Stang

Did it many a time and make no excuses. Luckily I never killed anybody but was nearly killed when me and a buddy, he was driving, ran off the road and hit a pine tree. I'm telling ya don't wait until tragedy strikes to quit.

Hevyn

Serper, I'm so thankful you're ok & that you wanted to talk about what happened.

I could have ended up in jail for life - me, a person who would never intentionally hurt a soul. I had 2 dui's. At the height of my drinking days I was reckless and stupid. In the end, it was a huge relief to just be done with it once and for all. It feels wonderful to be free. You can do it, Serper.

Maffers

Stuff like this just cements in my mind to stay sober. Ya see stuff like this happens it happens a lot. All it takes is that one time, not only can you be ending your own life, but others on the road. I have seen it personally, less then a year ago. Not only had her drinking and driving end her life, but ended the hopes and dreams of an 18 year old gymnast that just competed at state...
Surreal crash turned into real nightmare - Mankato Free Press: Local News

SoberLife90

You are very lucky. You should consider going to an AA meeting, finding a sponsor, and working the steps. If you decide to drink again you probably won't be so lucky the next time.

Venecia

Serper, in response to your post, you've been offered some of the best SR has to give. I sincerely hope you take it to heart.

I also suggest looking back at some of your posts. We can point out patterns but the impact of our observations comes in second to the benefit you could extract if you spend a good solid hour (at least) reading what you've expressed in your sporadic posts.

There's ample reason for you to make a deep commitment to change -- and the support here is in just as ample a supply. I hope you'll post daily. How 'bout joining your monthly class here? SR has a lot to offer to help you.

desertsong

You certainly did dodge a bullet. I can't point fingers, because I've done it too. Thank God I never got a DUI, but last winter I high centered my car on a snowbank and took out the drive line and an axel. I was living on the side of a mountain in Wyoming at the time and it was a winding road. I took a curve too far to the left and BAM. It was a good thing the snowbank stopped us, otherwise it would have been a 20 foot drop on the other side. Bad enough that It was a 1/4 mile walk uphill in the snow at night to get home, but I also had my son with me. I can only be grateful no one else was involved.

You definitely got a wakeup call and I hope you use it to your advantage to make a positive change in your life. That had to have been a tough thing to share, and I thank you for that. Glad you are with us - we are here to help!

FreeOwl

Well.... I've been thinking about this since I read it last night.

It reminds me, hauntingly, of myself.

In 2004 I got in an argument with my then wife. We were at a wine bar and - like you - I'd had a ridiculous amount to drink. I don't really recall the argument, how it started, or the events it involved. I just remember flashes of racing around town in a rage, trying to find her, in my Jeep.

I remember a dreamlike sequence of lights coming at me, doging them, loud noises. Then I remember finding my wife and her screaming at me. Yelling at her to get in the car. Yelling at her all the way home as she screamed at me.

Then I remember the police showing up at my house. A brethalyzer in my front yard. A ticket being left behind. Them leaving......

Turns out, they'd tracked me to my house by my license plate. Which had been left behind at the scene of an accident. It was still attached to the bumper of my Jeep which was left in the street. Where I'd hit a parked car.

The side of my Jeep was a wreck. The front end was a wreck. My marriage was a wreck. I've no idea how I managed to survive and not kill anyone.

Because of a set of technicalities, the charges were all dropped. I'd dodged a bullet. I humbly thought "this is really bad.... I can never do that again. I have a pretty big problem".

One year later I was arrested for DUI.

And then again, six years later.

And then - finally - a year and a half after THAT.... I decided to embrace sobriety.

I hope this bullet-dodged is indeed your wake up call. I hope you choose this to be your "high bottom". I hope that you decided to do whatever it takes and to fully embrace sobriety.

I hope you don't throw away ten more years, relationships, money upon money upon money and endless depths of guilt and shame and misery - before it finally truly moves you to change.

I hope you don't allow this vivid concern and this time of resolve to fade into rationale and excuses.

I hope you don't allow yourself to open the doorway of excuses back to drinking again.

I hope you don't kill someone.

I hope you don't die.

I hope you're smarter than I was and more determined than I was and you don't throw away another decade of your life like I did.....

I hope you embrace it... with all you've got..... I hope you find the deep, sincere, life-changing reward of sobriety. Like I have.

IronPhoenix

Serper - that is playing the ultimate game of Russian Roulette. Like so many of us here, I know I was lucky so many times. Being on the sober plan/path, now I don't have to worry about getting into car drunk.

You can do this.

Thumpalumpacus

You got a freebie. Don't waste it.

When the Universe is talking, the wise man listens.

Findingtheway

Scary stuff indeed. We put ourselves AND others in harms way when we drink.

At least in my experience anyway...I had a terrifying experience where i started drinking in my office and decided to ATTEMPT to navigate the subway system and make my way home.

My next re-collection i was waking up in the hospital...Apparently i blacked out on the subway platform and someone called 911.

There's an ambulance ride i don't recall at all...But after the experience i THANK god everyday that i didn't hurt someone (Buy accidentally knocking someone over/into an oncoming subway.)

Drinking is like Russian roulette now...I don't drink because i honestly DON'T know what will happen when i do.

You are lucky not to have hurt yourself or others (or worse.)

Thanks for the reminder, this post is an example of why i can't drink today...Or ANY day.

Serper2014

Thanks for all the support... a few hours from now I'll be moving onto day 4. I'm going to do what Dee said and stop thinking about it... and Just do it. I've already started.... I'm changing up everything...

GhostFace

Learn from this. I'm on my second dwi and while still paying fines and programs but I gave me the greatest gift of sobriety