This is very true. My biological father was an alcoholic for more than a decade. It cost him everything and he died horribly trying to detox on his own.

I didn't know his death was attributed to alcohol withdrawal until a few years ago (my siblings and I were told it was a seizure that caused his death, probably technically true and he did have a juvenile history of them) until my sister requested a copy of his death records.

I can only surmise that after multiple failed stints in rehab he was trying yet again to get sober on his own. He had taken PTO from work for a full week and a half and informed my grandparents he would be "out of town" for about a week prior to his death.

If you or anyone you care about is considering detoxing from alcohol please, please make sure it is done in a qualified medical facility. Alcohol withdrawals truly can kill. It's worse than withdrawing from benzos, meth, or even heroin. The body can literally collapse upon its own self and shut down vital organs.

Alcoholism is a terrible, life destroying disease. If you know someone attempting to come off of the substance, for god's sake convince them to do it in a place medically equipped to handle the worst case scenarios.