Mark Leeds, D.O. is an osteopathic physician and deprescribing specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He helps patients come off benzodiazepines and sleeping pills with a slow, patient-directed taper guided by the Ashton Manual and the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. Physical dependence is not addiction, and a careful taper is measured in months, not days.
Key Takeaways Benzodiazepine tapering is the gradual, step-by-step reduction of the dose over months and sometimes longer, because the nervous system adapted to the medication…
Benzodiazepine withdrawal is not a simple or predictable experience. For many people it is confusing, overwhelming, and emotionally intense, especially when symptoms begin to interfere…
What does benzodiazepine withdrawal do to an ordinary day? Benzodiazepine withdrawal does not stay in one part of a person’s life. It can reach into…
Does therapy help with benzodiazepine withdrawal? Therapy can make a long benzodiazepine taper easier to live with. It can teach skills for anxiety and panic,…
Key Takeaways Anxiety, fear, irritability, anger, crying spells, low mood, and a strange emotional flatness are recognized effects of benzodiazepine withdrawal, and they can appear…
Benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as benzos, are frequently prescribed medications for conditions such as anxiety disorders, panic disorder, panic attacks, insomnia, and muscle tension. These…
Benzodiazepines have been a cornerstone of treatment for anxiety disorders, sleep disturbance, panic attacks, seizures, and muscle spasms for decades. They work in the short…
Benzodiazepines are prescribed across every stage of adult life, for anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia, and physical dependence can develop at any age after sustained…
Key Takeaways Months or years of benzodiazepine use change the brain’s calming system, and that adaptation is physical dependence, a medical condition and not addiction.…
Key Takeaways The Ashton Manual is Professor C. Heather Ashton’s free guide to coming off benzodiazepines slowly, and its method is a gradual switch to…
Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed for anxiety, panic disorder, and certain seizure disorders. Used long term, they produce physical dependence in most people, and coming off…
Following a structured plan matters when reducing benzodiazepine use. Without the right guidance, many individuals find themselves overwhelmed by withdrawal effects or tempted to stop…
