walkitout: (Default)
Nella Acceber ([personal profile] walkitout) wrote2011-07-28 03:59 pm

Useful Information

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_withdrawal_syndrome

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_detoxification

So with the above information, it is possible to make sense of this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20084871-10391698.html

Specifically,

"Kindling is the phenomenon where repeated alcohol detoxifications lead to an increased severity of the withdrawal syndrome. For example, binge drinkers may initially experience no withdrawal symptoms but with each period of resumption of drinking followed by abstinence their withdrawal symptoms intensify in severity and may eventually result in full blown delirium tremens with convulsive seizures."

Detox was _invented_ because it became unavoidably apparent that cold turkey quitting was lethal for many drinkers. DIY'ing in this area is incredibly risky. Rehab exists to combine detox with longer term strategies for living without a substance upon which one has an unwanted relationship with. Denial is how people who need these services convince themselves and other that they don't need these services.

We'll have to wait a while to learn what the actual cause of death was (that is, whether this was straight up withdrawal, or withdrawal with some DIY detox going on, or something else entirely). But I continue to think it is not unreasonable to produce a choice-based critique of this particular tragedy.