So one of my teachers was talking about DUI's. She said that even just one DUI is generally a sign of a significant drinking problem. Had you guys heard this before? I always just thought that if you got a DUI it meant that "the one time this person DIDN'T take a cab after leaving a bar, they got pulled over." But no. My teacher said generally someone with a DUI drives drunk OFTEN and only has been caught once. She was sharing this so we would understand what we were up against should we have a therapy client who was being referred for help with substance abuse.
I think that's super scary, but I wonder what you think. I think (maybe unfortunatly) that people are responsible with their drinking, but maybe that's just because I know I'm responsible (never touched a drop in my life).
4 comments:
I never thought of it like that, but it's probably true.
I agree 100% with your teacher. I know several individuals who drive home from drinking with friends, work events or sporting events buzzed and/or drunk. When driving at night I'm extra careful at intersections to look for vehicles that might not be stopping when they should be. I also avoid driving next to someone on the freeway, in case they're drunk and they have trouble staying in their lane.
I can see her point. A responsible person who is in control of their habits will plan ahead to have a ride home because they know the effects of alcohol on their driving. A person with poor judgment and in denial about a problem will think that they are in control and drive home regardless.
I feel both are too broad of generalizations, but that being said looking back through the friends of mine that drink I found the following.
Generally those who generally don't have much self control, but that I would not consider alcoholics would still have enough self control to find a ride, or stay where they were till they were sober enough to drive.
Generally the few that would drive had another self-defeating issue as well, be it depression, alcohol abuse, or just temporally emotional unstable due to relationship or dramatic life changes.
So I guess I would say it would be better to er on the side of you teacher, but I would ask more questions of your client before assuming such.
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