When Steph Seymour tried to stop taking her prescribed antianxiety medication, it almost cost her life.
About one in 20 Australians are prescribed a benzodiazepine, which is now the second-most common drug involved in an accidental overdose death behind opioids, according to the Penington Institute’s annual overdose report. Benzodiazepine treats anxiety, insomnia and occasionally back pain. Seymour said her doctors weren’t aware of tapering programs, so she found online communities, learnt about benzodiazepine dependency and found Australia’s only specialist benzodiazepine dependency treatment centre, Reconnexion.
“We are dedicated to improving the outcomes for people with living with the challenges of AOD addiction – in this year’s Victorian budget 2024/25, we have invested $376 million into our AOD services, more than doubling our investment since coming into government in 2014,” the spokesperson said. Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners’ alcohol and other drugs expert Dr Hester Wilson backed the call for federal funding.
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