Chances are, you or someone you know, experiences this: in Australia, 2 in 3 adults report at least one sleep problem, and nearly half say they have multiple sleep related problems.
Desperate for some shut-eye, many of us consult our GP for help, and 9 times out of 10, will be prescribed sleeping pills like Valium or Xanax.
What we’re often not told is that sleeping pills have a high risk of dependence and shouldn’t be prescribed for any longer than 4 weeks.
Yet most people who contact our Reconnexion service, which provides counselling and withdrawal plans for sleeping pills, have been prescribed these drugs for years – sometimes decades.
Many experience withdrawal symptoms while still taking the pills or want to stop; but their GP doesn’t know how to help them stop safely.
Reconnexion has helped Victorians reclaim their livelihood back from sleeping pills for nearly 40 years. But in June 2025, the service will close if further government funding isn’t secured.
In 2024, the Victorian government cut Reconnexion’s funding by nearly 40%. Each has covered this shortfall for 12 months but can’t sustain the financial loss. Without more funding, our specialist psychologists reduce from 9 to 3, and we will be unable to provide critical education and support to GPs on how to safely prescribe and deprescribe sleeping pills.
GPs are the frontline of healthcare, and they’re under pressure. They need our support with safe prescribing and deprescribing, so they can continue to deliver critical care to millions of Australians.
In 2025, we’re calling on governments, both state and federal, to recognise the importance of our service in supporting GPs and keeping people safe and healthy – and fund Reconnexion.
You can help us keep Reconnexion’s doors open by writing to your Health Minister or local MP.
