DUI’s seem to be happening more and more these days and you have to wonder if it is just carelessness among young drinkers or if there is something else going on. It’s probably true that a normal person, someone without an addiction to alcohol, can get one DUI because of a stupid decision. This may be some young woman who doesn’t weigh very much and takes the chance of driving immediately following a glass or two of wine. Many small-framed women really don’t realize how little it takes for them to drink in order to put themselves “over the legal limit”.
Rational thought of someone who is not an alcoholic will only need one DUI to get the message and never let it happen again. “Normal” people, in the sense that they do not abuse alcohol, will rarely get more than one DUI. So, the short answer is NO – just because you get a DUI does not necessarily mean you are an alcoholic.
Alcoholics, on the other hand, will be the ones getting multiple DUI’s. This happens because once the drinking starts, they have little say in when they stop because alcoholism is a disease. Even if they say they are only going to have one drink, that rarely happens. They start making excuses and rationalizing more drinks into the equation. Even if they happen to not get a DUI on a particular night while driving over the limit, they are taking the risk and that is how it happens.
If you have gotten a DUI and feel that you may have an addiction to alcohol, there are other warning signs to look at. Do you often drive when you’ve had too much to drink? Do you drink heavily every time you drink? Do you drink every day? Every weekend? Sometimes the addiction happens right under your nose without realizing it and before you know it, you are fighting to get out from under it. In the beginning stages of alcohol addiction, getting treatment for substance abuse is a very effective way to stop drinking and live a sober lifestyle. Figuring out and admitting you have a problem is the biggest and most difficult step to take. Contact an alcohol rehab as soon as possible to speak with a counselor and get on the path to recovery.
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