stifledspirit

Am beginning to wonder if honesty really is the best policy!!!!!
It has been brought to my attention recently thorough my son getting his provisional licence that i should have informed the DVLA about some of my diagnosis' as well as my history of alcohol abuse and its been playing on my mind so after some thought i decided to get honest and gave them a ring..........really wish i hadn't bothered.
I've already had a shaky summer with my mental health and a couple of blips with the drink but it has no way affected my driving as i never go any where near the car when i'm ill, in fact i'm lucky if i leave the house at all.
Anyways i might have to hand my licence over...........WHY DID I BOTHER GETTING HONEST WITH THEM!!!!!!!!! I feel like such a dick to be real HONEST now!!!
On my well days my car is such a lifeline and a massive aid to my recovery. i hate myself and my flippin honesty right now. I hate my mental health problems, my history, my alcohol problems and this whole flippin situation. I really do wonder why i bother at times.

Regretter

Hey stifled, welcome to SR.

Firstly, the DVLA are fascists at the best of times. I know of nobody who likes them apart from the police and even many coppers dislike them. Secondly you're not drink driving so they have no grounds to revoke your license on that basis. Thirdly if they want it back for mental health reasons you can appeal with supporting evidence from your most useful healthcare pro.

Like TVL, the DVLA (when phoned) like to talk a lot of generic scary rubbish to scare the everloving crap out of us all into compliance, but it doesn't always mean the worst for us.

Chin up until you hear back from them, eh?

Calnius

Welcome to SR Stifled. I'm only in prelaw, and in North Carolina at that, so this is just my opinion, but unless they catch you driving under the influence, I highly doubt they have any legal right or basis to take your license. It seems like a gigantic he said she said situation. I would try as best you can to relax, it may not be as bad as It seems.

stifledspirit

Awwwww thanks guys.....and hey nice to meet you.

Twinings

I have never bothered with a license as I know I wouldn't be granted one on mental health grounds. friends of mine tho who have problems have managed to get them back after surrendering or being ordered to give them up... one even several times.

on the plus... free bus pass!

I think the ironic thing about mental health and honesty when declaring things is if things get found out you can just lean on your mental health to try get you out of it!

Anywho, i'd look more into appealing and time scales of things, you may just need a letter from your GP or something.

Good luck and keep well!

Regretter

Well, here in the UK the DVLA (I just want to swear every time I type it out) can only withdraw our licence for serious conditions that cause hallucinations and the like as that can be a danger to other road users. Other things like depression or drug addiction they can't unless someone is literally diagnosed as clinically delusional or on specific types of meds that affect driving but usually it just means they'll tell you not to drive while on them. But most of the call center operators at the DVLA would be better off of in the Napoleonic war as they'd fit in well there with their personalities. In other words they have little-man complex and like warning us they have ultimate control over everything including revoking our licenses, rather than just do what they're supposed to do and warn us that driving could result in a fine/prosecution.

stifledspirit

i'm going to take the forms to my GP and ask for some back up from there and see how it goes. I do have a tendency to over worry and always expect the worst. I've never had a driving conviction and have always been responsible around my mental health issues so hopefully all will be well, and my son is being so supportive bless him and he's only 17.
Can't afford a lawyer so hope it doesn't come to that, have just gotta get past the doctors receptionists now to see the GP i need to see. That in itself can be a flippin battle lol...........i do find life and people extremely difficult to cope with!!!
Really struggling with the anger i feel towards myself though for actually phoning them and telling them in the first place. Feel i've made a huge mistake and should have kept my mouth shut. Self hatred pretty damn strong right now!

Regretter

**** it, stifled, what's done is done. Every single one of us makes mistakes, and I'm not even sure what you did was a mistake. I'm hearing you, though, about the battle with them and with yourself. I can truly relate. It's a lot easier for me to type this out than it would be to do battle with the DVLA or even go see my GP (my surgery is a nightmare these days)!

Why hate yourself, though? You're only human and what we do is make human errors, just the like the fascist at the DVLA call center who I'm sure is wrong anyway like they practically always are every time I've ever called them (I don't bother anymore).

Have the DVLA actually formally written to you and asked for your license back yet with the relevant quote from the Road traffic act? If they haven't then you can lawfully still drive on it it's that simple. If not then don't worry about it and move on to something else. There's no point hating yourself for being honest. What you did wasn't 'wrong' anyway.

I'd say every single one of us at this forum know what beating ourselves up is all about because I'd wager we all do it at least once a day over something or other.

Look at this picture of a cute kitty and relax at least one notch:

stifledspirit

Well after much ranting and moaning i'm beginning to reach the point of acceptance around my actions.
What will be will be and bottom line if the worst does come to the worst then even thats not that bad really.

cute pic btw but i'm deffo more of a dog kind of girl

Mountainmanbob

as you probably know
if they take your drivers license
you will need a doctors note saying you are safe to drive
so as to get the license returned

good luck

M Bob