Facing a DUI charge can alter your life. You could face fines, jail time and lose your ability to drive. Unfortunately, for many who struggle with DUI charges, alcohol use disorder may be the culprit.
Professionals define alcohol use disorder as a pattern of alcohol use that results in a preoccupation with drinking. In addition to becoming preoccupied with alcohol, those with alcohol use disorder will also experience withdrawal symptoms following a decrease in alcohol consumption. If you have an alcohol use disorder, it may make you more prone to DUI.
Alcohol use disorder can stunt your impulse control
When you have an alcohol dependence, it changes how you think and interact with the world. There may be days when you have an intense craving for alcohol that you cannot control. It does not matter if you are at home, at work or behind the wheel of a car; you may still drink. Safety does not take priority and instead, you may find yourself behaving abnormally and unable to control yourself when you could before.
Tolerance can make you drink beyond the limit of reasonable decisions
As you develop an alcohol use disorder, your tolerance for it grows. You may find it more difficult for you to become intoxicated. Since you do not feel the effects of the alcohol as quickly, you may drink too much. The more alcohol you consume, the more likely you will make a dangerous choice, like driving while intoxicated.
When you face a DUI charge, seeking help for alcohol use disorder can not only help your case, but it can help you prevent instances of the same charge in the future.