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3 Tips To Help Beat The Alcohol Addiction That Led To Your DUI

Getting charged with a DUI is embarrassing and can have serious legal ramifications. If you were recently charged because you got behind the wheel after having too much to drink, you're likely interested in getting your life back on track as quickly as possible. But that's easier said than done if you are an alcoholic. If you know you frequently have trouble with alcohol, you're going to need some help to beat the addiction. Here are three tips that might help.

Stay Away From Triggers

Think about the last handful of times you had a drink. Did something happen beforehand that caused you to go running towards the nearest beer can or bottle of wine? Take a look at your life and try to remove anything that might trigger your addiction. For example, you might have to make the difficult decision to cut off your drinking buddies that you normally get wild and crazy with. If you use alcohol as a stress reliever, try to find an alternate method, like joining a gym to blow off some steam.

Keep Alternatives Well-Stocked

Okay, so the urge to drink has struck. Now what do you do? Well, if you took some time to prepare, you hopefully have a fridge or pantry full of other foods and drinks that might help you keep your drinking urge at bay. Try eating something with a lot of sugar to replace the carbs that your body normally gets from a pint of beer. Drink other non-alcoholic beverages frequently, even if means having to run to the bathroom often, if it will keep your stomach full and incapable of shotgunning a beer.

Get Professional Counseling

You can try and make a better effort of repelling your urge to drink, but for best results, you should consider getting professional help. If you have been charged with a DUI, you may be required to seek DUI counseling anyway. But don't wait for the legal system to order you to do something if you know in your heart that you need help. In fact, seeking out professional counseling in advance of your court date will give you something positive that you can report to the judge.

Beating alcoholism isn't easy. The first steps on this long journey often involve taking an honest accounting of your life and removing the negative things that generally drive you to drink. But even if you are someone with a lot of willpower, it can be difficult to beat this disease on your own. Contact a DUI counseling center today such as Counseling Center of Illinois if you know that you need help.


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