Benzodiazepines are a frequently prescribed class of drugs used in the treatment of health problems such as anxiety, insomnia or other sleep disturbances, alcohol withdrawal, and certain types of seizures. Together with a separate class of drugs, called barbiturates, they form a larger category of substances known as sedative-hypnotics. Excessive intake of a benzodiazepine medication can trigger a toxic condition called an overdose. However, severe accidental overdoses from a single type of benzodiazepine occur only rarely; in most cases, serious or potentially fatal problems result from either purposeful suicide attempts or simultaneous use of barbiturates, alcohol, or additional benzodiazepines.
