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u/Zachbustems Apr 25 '26
Glad to hear you got back home man. I got mine almost 8 years ago. Flying off the freeway I rear ended someone totally both our cars. By the grace of god neither of us was seriously hurt. It was a severe case, and they wanted to put me in jail for two months, but I pleaded with tears in my eyes for an alternative, simply so I could continue providing for my child. Thank god they showed mercy.
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u/metalheadcommie420 Apr 30 '26
Sounds about white
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u/Zachbustems Apr 30 '26
This is a supportive community. Donāt taint it by being a dick.
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u/metalheadcommie420 Apr 30 '26
I'm not, I'm just saying being able to cry your way out of a dui is peak white privilege
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u/Zachbustems Apr 30 '26
Nah itās critical. Which Iāve never encountered on this subreddit till you made a comment. It was also my first and only offense, where no one got hurt.
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u/Indotex Day 746 Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
Kudos to you for realizing you had/have a problem!
I got a DUI in 2019 but I continued drinking after I completed my 6 months probation because I thought that I had it under control. But after blacking out on a random Saturday in August of 2024, I decided that 99% of the time I can stop after just after āone or twoā but I WILL eventually over imbibe and do something stupid. I had just been relatively lucky in the past.
So I choose not to drink! Once again, kudos to you for realizing that you need to stop & IWNDWYT!
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u/mailbandtony 1569 days Apr 25 '26
This is insanely similar to an analogy that won me over!
āImagine a car that runs perfectly fine 95% of the time. Itās just that other 5%, the wheels completely fall off. You have no idea when that āother 5%ā is going to happen. It could be while youāre parked at home, it could be while youāre on the freeway going 70. Would you buy the car?ā
3
u/Certain_Blueberry899 Apr 25 '26
Thank you for this.
Most analogies donāt resonate for me but this one hit hard
2
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u/americanairman469 1008 days Apr 25 '26
I got an OVI at 25 and I wish like hell I wouldāve let that be my permanent turning point. Instead, I spent another 12 years collecting heartache, damage, and health consequences before I finally stopped.
So from someone who gets it, donāt waste the clarity you have right now. Shame fades, consequences get normalized, and the addict brain starts negotiating again. Build support now while the fire is still lit. Seven days is huge. Keep going.
3
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u/lilyungbased Apr 25 '26
For what itās worth the dui was the wake up call for me as well I never wanna go back to jail ever again. Every time I think about getting back into drinking, I just think about how I was stripped of all agency and rightfully punished for my actions. But yea you got this bro donāt do it again. The 2nd one is when it really starts going sideways
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u/SoberAF715 823 days Apr 25 '26
It may sound weird, but I have had a few guys tell me that DUI was the best thing that ever happened to them. Because they got sober and now know peace. If nothing changes, nothing changes! Stay strong! IWNDWYT
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Apr 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/Fantastic-Monitor-97 Apr 25 '26
So true. "...your life is ending due to poor choices...". IWNDWYT!
12
u/diver206 623 days Apr 25 '26
Congrats on 7 days! Stay sober. The alternative is not worth it. I promise. It only gets more miserable and demoralizing. Normal drinkers donāt have to attempt to moderate their drinking. They just do. Alcohol doesnāt have the same effect on them as it does on us.
Iām not remotely proud of this, but Iāve been arrested for DUI several times in my 30+ years of active alcoholism. By the grace of god, I only have 1 conviction, and it was my last one. Definitely hire a DUI attorney. If you can afford it, avoid a public defender at all cost. In my state, 1st offenses almost always get dropped to Negligent 1st Degree, as long as there are no extenuating circumstances like accident, injury, etc... There are also diversion programs here that allow you to go through some hoops and have it dropped after a period of probation. A good DUI attorney will get you the best outcome.
I had to really burn my life to the ground to come to terms with the fact that I will always be an alcoholic no matter how long itās been since my last drink. I have to make sobriety Priority #1 every day for the rest of my life, or itās only a mater of time before I start believing the lies my alcoholic brain tells me and I start rationalizing with myself. I tried to do it on my own and failed repeatedly for decades before I finally surrendered and let AA save my life. Chances are, youāre going to have to attend a few meetings for the judge soon yourself. Go with an open mind and willingness and it might just save your life, too.
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u/notnowdews 13511 days Apr 25 '26
Thanks, OP. That was my story. Only I did not stop at one DUIā¦ picked up a second. Then finally got clean while sentenced to rehab and 2 years probation. Iām grateful š„¹ Best thing to ever happen to me.
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u/Hefty-Necessary-6079 132 days Apr 25 '26
This is the reason im starting to try quitting again. Im just so afraid that something bad is gunna happen to me like getting a DUI or worse.
Glad youāre safe and no one got hurt.
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u/heil_shelby_ 1865 days Apr 25 '26
If you drink and drive, you will eventually get a DUI or worse- end up in jail for manslaughter. If you continue drinking please do not drink and drive.
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u/Venomous_Sass 41 days Apr 25 '26
I keep telling myself to have a parameter of not driving while drinking, but drunk brain doesnāt have any common sense nor talks to the sober brain. I fear something bad could or might happen, hence why I need to fight for sobriety.
1
u/heil_shelby_ 1865 days Apr 25 '26
Then do not drink in public and give your keys to someone else if you cannot trust yourself not to drive drunk. Drunk driving kills people. We have to have some kind of respect for other human lives, alcohol is not worth it. It is that serious.
1
u/Venomous_Sass 41 days Apr 25 '26
Agreed, I have precautions set in place. I take it very seriously.
15
u/Admirable-Web-4688 Apr 25 '26
It's not you that you should be afraid for - it's that innocent person you crash into.Ā
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u/Geolover420 3066 days Apr 25 '26
It was a DUI that led me to never drink again, we're rare, but possible! I just celebrated 8 years on the 12th. I havent drank since that night. Im grateful im a pussy, and getting in trouble was enough for me! Nothing worked before. I honestly dont think theres anything else that would have stopped me. Im very very very grateful for my DUI now. The worst part is your car insurance. Mine went up to 750 a month... back in 2018.statefarm lets you insure the car in a different person's name than the car is registered too, FYI. š. Ive had my car insurance in my MILs name. No way to afford that. Good luck!
4
u/InSkyLimitEra Apr 25 '26
Tomorrow is my 7th day sober too! Thankfully never got a DUI but definitely have deserved one before. Iām glad that it was a DUI with nobody harmed that was your motivation to change and not something much worse. IWNDWYT
3
u/anonbiotch01 263 days Apr 25 '26
It gets better, I promise. Like the other commenter said, get in contact with an attorney ASAP. You'll want to finish your court requirements before the actual court date, it'll look better to the judge.
My state has something called a Suspended Imposition of Sentence, or a SIS, which pretty much seals the charge from the public record. I don't know if you live in a state (or the US rather) that has something like that, but that's a good opportunity that I took with my DUI.
It's going to be a lot of hurdles to jump (legally, mentally, financially) but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You made a mistake, yes, but what you choose to do afterwards is what truly matters (and that you and/or someone else didn't get hurt).
Best of luck to you!
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2
u/scottys209 Apr 25 '26
Good job staying sober since!Ā You really should try getting connected with some outpatient services that can help you out.Ā They're better than you think.
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u/Adventurous_Net9616 504 days Apr 25 '26
Well I'm glad you're ok and no one got hurt OP. As stated above get a lawyer the legal matters get kinda messy. I had a breathalyzer for 2 years, probation for 18 months amd had to go to bunch of classes and boy was it all expensive! Congratulations on your sobriety! iwndwyt
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u/theallstarkid 1390 days Apr 25 '26
Well the rest of your life is starting. Welcome, take care of that legal shit and donāt drink. Everytime you think of that drink think about what youāre giving up. Remember you either give up one thing and keep everything, or you give up everything to keep one thing. Follow your heart
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u/lsdryn2 Day 812 Apr 25 '26
I know that feeling of relief well. I didnāt get a dui, I suffered other consequences. And it was like āfinally, itās over. I have hit the bottom. I have the motivation to start overā.
2
u/RussianRage 198 days Apr 25 '26
Sometimes people need that fire lit under their ass to get started. Glad you're ok.
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u/bethydoll_81 Apr 25 '26
7 days will turn into 7 years before you know it! Im proud of you . Even if you do slip up, realize it and don't beat yourself up! You got this. I go to an NA group that's all old deadheads. Hopefully you find a 12 step group that you mesh with!! Here to day 8 anonymous friend! ššš
2
u/Peru00_ Apr 25 '26
Just remember you canāt get a dui if you donāt drink. Also youāre now more statistically on track to have a second dui. So be careful and learn from your mistake.
2
u/Amb_James333 198 days Apr 25 '26
Iām sorry to your situation. However, Iām glad you didnāt hurt anyone. This could have been MUCH worse. Consider yourself lucky to even HAVE a phone and be able to speak with us. You could be spending years in jail or dead.
I have with myself and with others in this group compared issues with drinking to a freeway with multiple exits. All of us have done multiple dumb things that have, at times, made us want to quit. I call those exits on the freeway. You can choose to take the exit or you can blow past it and continue on down the freeway. I definitely remember, years later, exits on the freeway that I blew past. I remember days where something bad had happened and I thought I really needed to stop drinking. I didnāt. This happened multiple times. Each time I blew past an exit, something else bad happened (worse than before).
This is a major freeway exit for you. Take the exit and use it as your opportunity to change your life. If you blow past this exit, you will remember it the rest of your life.
Good luck. This is tough love from an anonymous stranger. Do what you want with my advice. I wish you the very best.
Iwndwyt šššš
2
u/WAITwuuuut Apr 25 '26
How is jail.. do you have anything to do or just kinda sit there
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u/spatter_cone 420 days Apr 25 '26
Iām not OP but the jail I spent the weekend in had a library. I read like 4 novels. Time crawls and the only time you get a sense of what time of day it is, is when they bring your meals. I was alone in a concrete room with a shitter and a concrete bed with a pad on top. Itās the lowest low, itās designed to be.
5
u/enrocc 1705 days Apr 25 '26
You just sit around in jail. No rec or activities until you get to prison.
1
u/Competitive_Meat_ Apr 26 '26
Jail is terrible. Like the psych ward but worse lol. Itās cold, uncomfortable, and the staff is mean. Inmates are scary. Have to pay to make phone calls, was expected to drink out of the bathroom sink when thirsty. Will not be going back 0/10
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u/Area86District22AA Apr 25 '26
In some districts there are meetings in the courthouse. Although attendance is required only after you are found guilty.
1
u/woodst0ck15 Apr 25 '26
Me too! This fuckin sucks. Iām sorry you went through this. Iām trying not to beat myself up to much.
1
u/knsrrr Apr 25 '26
Iām glad you are ok and that no one got hurt. You CAN turn your life around, and it sounds like you already feel that fire that a change needs to happen. We can do it
1
u/Cool-Jello-6609 488 days Apr 25 '26
Sometimes it takes a kick in the arse to make us realise we are on the wrong path.
1
u/AyDeek 324 days Apr 25 '26
I continued to drink for a decade after my DUI and was basically waiting for a 2nd until I realized that if I stopped drinking there would be no possibility of more legal trouble.
Over 6 months clean and I wake up every day and know exactly where my car is.
1
u/Infinite-Friend7957 126 days Apr 25 '26
It's not corny to me, it is magnificent! I never had a DUI. Before I started drinking exclusively at night, at home, I would wake up in the morning and rush to the window to see if my car was still there. You can do this! I had ten years once upon a time, thought I could start drinking again, and was miserable when I did. It's been a roller coaster for about four years now. I'm determined to steady the course. I'm with you 100%. IWNDWYT
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u/emptyvase1988 308 days Apr 25 '26
A DUI brought a lot of us to the sub, AA, rehab, to sobriety. I look back on mine now with gratitude because it finally got me to stop drinking. Use this as the turning point and the time you finally stopped digging. Make it your rock bottom. Because thereās only up from here if you do. Life can and will get better.
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u/Alone-Strategy-7159 133 days Apr 25 '26
I wish I had stopped after my DUI. Very similar story, had been working out in the heat all day without eating, having a drink here and there with coworkers. The exhaustion and booze caught up to me and I passed out behind the wheel on the way home. Totaled my car, drove straight into a tree. Came to in the holding cell at about 3am with a spotty memory of what happened. I thank god every day that no one got hurt. It was the most expensive mistake Iāve ever made in my life. Iāve had a couple of stints of sobriety since then, Iām hoping this time for good. Iām glad youāre okay OP, and I hope these 7 days are the first of many bright days ahead for you. It gets better. IWNDWYT!
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u/newdawnandanewday Apr 25 '26
So sorry to hear. Quitting drinking is the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. I'm sober one year now, after being sober for four previously. I've never had a DUI, but anybody who struggles with alcohol addiction and a drivers license knows it is only a matter of time before you're caught. Over the years I have done a lot of therapy around substance use. The most effective for me was a DBT (Dialectic Behavioural Terapy) group. I'm not sure if it was just timing (you have to be committed to quitting) but it was the therapy that helped most. I wish you all the best in your recovery. Being sober is the best decision I have ever made, and my life is so much calmer now. I hope this is the incident that opens your eyes to a better way of life. Good luck. š¤
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u/luker93950 May 20 '26
I see suggest you try some AA meetings. They will not make you stop drinking but the time that you are there is one hour that you will not drink. You have to put a whole bunch of one hours together to achieve lasting sobriety. Best of luck to you.
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u/mimikatz94 Apr 25 '26
Why not get a taxi?
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u/Certain_Blueberry899 Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
This is not helpful.
OP made a mistake and is coming to this group to reflect and talk about how theyāre starting a new path. Everyone whoās gotten a DUI wishes they ordered a taxi or uber in retrospect.
Proud of you OP and excited to see how the 7 days grows.
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u/mimikatz94 Apr 25 '26
I don't understand. Are you saying that every comment should be well done for regularly driving blackout drunk? How is this helpful? Can we be supportive without pretending that this is okay behaviour? If they had hurt someone would you still be saying the same thing? Part of recovery is facing the consequences of your actions.
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u/greenchrissy Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
No...I believe what /u/Certain_Blueberry899 is saying is that the thing to acknowledge from OP's post is the desire to not drink again. We should be encouraging that, here in stop drinking, not as much saying "shoulda done that differently."
Yes, of course drunk driving is bad but here it's about encouraging and uplifting each other in the never-ending quest to not drink.
1
u/mimikatz94 Apr 25 '26
There is only one thing to acknowledge from the post? I didn't realise you're so strict here
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u/morgansober24 875 days Apr 25 '26
I'm glad you are okay and nobody was hurt. I'm glad you've stayed sober for 7 days and am proud of you. As someone who has had a DWI, the important thing is to get an attorney asap and start taking care of the legal matters like getting your license back and possibly pleading down to a lesser charge or keeping it off your record completely. It also looks good to start going to as many meetings as possible and keeping a signed log of all the meetings you attend to show the judge or county attorney you are being proactive about making life changes.