Alcohol: The Unwanted Third Wheel

Alcohol is natural, it can’t possibly be harmful.  If alcohol is legal, then it can’t be bad for you.  You can’t celebrate with water.  Drinking alcohol is better than doing drugs.  Any of these sound familiar?  Of course they do, it’s what we tell ourselves to make consuming alcohol acceptable.  I’m not saying that drinking alcohol is not something that you shouldn’t do, I would never suggest that, what should be said is that it should be done in moderation.

Alcohol can be just as dangerous of a substance as any drug.  It really isn’t natural, it is created by fermenting sugar with yeast.  Our bodies cannot accommodate “naturally” occurring chemicals, just like our bodies can’t handle certain natural organisms such as salmonella.  Interesting to think of it that way, right? And you can absolutely celebrate with water, but if you do celebrate with champagne just don’t go carrying around your own personal bottle and say forget that glass nonsense – that is for sure going overboard.

So, what are some other things that we like to tell ourselves when it comes to alcohol? When I drink the truth comes out.  We fought because we were drinking.  I was only acting that way because I drank too much.  What does this sound like?  Maybe some relatable relationship conversations you may have with yourself?  It is easier to blame alcohol for the issues you may be having with your significant other.  It is also easier to ignore any issues when alcohol is there to mask it all.

Who notices that he is flirting with the girl at the bar when you are just as intoxicated as him?  Or if you do notice it just leads to a fight while driving home.  Who cares if she is distant when you can be just as distant.  Who notices that you haven’t spent any real time together, drinking a beer in front of the TV is quality time right?

These are real issues, and at some point, ignoring them will not work anymore.  Alcohol can only mask the surface of these problems for so long.  Eventually the root of it all will continue to grow, and the deeper it gets, the harder it will be to remove it.

It can be difficult to even recognize that any of this is happening.  Alcohol is really good at being your friend, and we all know that friends can be good at sugar coating things.  But sometimes it can be hard to distinguish the difference between drinking and relationship problems.  That’s why we are always to quick to blame alcohol, or even continue to drink more and more being completely unaware of any issues that are going on.

There are ways to fix this though, everything is fixable.  One way is to cut back on the alcohol consumption.  This can be challenging, especially if you are unaware of any problem.  Finding a hobby is always great.  If you work out, hike, do yoga, join a reading club, fix things around the house, whatever it may be, it typically will consume a part of your life and perhaps that part will replace the alcohol.

One solution that you should not use as a problem solver is losing all sight of your life and go on with your drinking.  This can lead to some poor decision making.  Let’s say you are out with your significant other.  You are both drinking, it’s the only way to connect these days.  Your walls begin to come down and you are finally laughing in a way that has been sorely missed.  Because of this you keep the booze coming; clearly this is a great solution.

Dinner is done, but you aren’t.  That’s when you both decide to keep the night going and head to a club.  At this point you shouldn’t be driving, but let’s say you do, and you make it to the club a few blocks away (phew, close call).  The night is going great, the music is on point, and all the beautiful people have come out to make the night magical.  You look over and notice that your significant other is missing, uh oh, this isn’t good.  You notice them at the bar, overly flirting with the bartender.  That’s when the night takes a turn.

The fighting is too much, you both need to get out of there.  Your brain and body are not functioning at a reasonable capacity in this moment – that’s why you are in your car, driving away, screaming in each other’s faces.  This is a terrible, yet all too relatable, situation that you are now in.  You have had a night of all out drinking, and now you are driving.  Noooooo!

This is one of the worst, yet most used, way of dealing with a fully rooted issue in your relationship.  This is the moment that you are going to be forced to accept what is happening to you, to your partner, and to your relationship.  Because now you are getting pulled over, handcuffed, and booked for a DUI.  There is no more of a real slap in the face then having a wake-up call as life changing as this.

At this point, your relationship will either make it or break it.  But this should be a secondary concern to what you are currently facing. Your life has now been altered and going back is a long, confusing road your going to need to navigate.  If your relationship makes it, that’s fantastic, it’s SO important to have a good support system during this process.  If it breaks it, your heart is now doubly broken.  Your relationship will not recover, and you are dealing with this horrible mistake.

Know that, if you are feeling alone in this journey, you are not.  Our sole job is to help you.  DPX DUI process experts is a free service to help you every step of the way through your DUI mess.  Sure, you are dealing with a lot more than your DUI, and we get that.  We get that these other things may take precedence during this time and because of that your DUI may get even messier.  We won’t let that happen.  We will be the ones to make sure that you stay on track, even while you are dealing with other life changing situations.  It’s what we are here for.

Don’t let alcohol bring your life down, it’s not worth it.  We have all heard that everything in moderation is OK.  Alcohol is OK, just don’t go balls to the wall with it.  It’s not going anywhere, don’t drink it like it’s going out of style.  It may just mess up your life so much, coming back will be the ultimate uphill battle.  Love your partner, deal with any issues, and live happily ever after.