It's not your fault the terminology is used loosely especially as it can take time to fully characterise the action. Benzos and Z-drugs are considered PAMs, it

It's not your fault the terminology is used loosely especially as it can take time to fully characterise the action. Benzos and Z-drugs are considered PAMs, it's possible some have some intrinsic activity but otherwise they simply potentiate other agonists. The big benefit here is that they are far less likely to cause death when taken alone. The confusion is that any positive effect is typically called agonist and any negative effect called an antagonist when discussed informally.