Delirium tremens (DTs) is an extreme symptom of alcohol withdrawal. People suffering from DTs can experience confusion, sweating, shaking, vomiting, and hallucinations. The hallucinations can be visual, auditory, or tactile. People who have had hallucinations due to DTs have reported seeing pink elephants, hearing voices and feeling bugs crawling on their skin. However, the most dangerous aspect of alcohol withdrawal is the possibility of seizures. In the most extreme cases, a person’s body temperature and heart rate can rise far beyond normal levels causing seizures that can be fatal. The onset of DTs can begin 12 to 24 hours after a person has stopped drinking. According to the Encyclopedia of substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery, “Alcohol is one of the more dangerous substances from which to experience withdrawal.”
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