Getting Help

Alcohol

• Alcohol overdose: People can die from alcohol overdose. Symptoms include difficulty staying conscious, confusion, trouble breathing, vomiting, clammy skin, low heart rate and temperature, and seizures.
• Alcohol withdrawal: People can die from alcohol withdrawal. Symptoms include nausea, headache, severe sweating, shaking, anxiety, and disturbances in vision and hearing.
• Delirium tremens (DTs): When heavy drinkers stop drinking abruptly, symptoms can include confusion, shaking, fast heartbeat, and seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations). They can die of a heart attack or seizures if not treated promptly.

Drugs

• Opioids: Overdose symptoms include shallow, slowed, or stopped breathing, slowed heart rate, blue lips or fingernails, can't be woken up, and clammy skin.
• Barbiturates: Overdose symptoms include slowed or stopped breathing, confusion, and a racing, weak pulse. Withdrawal symptoms can also be dangerous and may include sweating, anxiety, seizures, and circulatory failure.
• Stimulants: Overdose symptoms include agitation, chest pain, nausea/vomiting, rapid breathing, and heart rate.
• Benzodiazepines: Dangerous withdrawal symptoms include seizures and delirium tremens (DTs).

* All of the drug-related situations above can cause death.