaches include medically-supervised at-home detox, naltrexone therapy, and The Sinclair Method, tailored to individual patterns of use and personal recovery goals. For many patients, concierge treatment is the ideal solution: you get to live at home and continue with your daily life while receiving expert medical care in-office or by telemedicine.
Suboxone
Sublocade
At-Home Detox
Fentanyl Protocols
Naltrexone

Specialized care for patients experiencing dependence on psychiatric medications, antidepressants, and other prescribed substances, with emphasis on gradual, patient-controlled tapering protocols. As a psychiatric drug tapering specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Leeds understands the complex neurological effects of long-term psychiatric medication use and provides medically-supervised slow hyperbolic tapers that honor your body's healing process.
Antidepressant Tapering
Antipsychotic Tapering
Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal
Hyperbolic Tapers
Safe Withdrawal

Alcohol use disorder treatment including The Sinclair Method with naltrexone for pharmacological extinction of alcohol cravings. Evidence-based treatment for food addiction and binge eating disorder using both counseling approaches and medication options including GLP-1 agonists when clinically appropriate.
Antidepressant Tapering
Sinclair Method
Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal
Hyperbolic Tapers
Safe Withdrawal
Naltrexone
Harm Reduction
The Ashton Manual, developed by Professor C. Heather Ashton, is considered the gold standard for benzodiazepine tapering worldwide. Dr. Leeds follows this protocol as a foundation for creating individualized benzodiazepine tapering plans in Fort Lauderdale. The Ashton protocol emphasizes slow, gradual dose reductions that allow the nervous system to adapt at each step, minimizing withdrawal symptoms and supporting long-term success.
Key elements of the Ashton method taper approach used in our Fort Lauderdale practice include:
Dr. Leeds is on the medical advisory board for the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and has extensive clinical experience helping patients successfully complete their benzodiazepine taper. Whether you’re tapering from Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), or Valium (diazepam), our Fort Lauderdale practice provides the specialized medical oversight your taper requires.
Tapering psychiatric medications requires specialized medical knowledge that goes beyond what most physicians receive in standard training. As a psychiatric drug tapering specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Leeds provides medically-supervised withdrawal support for patients who want to safely discontinue antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs), antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and other psychiatric medications.
Many patients experience significant psychiatric drug withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop these medications, including brain zaps, emotional instability, insomnia, and cognitive difficulties. Our approach to tapering psychiatric medications in Fort Lauderdale includes:
Many patients with prescribed medication dependence have experienced dismissal, inappropriate rapid tapers, or misapplication of addiction treatment models. Dr. Leeds’ practice was built to change that.

You are the expert in your own experience and the ultimate authority on your path toward healing. Treatment decisions are collaborative, with you maintaining control over the pace and process of your care.

Physical dependence on prescribed medications is a medical condition requiring gradual tapering, not traditional addiction treatment paradigms that can cause harm. Dr. Leeds recognizes this critical distinction in every treatment plan.

Direct communication with your physician when you need support, without administrative barriers or delays. Concierge care means you're never dealing with automated phone trees or waiting for callbacks.

Every protocol is grounded in peer-reviewed research and established clinical guidelines including the Ashton Manual and Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. No 12-step ideology, no one-size-fits-all approaches.
Call (954) 776-6226 or email info@drleeds.com to schedule your initial consultation.
A thorough medical evaluation to understand your history, current medications, goals, and determine the safest treatment approach for your situation.
Receive a customized treatment protocol designed around your unique situation, preferences, and pace. You maintain control over every decision.
Direct access to Dr. Leeds throughout your treatment. Adjustments made as your body heals and your needs evolve over time.
Osteopathic Physician • Deprescribing Specialist
Family Medicine
Addiction Medicine
Osteopathic Medicine
25+ Years Experience
Mark Leeds, D.O. is an osteopathic physician with over 25 years of experience in addiction medicine and family practice. He graduated from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1996 and completed his residency in Family Medicine at Westchester General Hospital. He is affiliated with Florida Medical Center and is accepting new patients.
His concierge telemedicine practice in Fort Lauderdale focuses on patients who have been underserved by traditional healthcare models—those physically dependent on prescribed medications who need a physician who understands the critical distinction between physical dependence and addiction. Dr. Leeds is one of the few physicians in South Florida who provides concierge benzodiazepine tapering and withdrawal services.
Dr. Leeds serves on the medical advisory board for the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and has helped hundreds of patients safely taper from benzodiazepines, opioids, and psychiatric medications. He is also the host of The Rehab Podcast on the Mental Health News Radio Network, where he interviews experts including best-selling authors and filmmakers working in the addiction and recovery space. His approach prioritizes patient comfort, safety, and autonomy, often extending treatment over several weeks or months depending on the medication and history of use.
Recovery under Dr. Leeds goes beyond detox. The practice emphasizes continuity of care, encouraging patients to maintain close communication during all stages of recovery. Dr. Leeds helps coordinate care with therapists, psychiatrists, and community support groups when needed. The program combines gradual tapering schedules, regular medical check-ins, and supportive therapy referrals.
“Physical dependence on prescribed medications is a medical condition requiring specialized knowledge, patience, and respect for neurological healing processes.”
Dr. Mark Leeds provides concierge addiction medicine and benzodiazepine tapering in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida. Through telemedicine, Dr. Leeds serves patients across the entire state of Florida. In-office visits are available at 3290 NE 33rd Street in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County. Educational consulting services are available worldwide for those seeking information about treatment options and approaches.
Whether you’re searching for a benzo tapering specialist in Fort Lauderdale, benzodiazepine addiction treatment in Fort Lauderdale, a benzodiazepine clinic in Fort Lauderdale, or psychiatric drug tapering in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Leeds’ concierge practice provides the specialized, patient-centered care you need. We welcome patients from all surrounding communities.
Fort Lauderdale
Weston
Hollywood
Pembroke Pines
Hallandale Beach
Miramar
Cooper City
Pompano Beach
Plantation
Coral Springs
Broward County
All of Florida (Telemedicine)
Schedule a video consultation from the comfort of your home. Dr. Leeds is accepting new patients for telemedicine visits throughout Florida.
3290 NE 33rd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 Mon–Fri, 10 AM – 2 PM

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