dcg

This is the same for every true problem drinker. Maybe for some college kid drinking on the weekends and his church gets a hold of that info and uses their influence to scare him straight before he develops a real problem, but for the rest of us, we never listened to anyone but ourselves and our experiences.

I'm not an AAer, but I don't see what the above has to do with AA? From what I hear, everyone there was on the bottom rung at one point.

thomas11

Your OP is a very well written lucid assessment of your situation. Good enough in fact that I think you should bookmark it and read it if you are EVER tempted again. And its likely you will be tempted at some point in the future.

Snowydelrico

Keep your promise to yourself that you won’t drink ever again and you can be proud of yourself for doing what was necessary to cancel out all the bad things drink made you do.

chowchow

Hi nonever, Welcome back!!! I am really sorry you got a DUI but you're right about it. No one was hurt (thankfully) and you learned something important about yourself from it. Financially it does suck but it is a hell of a lot better than having injured or killed yourself or someone else.

The one thing I will say about AA that stuck with me (and I am not a religious person) is someone telling me that if I think I don't have a higher power think again. Alcohol became my higher power and that is true for me. I agree it isn't for everyone and there are many paths to sobriety. Some people get sober through SR alone.

Glad you posted.

markinny

I've heard it in AA and probably have seen it on here too that the "ism" part for them meant incredibly short memory and that certainly was the case for me.

I've had 2 and my brother 5. each and every time we would swear we were done with the drinking. my brother was right the last time when he got the gift of going to prison for 2 yrs. he has been living a very sober and successful life for about 15 yrs now. I was never right because I wouldn't quit until many yrs. later when it started impacting my health.

one day at a time is good. that's how I live my life everyday. but if it were "me" I would try to put together a very solid sobriety/recovery plan while things were still fresh in my mind and before the novelty of it wears off. not saying this is going to happen to you and it may very well not but I have seen it happen so many times. and i'm also not trying to compare you to me or anyone else.

good luck and best wishes

notgonnastoptry

Sorry about the DUI. I think that's the only thing I avoided (seriously). Managed to get everything else, even the ticket to intensive care (2x) for a week each time.

Sober from the second time (June 2016).

anxiousrock

Sorry to hear about the DUI. If AA isn’t your thing, I recently found out my EAP has free in person, phone and email counselling at any time .
Thought that if your employer offers EAP you might want to try. Mine even has a phone app with 24 hour chat with a counsellor.

icewater1961

I got 2 DUIs when I totally lost it over the holidays. Spent January in jail. That was a sobering experience to say the least. Talk about cruel and inhuman punishment. To start with I was tossed into a mental cell, naked and without meds, to detox.

I still have to go to court for the second one. For the first one I got time served and a huge fine. This is Virginia=mandatory jail time. Community service or rehab was not an option. I don't dare to think what I will get from the second one.

Stay sober and ask your lawyer if it helps your case that you are receiving treatment.

I will soldier on. This, too will pass! I am determined to deal with it the best I can. Every cloud has a silver lining, yes that is a bit of a cliche but hey, I am sober now.

There are many things I don't like about AA but I go anyway, plus found a great, informal women's meeting. But there are lots of alternative ways of treatment, I am sure that you will find what works for you! And you are here, and not alone.

Anna