Reply #28: Ha!

[H2O Man]

Certainly, getting a DUI does not mean that one is an alcoholic. By no coincidence, I did not say anything of the sort. I did say that if alcohol consumption creates a problem in one's life, treatment is a good option. I think it is better than, say, incarceration for a first offense.

One of the tell-tale clues of a more deeply rooted problem is found in a person's reaction to not only treatment, but even a mere discussion of it. For example, when a person resorts to silly things such as "by your thinking..." or attempting to falsely attribute statements to another person, it suggests that they have either a difficulty in identifying or dealing with the truth.

More, if "bitching about sentences" is a waste of time, might you not use this time to focus on yourself, and what you might do to avoid things such as DUIs? Would it be unreasonable to ask if you could come up with any serious suggestion of how you might improve the group dynamics you current frown upon, and risk the possibility of making it better? Could that alone be an example of how a person can invest in treatment?