Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are GABA-A receptor agonists, thus they increase the inhibitory tone in the brain and bring about their effects of anti-anxiety, anticonvulsion, seizure control, muscle relaxation, etc. It is used for people with seizure disorders, insomnia, anxiety, sometimes for alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and as a pre-anesthetic agent. They are commonly known as "tranquilizers"; Valium and Xanax are two trade names.