Getting a DUI is high on the list of traumatic life experiences. Not only is there stress from the legal and financial ramifications of your actions, it’s common to experience guilt and anxiety too. If you’ve been arrested for DUI, there are many things that hold equal importance to sorting out the charges with a DUI attorney. Self-care should be at the top of your list.
Here are five ways to move on with your life after a DUI:
- Give forgiveness a chance
- Lean on family and friends
- Seek professional help
- Get outside and socialize
- Remind yourself it’s going to be OK
Give forgiveness a chance
Chances are, a DUI will weigh on you whether you anticipate the guilt. Don’t let the ‘what-ifs’ eat away at you. Instead, decide to actively work toward self-forgiveness. It could take the form of meditation or journaling. You may choose to channel your emotions into a form of physical fitness. The important thing is to take ownership of your thoughts and feelings and allow yourself to work through them with grace. If you need to repeat a mantra until you believe it, you might try looking yourself in the eye and saying, ‘I am human. I made a mistake. I forgive myself.’
Lean on family and friends
You know that friend you can rely on for anything? Let them help you in this time of need. If you need to cry or vent about the stress you’re under, chances are they’ll be more than willing to show up for you. In most cases, we tend to judge ourselves far more harshly than our friends or family members would. If anything, a friend can be the voice of reason and ensure you’re taking things one step at a time—from getting you out the door to your court appearance to putting checks in the mail.
Seek professional help
There’s a fine line between occasional drug or alcohol abuse and addiction; however, if you have to ask yourself if you need help, you probably do. Unless your DUI resulted from a one-off situation (for example, if you rarely drink and just happened to get pulled over on the night of a special occasion), it’s likely you could benefit from treatment. Every situation is unique and only you will know if you need help from a professional. Alcoholics Anonymous is an effective program that also happens to be free with local chapters across the country. With no obligation to continue, you can always drop in on a meeting and gain strength simply by surrounding yourself with people who truly understand.
Get outside and socialize
Many DUI offenders choose to abstain from alcohol entirely to gain a new outlook on life. If you choose to go this route, make it a point to surround yourself with other sober friends and family members. It may mean that you refrain from socializing with certain people, but it doesn’t mean that you must stop socializing altogether. There are plenty of ways to have fun without alcohol from joining a community sports league to hosting a movie night at home with potluck-style hors d’oeuvres and mocktails.
Remind yourself it’s going to be OK
The thing about cliché motivational quotes is that they tend to be true. The skies will clear and you’ll live to see another day. In addition to the aforementioned suggestions, you may choose to visualize life after your DUI by marking important milestones on a calendar. If you’re the creative type, you might create a positivity vision board. If you’re analytical, try tracking your court fees in a spreadsheet like you would a list of bills. If you can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, you will have become a stronger person when all is said and done.
Honoring, rather than suppressing, your emotions is one of the best ways to move on with your life after being arrested for DUI. Only through living in the present and forgiving yourself for your past mistakes can you truly make peace with what happened. Take care of your legal obligations of course, but remember to take time for yourself too.
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