What a woman’s death in Big Sur reveals about the dangers of alcohol withdrawal 9%
By Aidin Vaziri2%
7/24/2026, 1:00:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 17 faulty reasoning types, including Appeal to Authority, Indoctrination, and Availability Heuristic, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 18% saturation with 160 hits. Analysis detected 820 faulty-reasoning hits from 891 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 25% and a BS Rank of 9% (20,121 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 91.90% of the article peer group.
The death of Joanna Shields, a 37-year-old Southern California woman found in the Big Sur backcountry, has drawn attention to a medical emergency that many people do not realize can be fatal.
After a monthslong investigation, the Monterey County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office said this week that Shields died near Sykes Hot Springs from “probable alcohol withdrawal seizures due to chronic alcohol use disorder.”
Read more: Cause of death revealed after woman found near Big Sur hot springs with neck markings
The sheriff’s office did not say when Shields last consumed alcohol or describe the symptoms she experienced before her death.
Her death was ruled natural and evidence of a crime was not found, according to the autopsy.
The sheriff’s office said markings on Shields’ neck were caused by insect bites.
The agency did not release enough information to explain the full sequence of events before her death.
Still, the findings highlight a recognized medical danger: Alcohol withdrawal can trigger seizures and other potentially fatal complications.
Here is what to know about alcohol withdrawal and why it can become dangerous.
What happens during alcohol withdrawal?
Alcohol slows activity in the brain and nervous system, according to UCSF’s Hospital Handbook.
When a person drinks heavily over a long period, the brain gradually adjusts to alcohol’s sedating effects.
It increases activity in other systems to keep the body alert and functioning.
If the person suddenly stops drinking, alcohol’s slowing effect disappears, but the brain remains in that heightened state.
The result can be a nervous system that is dangerously overstimulated, experts say.
A useful way to think about it is a car traveling at high speed after its brakes suddenly fail.
What are the early symptoms?
Symptoms may begin within hours after the last drink, according to UCSF clinical guidance.
They can include shaking, sweating, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, a rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure.
The severity varies widely.
Some people have mild symptoms that improve within a few days.
Others develop seizures, severe confusion or dangerous changes in their vital signs.
When can seizures occur?
Alcohol withdrawal seizures usually occur within the first 12 to 48 hours after drinking stops, according to UCSF.
They are typically generalized seizures, meaning they affect both sides of the brain.
A person may suddenly lose consciousness, fall and experience forceful muscle contractions throughout the body.
Seizures can occur before other obvious signs show that withdrawal has become severe.
That can make the condition difficult for patients, relatives or bystanders to recognize in time.
What are delirium tremens?
Delirium tremens, often called DTs, is one of the most serious forms of alcohol withdrawal, according to Stanford researchers.
It can cause severe confusion, agitation, hallucinations, fever, heavy sweating and rapid or unpredictable changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
It usually develops later than seizures, often two to four days after the last drink, though the timing can vary.
Delirium tremens is a medical emergency.
MedlinePlus, a service of the National Library of Medicine, describes it as a severe form of withdrawal that causes sudden and serious changes in the brain and nervous system.
Without treatment, it can lead to heart problems, breathing difficulties, dehydration and death.
What else makes withdrawal dangerous?
Severe sweating, vomiting and fever can cause dehydration.
Withdrawal can also disturb electrolytes, minerals such as potassium and magnesium that help control the heart, muscles and nerves.
Those imbalances can increase the risk of seizures and abnormal heart rhythms, according to UCSF researchers.
People may also have liver, heart, nutritional or other health problems related to long-term alcohol use that make withdrawal harder for the body to withstand.
Who is most at risk?
The greatest risk is among people who have consumed alcohol heavily and regularly enough to develop physical dependence.
A history of withdrawal seizures or delirium tremens is an important warning sign.
Repeated withdrawal episodes can also make later episodes more severe, according to clinical guidance.
Other medical conditions, older age and poor nutrition may add to the risk.
Not everyone who stops drinking will experience withdrawal, and not every case becomes severe.
But it can be difficult to predict who will develop dangerous complications without a medical assessment.
Can alcohol withdrawal be treated?
Yes.
Doctors can monitor heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, temperature, hydration and electrolyte levels.
Medications can reduce nervous system activity and lower the risk of seizures and delirium.
Some patients can be treated through an outpatient program with close supervision, according to UC Davis Health.
Others need hospital care, particularly if they have severe symptoms or a history of dangerous withdrawal.
The purpose of medical treatment is not simply to make the process more comfortable.
It is to prevent complications that can become life-threatening.
Should people stop drinking on their own?
The danger of withdrawal does not mean a person should continue drinking.
It means that anyone who drinks heavily, has experienced withdrawal symptoms, or has had a previous withdrawal seizure should speak with a health care provider before abruptly stopping.
Shaking, sweating, vomiting, severe anxiety or a racing heartbeat after cutting back on alcohol should prompt medical attention.
A seizure, hallucinations, severe confusion, fever, loss of consciousness, or an irregular heartbeat requires emergency care.
Health officials advise calling 911 or going to an emergency room.
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