Question: I know I shouldn’t have been drinking but I thought I could have a single beer. Just one beer at our barbecue is all I wanted to drink. The problem is that one beer turned into about 17 beers and 7 shots and then I guess I tried to drive my Range Rover to get some fast food and I swerved and hit a tree and I got charged for DUI and now I need to speak with a Sandy Springs DUI lawyer.
I hadn’t had a drink in like 6 months because I’m trying to stop because my fiancé thinks I’m an alcoholic. She thinks once I have a beer I can’t stop drinking and that I just drink until I pass-out or vomit. I think she may be right and maybe I do need booze treatment.
It’s pretty embarrassing because when I got stopped I wasn’t wearing any pants; I just had on an Atlanta Braves shirt. The next day I could barely remember what happened. I woke up in jail and my fiancé bailed me out. She said she called the cops because I was so drunk she thought I’d kill someone. She said I ran out of the house saying I wanted a burger and fries and I wasn’t wearing any pants. She said before I got in the car I urinated on a tree and our neighbors saw me and thought I was on drugs.
Anyway I think it’s finally time I got some help for alcoholism, because I think that’s what I have. I’m tired of losing control and getting arrested. This is my first DUI but I’ve had a couple of arrests related to my drinking. I really don’t want anyone to find out because I’m a pediatrician and I’m well-known in the community.
I want to know if I get some treatment, will that help me with this DUI charge. Should I get help for drinking?
S.F. in Sandy Springs
Answer: Millions of Americans suffer from alcoholism. These include people from all walks of life and all different backgrounds. Many famous people, including stars and celebrities, have had a drinking problem.
It certainly takes a degree of courage to admit that you have a drinking problem. And once you admit there is an issue, you can get help.
There are many effective treatment programs. Some are in-patient and others are out-patient. There are some good programs here in Georgia as well as programs in other states. We have had many clients who have done treatment and that experience has profoundly changed their lives for the better.
In terms of your particular DUI situation, it always looks positive to a prosecutor and a judge if someone is addressing an alcohol or drug issue. They often believe that if someone is getting treatment they will be far less likely to get another DUI or have any trouble with the law. Many people show their commitment to getting sober by attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which is a well-known program for alcohol dependency. But, again, there are many highly-rated programs for drugs and alcohol.