I Got a DUI, Now What?
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), you’re not alone. There were an astonishing 10,000 drunk driving accidents reported in 2023, and even more arrests were made, as DUIs make up about one in 10 arrests in the United States.
- In 2022, approximately 20% of drivers reported driving drunk at least once, and 10% said they drove under the influence often.
- In 2023, drunk driving accidents accounted for a shocking 25 percent of all traffic fatalities.
- In 2023, one person, on average, was injured in a drunk driving accident every hour.
Is your DUI a sign that you have an alcohol problem?
These statistics demonstrate the continuous harm and devastating impact that drunk driving has on individuals and communities. Maybe the common nature of driving drunk has made this harmful behavior appear to be a social norm, as many people easily justify getting behind the wheel after having one too many drinks. Understanding the grave consequences of these reckless choices and what this can mean for your future is essential.
Your DUI most likely taught you how expensive and stressful the legal implications are on every aspect of your life. Lawyer fees, potential jail time, court appearances, alcohol classes, losing your license, and the multiple steps you must go through before you can obtain your license again are just a few of the consequences associated with your DUI. You may also be wondering if this DUI is a sign that your own health and wellness are in jeopardy. Is your DUI a sign that you have an alcohol problem? Should you seek alcohol treatment? What should you do next?
If you were arrested for a DUI, you may misuse or abuse alcohol, but this does not necessarily mean that you have an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse is a defined drinking pattern that can negatively impact your personal life, your health, and your professional life.
Alcohol use disorder, commonly known as alcoholism or addiction, is a chronic disease diagnosed by a physician or addiction specialist marked by a set of diagnostic criteria. Individuals with an alcohol addiction are unable to cut back or stop using alcohol regardless of the harm their actions have caused and the consequences alcohol has had in their lives. For example, an individual with an alcohol use disorder may continue to drink and drive despite having a DUI on their record because they are unable to stop drinking. This can not only cost them their life and the lives of others but can result in serious jail time.
Approximately 30 percent of DUI arrests are people who have had DUIs previously, 50 to 75 percent of DUI arrests are driving on suspended licenses, and nearly 1 in 10 drivers who die in alcohol-related crashes have had multiple DUIs.
These harrowing statistics show that an alcohol disorder can take control of your life. Alcohol abuse is a slippery slope and can lead to alcohol use disorder; it is essential to seek help early on before it becomes worse.
Click here to read more about alcohol addiction.
Should you seek alcohol treatment if you get a DUI?
If this is your first offense, you may consider this DUI arrest a wakeup call or a warning sign that you may have a poor relationship with alcohol or you may have something negative going on in your life that is affecting your decision-making skills and behavior. It may be wise to seek professional help to get to the root of this problem. A therapist can help you work through these problems and develop healthy coping skills and solutions that do not involve alcohol.
Therapy and addiction treatment can also save you from continuing to make poor decisions associated with alcohol.
DUI court and conviction process
Before your court date, you should seek legal counsel (a lawyer) who is well-versed in the state’s DUI laws (every state has different laws). A lawyer can help guide you through the complicated legal process associated with a DUI and may prevent you from going to jail. If you cannot afford your attorney, the court will appoint an attorney to handle your case. It is important to appear in court on time with your lawyer. In terms of the law, it is not up to you to decide whether or not you have a substance abuse problem. Instead, most states will evaluate your history of substance misuse and abuse after your first DUI arrest.
Depending on each state’s law, this can occur before or after your first court appearance. During a court-ordered evaluation, an addiction treatment provider interviews the individual to get a complete picture of whether this was one wrong decision or if there is a history of substance misuse and reviews the DUI arrest report, any criminal history, and driving record. A drug and alcohol urinalysis may be required as well, depending on the situation. If the evaluation determines that the individual has a substance abuse disorder, there will typically be a treatment recommendation that may include the following:
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and/or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings
- Substance abuse education or counseling sessions
- Random drug and alcohol testing
- An outpatient treatment program
- An inpatient treatment program
Sometimes, the evaluation determines that the person doesn’t have a substance abuse disorder and that the circumstance was a result of a single instance of bad judgment. Many states will still require people to complete mandatory alcohol education courses for one year.
Legal consequences of a DUI
The legal penalties associated with your DUI depend on a variety of factors, such as, is this your first DUI? If this is your first offense and nobody was harmed, you will likely be charged with a misdemeanor. This can mean serving up to one year in jail with multiple years of probation or participating in mandatory community service and alcohol abuse courses.
If this is a repeat DUI, you could be charged with a felony, have mandated jail time, and have more severe consequences.
Spending time in jail does not treat substance abuse, and therefore, the criminal justice system offers alternative consequences for jail time to first-time DUI offenders. This is where alcohol classes come into play, as they are often mandated by the court as a replacement for jail times (for first-time offenders and non-violent DUIs). Court-mandated consequences for a DUI include the following:
- Alcohol education program (usually once a week for one year)
- Fines (ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars)
- Community service
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) class (usually a 3-hour long, one-time class)
- Driver’s license suspension
- Ignition interlock device (breathalyzer) on your car if your driver’s license is not revoked but restricted.
When can I get my driver’s license back?
Once you have completed all of the court-mandated programs and community service and paid all the fines, you must show proof of all of these to the DMV, complete an SR22/SR1p form, and pay any licensing restriction or reissuing fees before you can get your driver’s license back. A DUI is a serious event that can change the course of your life. Thankfully, it’s possible to use this event to change your life for the better.
Seeking help for alcohol misuse
A DUI can be a wakeup call that you are struggling with alcohol misuse, and you need professional help. AKUA Mind and Body is an addiction treatment center that provides a broad spectrum of treatment modalities for individuals struggling with alcohol misuse. “Seeking professional treatment for an alcohol use disorder (alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse) is the best way to stop drinking. Many individuals turn to alcohol (and other substances) as a coping strategy to deal with stress, negative feelings, boredom, and past traumas with no intention of becoming a heavy drinker. However, alcohol is very addictive. Over time, the individual will experience physical withdrawals after abstaining from chronic alcohol use.
Akua Mind Body’s Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities initially aim to ease the withdrawal symptoms by close monitoring and prescribing a slow taper of benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines work on the same receptors as alcohol in the brain and can help prevent and worsen the deadly withdrawal effects associated with alcohol. If an individual is experiencing withdrawal symptoms, they will need to be closely monitored in a hospital or residential treatment for approximately 72 hours. Once the acute withdrawal phase is over, our highly trained clinicians aim to identify the underlying triggers resulting in the alcohol use behavior.
The goal of treatment is to replace negative coping skills and patterns with positive cognitive behavioral skills. Alcohol treatment includes both a pharmacological approach and a psychotherapy approach. Medications are used to prevent cravings associated with alcohol, to lessen or prevent withdrawal effects”.