chadknowslaw

February 21, 1999 I was arrested for drunk driving in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. At the time, I was the Elected County Attorney of Worth County, the county just to the north. I was my usual blitzed self that night. My tolerance was so high after 15 years of heavy drinking I passed the walk and turn but failed the breathalyzer -- if you call over .30 failing. College students die at .24. For me to still be able to walk at that level was amazing. I was 185 pounds and had a 37 inch waist. (now I am 160 and 30 inch waist-- back to normal)
The next day I called an in-patient treatment center and reserved a bed. Since I had been prosecuting drunk drivers, I had a good relationship with the manager of the center and was fortunate that they could take me on short notice.

After I checked into the treatment center, the DT's started and lasted for 4 very long days. Withdrawal from severe alcoholism is the most painful thing I have EVER felt in my life.

A day after I got through the DT's, one of the other patients who was also going through them died in the middle of the night. Going to breakfast in the morning, and seeing them wheel his body away on the gurney I realized how serious this really was for me.

I spent a month in that in-patient treatment center. I don't know how else i would have made it- I was craving a drink so bad my mouth watered.
Somehow I made it through the roughest period and stayed sober. I got into Alcoholics Anonymous and have been going ever since.

Every year I post on my Sobriety Anniversary. It helps me to remember how really really fucked up I was and how lucky I was to have been arrested. It took a kick in the ass that hard to get me to sober up.

Friday, February 22 marks 9 years without a drink. It feels damn good to be here, sober, today.

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ChadKnowsLaw