FloridaTaper is an educational resource for patients, families, and clinicians facing benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, withdrawal, and BIND (Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction).
The site is published by Mark Leeds, D.O., a physician who focuses on slow, individualized dose reductions informed by the Ashton Manual and the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. Dr. Leeds serves on the medical advisory board of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition.
Why this site exists
Benzodiazepine tapering is one of the most under-taught areas of clinical medicine. Patients who are prescribed these medications long-term are rarely given full information about tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, or the slow timelines that many tapers require. When withdrawal problems do emerge, they are often misread as a return of the original condition or as a new psychiatric illness. Physical dependence on a prescribed medication is a medical condition, not addiction, and it deserves to be treated as one.
FloridaTaper exists to publish careful, evidence-informed writing about what is actually happening, in plain language, without the moralizing tone common in addiction literature, and with respect for the experience of the people who live through it.
What you’ll find here
- Articles on slow, hyperbolic benzodiazepine and Z-drug tapers
- Coverage of related deprescribing topics: antidepressants, gabapentinoids, antipsychotics
- Symptom explanations grounded in the Ashton Manual, the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, and clinical experience
- Informed-consent issues in long-term prescribing
- Composite accounts of what patients and families go through in a taper and in long recovery
About Dr. Leeds
Mark Leeds, D.O. is a physician whose practice focuses on benzodiazepine and psychiatric medication tapering. He serves on the medical advisory board of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and offers concierge telemedicine throughout Florida. If you are looking for concierge care in Florida, questions about working with Dr. Leeds go through drleeds.com.
A note on medical advice
Information published on FloridaTaper is educational and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Reading it creates no doctor-patient relationship. Do not make changes to any prescribed medication without the supervision of a qualified physician who knows your history.