benzodiazepine

n. A family of addictive central nervous system depressants drugs which are used to treat anxiety, sleeping problems, and seizure disorders and to relieve symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. They are frequently prescribed to depressed individuals because the overdose potential is low as it takes more than a thousand normal doses to be fatal to an average adult. This group includes chlordiazapoxide, alprazolam, bromazepam, clonazepam, clo- razepate, diazepam (Valium), estazolam, flu- razepam, loraeapam, midazolam, oxazepam, quazepam, temazepam, and triazolam.