Hope you’re doing well Shift. And if you get jail time or not, or fines or probation or whatever, it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. No matter what you are sentenced to it is not a good enough reason to use. Using will only make things worse and likely end you up in more trouble.

I feel qualified to speak this because just this year I’ve served time in two states. I’m on probation for three years, I don’t have a drivers license, I do court ordered counseling three times a week, I do community service every weekend and any free time I have is filled up by talking with my sponsor and either attending AA meetings or spending time with my children...and I could go on about my legal troubles. But the cops didn’t just throw me in jail because they were bored. The judge wasn’t being a jerk when they locked me up. It was my own actions. It sounds like you messed up too and it’s time to pay the piper. That being said, I swear to God that I am grateful that the legal system was hard on me. Between that and my failing health and relationships, it was exactly what I needed for me to surrender.

People here care about you. Some folks like me speak very bluntly, but dang it, we want the best for you and we’re all trying to reach and support you any way we can.

So whatever happens, you can make it through it. No excuses to use. No excuses. We’re going to be here to hear your troubles and do what we can to stand behind you, but it is all for not if you don’t do some work to get yourself right. I work my butt off every day, and something very strange has happened, and I have come to believe it is God working on my behalf, but I enjoy all of the work. I love my sponsor. I crave meetings. I enjoy volunteering. My point in saying this is that if you would have told me a year ago that I would enjoy these activities I would have laughed hysterically and took a slug off of my vodka. Things change. And if we’re willing to do some work, they change for the better.

Looking forward to you checking in soon. God bless you.

In an earlier post she referred to the judge giving her a shot at probation “again”. I get this sense this is not her first rodeo. And it seems some people act like jail is a death sentence. Jail was quite helpful for me, my will to never end up in jail again does wonders for my sobriety. And for someone caught on the cycle of addiction and unwilling to take action jail can be a poor man’s detox.