TooMuchAlcohol

Hello folks.
It's been one year since I was arrested for drunk driving. I was convicted about six months after my arrest as I took the matter to trial but lost.
No one was injured and there was no collision or property damage in my case.
The DUI has affected my life hugely. In the jurisdiction where I live, one's driver's licence is immediately suspended upon arrest (until you are convicted or plead guilty). After trial, I lost my licence for one year (I had to wait six months just to get to trial).
I can drive now with an ignition interlock device (three months after the trial), but the DUI arrest cost me my business and has harmed my marriage. I have to keep the ignition interlock for a total of 12 months.
I'm fortunate in that I have assets and savings that many people do not; however, it has not been easy to get my life back on track.
I live in a rural area and was rather isolated (stranded) by my lack of a driver's licence for many months. Fortunately, my wife was able to drive me around when she was not working.
I understand what I did was wrong; however, I had a low blood-alcohol reading and know that countless people drive every day with too much alcohol in their blood.
That said, I stopped drinking for four months after my arrest but then resumed consuming alcohol and doubt that I will ever be completely free of booze.
I would appreciate anyone's advice who has ever been convicted of DUI. How did you ever get your life back on track? Or, if you didn't, what's your life like now?
Is there life after a DUI? Anyone ever rebuild his/her life after going through this?

Dee74

Hi and welcome TMA
I have no DUI experience I'm afraid.

Nah I believe you can be - it comes down to a willingness to change really.
If you want help with that, you've come to the right place

D

FreedomCA

Hi TooMuchAlcohol,
I have never been arrested for a DUI, but I would imagine many people resume their normal lives after getting a DUI. My husband's DUI was brought down to a wet reckless due to a technicality. He therefore never had his license suspended, but he did go to classes, paid a fine, and now his life is back to normal. But maybe his process was a lot more lenient because of the wet reckless.

Anyways, I am wondering why you believe that you may never be completely free of booze? And maybe that belief on your part is why you still feel stuck, because deep down you may know you are playing with fire with already one DUI under your belt and therefore are not feeling set free?

I would think that if someone got a DUI, learned from the adversity and was able to get sober, then that adverse situation could be seen as something special rather than continuing to hold someone down.

getright15

DUIs have impacted my life hugely. Since 2002 I've been arrested for DUI 5 times and 3 of them sticking and the other 2 thrown out. I've had a pretty good career in the video game/IT field. So to answer your question yes there is life after a DUI or many of them. I just don't have any jobs that require me to have a flawless driving record. You'll be alright. I know how you feel at the moment like you're climbing out of a hole, and seem to be getting nowhere. In time you will. Life after drinking can seem daunting, but you can do it. I also thought I would never live a life without drinking, but here I am 6 months later sober as can be.

If I can you surely can I can say that much. According to AA I'm the "real alcoholic".

january161992

hi toomuch

my dui and my drinking were the symptoms of the real problem which is me

i was born uncomfortable in my own skin with huge amounts of self centered fear

for me going to aa and getting a sobriety date was/ is the most important thing in my life

Anna

Okay, I'm going to admit that your post scares me a bit. You want and hope to get y our life back on track after your DUI and that's great. But, you don't want to stop drinking. Another DUI could be around the corner. You're struggling with things after 1 DUI. What would life be like after 2 DUI's? And, your next DUI could kill someone. I'm truly not judging, and this is out of concern for you. You have a chance now, so take it and walk away from alcohol and rebuild your life.

LadyBlue0527

Ok Anna, I started a post three times, and three times I backed out of it.

You just said exactly what I was trying to say. My first line even said how the post scared me.

TooMuchAlcohol, we all care here but sometimes it's hard to post because the end result is trying to be helpful but it can come across in different ways. I don't know enough about you as for all I know, you're just one of those unlucky people who happened to make an error in judgement and stepped behind the wheel. It's been known to happen.

Somehow though, this was concerning:

Arrested for DUI
Loss of license for a year
Cost you your business
Harmed your marriage
Hard time recouping from all that's happened

However, not once in your post was there any thought process as to what alcohol had to do with this. You admit that after 4 months you started back up again and that you will probably never be alcohol free.

For that reason all I can say is life is a coin toss. Again, I can't truly say that because I don't know your background with alcohol.

What I can tell you is that for most on this board, including myself, it never gets better as long as alcohol is involved. Ever. In fact, I had a DUI 14 years ago and swore I would never get in trouble again. I counted myself lucky as there was no one involved but me.

This time through this isn't true.

I wish you the best but I can only tell you that I found out the hard way the only way to put life back together is through recognizing that alcohol is a problem and getting rid of the problem. Since I've done that it's only gotten better.

But, again, maybe it's not a problem with you?

DontRemember

My first dui was 7 years ago. No property damage,ect... I was going 6mph over the posted speed limit,on a holiday night. A holiday known for drinking! I refused the breath test and did blood at the jail so, was able to keep my DL until my court date.. My BAC was .19. I took the plea deal offered. $1375fine, 90 days licences suspension,24hr community service,6mo probation and two classes(VIP and dui class).
After getting out of jail the morning after my arrest I had to go pick up my truck from impound..$575!
I was able to rebuild my business after getting my DL back and life was "going well" again...then this happened http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-out-jail.html
A few months from my 1st one being dropped from my history! So, Now it's a 2nd(.31bac), wrecked my truck,lost one of my companies because of it..My Ex of 14 years left me and seems happy.. BUT... I will rebuild it all again(minus the ex part, as she has her own issues and we were no good together). Anyways...my rambling boils down to... You don't want a second/third,ect..

entropy1964

Of course you'll rebuild your life. But I have to ask, why the heck would you take a DUI to trial? I'm just really curious.

sugarbear1

Maybe consider total abstinance? I know many people who's lives are amazing after their dui's and then total abstinance....