Pink elephants kill – Dangers of Delirium Tremens (DT’s)


By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.

Inebriated people.

Alcoholism.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Seeing bugs when drinking?

There are lots of jokes about people seeing things while drinking. Having Delirium Tremens (D.T.’s) is no joke.

Withdrawal from alcohol can be fatal. When we mention withdrawal from drugs most people think of the physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal. Kicking Heroin can make someone wish they were dead, but alcohol withdrawal is far more likely to kill.

Deaths directly related to alcohol each year exceed all the deaths from other drugs, legal and illegal.

DT’s occur when the drinker is withdrawing from alcohol as the blood level is declining. Before modern medicine was available up to one-third of alcoholics with DTs died during withdrawal. Modern medical treatment has cut that rate dramatically but people do still die while sobering up.

If the drinker has EVER had hallucinations or a seizure when drinking or detoxing they need medical attention and should be detoxed in a hospital.

Other symptoms of DT’s can include fever, shakes, and formication. Tactile hallucinations, bugs or snakes crawling over the skin are commonly associated with the DT’s. These symptoms are sometimes worse at night and can begin to occur days after the last drink as the body attempts to adjust to the absence of alcohol.

Any unusual symptoms that occur when an alcoholic stops drinking should be checked out by a medical professional.

Staying connected with David Joel Miller

Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!

My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.

Story Bureau.

Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.

Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.

As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.

Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.

Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.

Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.

Planned Accidents  The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.

Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.

What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?

Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.

For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller

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2 thoughts on “Pink elephants kill – Dangers of Delirium Tremens (DT’s)

  1. Pingback: Medication to treat alcoholism – Disulfiram, Antabuse and Naltrexone | counselorssoapbox

  2. Pingback: What if you go to the hospital drunk or high? | counselorssoapbox

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