Delirium Tremens

Alcohol abuse is probably more common than many people think. In fact, twenty percent of society expresses symptoms of alcohol abuse at some point during their life. If you abuse alcohol heavily, and for a long period of time, it is likely that you will suffer withdrawal symptoms when you decide to quit drinking. Interestingly, fifty percent of those who had expressed symptoms of alcohol abuse in the past will experience symptoms of withdrawal when they stop drinking alcohol. Typical withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, sweating, nausea, hand tremors, restlessness, and exhaustion among others. However, up to five percent of those who endure symptoms of withdrawal will experience severe withdrawal symptoms that are life threatening. This category of withdrawal is referred to as alcohol withdrawal delirium, which is now commonly referred to as delirium tremens (DT).

Delerium tremens has been observed to set in around the forty-eight-hour mark after one has discontinued drinking and can last as long as five days. Delerium tremens symptoms include profound confusion, hallucinations, hyperthermia, hypertension, and agitation, among other symptoms. When one’s body adjusts to receiving a heavy amount of alcohol for a long period of time, the body will go into shock when it stops receiving alcohol. The experience can be fatal. Anywhere from five to fifteen percent of those that experience delirium tremens will not survive, even with medical intervention.

These statistics are not meant to instill fear into a heavy drinker that wishes to stop drinking or into a friend or family member of the heavy drinker. Instead, I share these statistics to encourage the reader to understand the seriousness of the transition. If you are a chronic drinker, and wish to quit drinking, I encourage you to get assistance in the process of quitting. Quitting on your own will not only be uncomfortable and painful, but it can be fatal. If you are the friend or family member of a chronic drinker, allow this article to help you understand why it has been so hard for your loved one to quit. Their body has become dependent on alcohol.

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Hillary R.,

Masters Level Intern, 2023

Sources –

Rahman, A., & Paul, M. (2023, January). Delirium Tremens. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482134/