Many people who are arrested for DWI have simply had bad luck.  Perhaps they are falsely accused because of problems with a machine or an inadequately trained police officer.  Perhaps they should not have been on the road and were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For other people, getting arrested for DWI is validation of something others (or they themselves) have suspected for some time: There is an underlying problem with alcohol or other drugs.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with such a problem, a DWI arrest may be a silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud.  If a DWI arrest is the catalyst for an alcoholic to find long-lasting sobriety, it is well worth the cost.

There are many resources available to assist someone with an alcohol or drug problem.  Certainly, an experienced DWI defense lawyer will be a compassionate and knowledgeable resource in this area.  Online resources abound:  The largest self-help group is Alcoholics Anonymous, which can be located online at www.AA.org. It is also possible to find an AA meeting easily by calling 411 and asking for Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office.  There are AA meetings in nearly every city.

Whether yours is a situation that calls for help, is a decision for you and you alone to make.  If you need help with an alcohol or drug problem, there are many people and resources available.  There is simply no reason to suffer in silence and isolation.  Help is there for you.

The following is reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous:
Answer YES or NO to the following questions.

1 - Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. They said, "Just try not to drink today." If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.   

2 - Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking and stop telling you what to do?
In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you. 

3 - Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak, or just drank beer or we only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it; but, if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we eventually got drunk. 

4 - Have you had an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?
Do you need a drink to get started or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking "socially.”

5 - Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people who really can take or leave alcohol. 

6 - Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep drinking, it will get worse -- never better. Eventually, you will die or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.

7 - Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere or anytime.

8 - Do you ever try to get "extra" drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Most of us used to have a "few" before we started out if we thought there may not be enough alcohol.  If drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.