A drunk drinks for no other reason than that he or she is compelled to do so by the illness. It's not the wife's fault, the boss's, the nosy neighbor's, or anyone's other than the alcoholic's. DWI endangers not only the alcoholic, but innocent motorists and pedestrians as well. Often a life-shattering event like an arrest is what it takes to start an alcoholic on the path to recovery. In this sense, being arrested and convicted can be a blessing.
Alcoholism is a problem that never goes away, until death.
Some so-called recovering alcoholics continue to drink on the sly, lying to their closest companions, even after being convicted and ordered to abstain and to engage in treatment. For this reason, probation officers and counselors are often authorized by courts to take random urine samples to test for the presence of alcohol or other drugs. Denial, rationaliszation and blame-shifting are chronic symptoms among alcoholics. So don't be fooled. If an alcoholic is unable to deal with a stressful job, for example, she or he might be well advised to seek more suitable employment.