Frost04

Thanks for the responses. it's been a roller coaster of emotions but going to work and staying busy helped a lot. I have to wait several more days before my attorney will get the police write up and they can start to evaluate where I stand.

I'm Looking at enrolling in pre-court evaluation for dui offenders and being proactive on looking at community service opportunities. Between work and these things I won't have time to even think of drinking.

Gr8ful22

Welcome Frost. I had my first run in with the legal system last year, wanst charged with a dui, but they threw everything else they could at me. Long story short, I had to wade through a 7 month legal process before I knew my fate, it was the longest 7 months of my life. The best part of it all is that it was my last drunk, and I have now been sober for 11 months. You will get through this, just take this time to focus on staying sober. You've got this.

Frost04

Trying to stay positive and make the best of this situation and learn from it. Haven't been sleeping well all week. Just a few hours here and there . I haven't had a desire to drink since the incident . I know this won't change for a long time. The wake up call was real. I've been looking into other life style changes that will make me happier. Every bit counts .

Frost04

Day 7 , no alcohol but starting to think of " if I didn't screw up, I'd be heading to the store today to pick out the beers I will be drinking this weekend". There won't be any trip to the store and it will be my first completely sober weekend in at least a year. So progress on that front. Also I have been thinking all week of other ways to improve my life that I wouldn't have if this wake up call didn't occur. I'm basically doing anything I can to get something positive out of this huge mistake .

On the negative side , I still don't know what is in the police report , what the outcome might be , and if there will be any plea bargain offer made , this is very stressful and has made me lose several hours of sleep a night and made me less productive at work.

MLD51

Frost - you will get through it. I like to say "nothing sucks forever." I completely understand the anxiety and stress. Been there. It's great that you are trying to think of ways to make this situation work for you in positive ways. When I got my 3rd DUI, I was plunged into complete despair for a few weeks. But then, I began to feel better because I was sober for the first extended period of time in something like 10 years, so my outlook improved. I knew the legal stuff was temporary - something to be dealt with, but that if I worked hard, my sobriety would be forever. I can look back now and honestly say I'm somewhat grateful for the DUI - it make me wake up and realize that things needed to change. I'd no doubt still be drinking now if it hadn't happened, and I would not have the calm, peace, and serenity I now have in my life. So there was, indeed, a silver lining.

FreedomCA

I think it may be important to ask yourself if you are quitting alcohol just because of this DUI mistake, or you truly think you have a problem with alcohol? Do you honestly believe that most of the time that once you start drinking, you cannot stop and that therefore the risk of something bad happening increases?

Frost04

Im quitting because of the DUI mistake . I don't want to risk making a stupid decision again because of alcohol. I could drink at home or get a taxi every time I drink but I know eventually I'd slip up and think I was ok to drive and be in danger of getting caught again . That's scares me. I rather just quit all together , get healthier and not have the stress of worrying about the levels of my drinking. That's too big of a burden to carry around .
So I'm not quitting because I think I have a problem with alcohol. It's more about the risk of making stupid decision while under the influence and losing control .

Anna

Frost, I think you're making a great decision.

ScottFromWI

I guess however you decide to frame it is fine if it works for you, But to be quite frank the "risk of making bad decisions while under the influence of alcohol" is pretty much a textbook definition of an alcohol problem. People who don't have a problem with alcohol rarely ( if ever ) drink so much that they make poor decisions because of it.

The reason we keep bringing up this point is that quitting drinking purely to avoid consequences is rarely successful in the long term. Your mind is already having thought that you "would be" drinking now if this hadn't happened as you posted today. For most of us acceptance that alcohol is a problem is necessary to get better.

Frost04

Yeah Im definitely concerned about long term but at the moment it's just too much to think of . I'm taking it a day at a time and not making life long promises that I can't keep without continuing to work at this .

FreedomCA

Join the club

myluckyday

My friend got a dui in 2005 and it was the best thing for him. Scared him sober. He's turned his life around since. Think of this as a blessing in disguise.

AnvilheadII

So I'm not quitting because I think I have a problem with alcohol. It's more about the risk of making stupid decision while under the influence and losing control .

doing stupid things under the influence could be considered a problem that directly results from drinking..........inability to control what happens when one drinks could be considered a problem with alcohol.

i commend you on going full stop on drinking. a DUI is a pretty big deal. and the best and only way to ASSURE that never EVER happens again is to NOT drink any alcohol whatsoever.

Frost04

A full week without drinking and the word that would describe how I feel is just "normal". I think I haven't committed to quitting before is because the payoff was I'd just feel "normal" or it would be "boring" . Well I realize now that normal and boring beats hungover and depressed . Which is of how I would usually feel on a Saturday morning .

PurpleKnight

1 Week is fantastic Frost!!

CreativeThinker

Congratulations on 1 week of sobriety Frost. One of the best aspects to sobriety is waking up on a Saturday morning and not feeling like ****! Instead, we have the whole day ahead of us to do what we choose...sober.

You really have made the right choice to stop drinking. The memory of this DUI should help to keep you from picking up again. Stay vigilant, especially after the case is over. Have you thought about any other recovery plans?

Frost04

Right now the recovery plan includes daily exercise and reading this forum. Also, assigning myself daily tasks that keep me busy and far away from thinking about alcohol.

As my health improves each day and I see that I'm 100 times more productive without alcohol in my life, I'm hoping there will be no looking back.

Fly N Buy

If you're a temperate drinker mired in bad consequences you shouldn't have too much difficulty abstaining from alcohol.

As an alcoholic, I wanted the consequences of my drinking to go away so I could drink again. This cycle repeated for many years. Fortunately I awoke to the realization my drinking had progressed to the point of being a serious illness.

For those who find consequences don't change behaviors, there is a solution.

Frost04

I don't see a reason to return to alcohol at this point in my life. I'm 41 and a hangover talks a much bigger toll on the body than when I was younger. Also, Too many sleepless nights with anxiety and depression when I over indulged. I can't think of too many positive experiences with alcohol in the last several years. I did get caught up in the micro beer boom and had to try out the latest beer that would come along each week. It got to the point of having several cases in the fridge , , just a waste of money and time . I drained poured two cases last weekend and won't have beer in the house again

Frost04

Got through the weekend and my 9th day sober. Although I don't think I'm an alcoholic , I'm trying to follow a recovery plan/path that would make it a non issue to debate. Bottom line, no more booze. Not now, not next month , not next year