alcohol withdrawal
"It is not an overstatement to say that clonidine probably saved my life.  I drank very heavily through most of my twenties.  By the time I was 29, I was up to over a fifth of 80 proof a day, if not more.  I would drink as much as I physically could, basically. I also drank so heavily because I have always had panic attacks and anxiety and the alcohol helped calm my nerves, until I woke up, and it was much worse, and the cycle continued.  I tried to quit other ways, but the withdrawal was too much.  I was honest with my psychiatrist and she put me on Valium and clonidine.  I tried a benzo alone, but it wasn't enough to stop the agitation.  The combination made it more bearable.  I took it day by day and now am sober going on 2 years."