I had a DU I in 2006 and I too did not realize it was a sign of being on a path to destruction with alcohol. I fell into a worse situation when I was no longer driving because going out and about with my car was no longer an option so staying home and making drinking more of a hobby is what happened to me. I just fell into it because I was not prepared with a plan of how to live my life without driving. If I could rewind I'd have made a different hobby for myself until I got my license back. It did suck but I got used to it.