Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is a criminal offense. It happens when someone drives or operates a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol to the extent that makes operating the vehicle unsafe. DUI may attract hefty fines, jail time, and high insurance premiums. It may also cause loss of health or life in case of an accident.
Most states in the US have laws requiring persons with DUI convictions to go through a test to determine the extent of their alcohol use. This evaluation checks the extent the driver’s life is affected by alcohol use, and if their drinking behavior is considered alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse. Meaning, if someone is arrested for DUI, that fact by itself shows that the individual has a drinking problem.
But unfortunately, most people may deny a drinking problem until something serious – like a DUI – happens. Others may acknowledge a drinking problem but do nothing about it. If your loved one falls in any of these categories, you’re likely wondering how you’d confront them after a DUI. In this article, we will discuss the intervention details and typical things charged during the DUI offense to give you an idea of how you should approach the situation.
A DUI can be a life-altering experience for many reasons. None of which are typically good. If a loved one has recently been charged with driving under the influence, it might be a good time to get help.
When your loved one drives under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he or she may risk injury or death to self, pedestrians, and/or other road users. He or she may face severe consequences like jail time, high insurance rates, job loss, and large fees and fines. Their driving privileges may also be revoked. And when they’re found guilty with DUI, the information will reflect on their criminal records, severely limiting future opportunities.
If you think your loved one has an addiction problem, you should confront and nudge them to seek help. This could be anything from joining a support group, to attending rehab and so on. In some cases, getting help may allow your loved to mitigate some of the legal consequences that come with DUI charges.
It is incredibly difficult when you love someone with substance abuse disorder. Individuals who struggle with alcohol and drug addiction tend to be unable to love or appreciate the people around them as they once did. They also do a great job of pushing you on edge or making you feel scared. But as most recovered addicts will tell you, the confrontation from a friend or family often marks the turning point in their addiction story. It is what saves them from a life of self-destruction.
Typically, a DUI charge is a wake-up call to someone who is struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Be someone who can offer help.
In case you’re wondering how to go about the initial confrontation, here are some quick tips to get you started:
This is where you convene a group of people to confront your loved one. These people work to persuade the person to change their behavior. More specifically, they motivate them to seek help from a treatment program or a professional to deal with their alcohol addiction. The intervention team often includes family and friends of the alcohol-dependent person.
Fear paralyzes people from taking action. It is fear that makes families and friends ignore the problem or convince themselves that the addiction problem will fix itself. But this conversation needs to happen. Your loved one has a DUI charge. If you don’t do anything, it is likely there will be a next time.
Staging an intervention with an alcoholic is an important step on the road to recovery from addiction. Be supportive and caring throughout the whole process. Addiction takes time to heal.
It’s essential to prepare and decide what happens in an addiction intervention before you involve the person. People struggling with alcohol addiction are in a fragile state, mentally and emotionally. So, you have to intervene in a way that doesn’t make them feel attacked or alienated. Everyone should be friendly, composed, and open-minded. Here are some good points to keep in mind:
The person may likely want to walk out of the room. However, the team should ask him/her to sit and listen to what everyone has to say. Modern approaches to confrontational interventions rarely involve accusation, humiliation, and pointing out the subject’s flaws.
Each person in the team can share thoughts or read their letter expressing their concerns. In this case, these grievances should consist of how the subject’s behavior has affected the person speaking. For example, the DUI has caused property damage or emotional torture, and so on. The focus should be to encourage the subject toward treatment.
Your intention shouldn’t be to accuse the subject or force them to take treatment. But you should lay out specific outcomes should the person fail to get treatment for their alcohol addiction.
Once each member expresses their love and concern, the group should offer the person with a list of possible treatment options to consider. And when it’s all said and done, the subject decides whether or not to seek treatment.
The best way to learn how to face the person with an addiction problem is to stage an intervention with the help of a professional interventionist. This allows families and friends to come together and plan how to confront the subject.
You may want to confront the person immediately after the DUI. But that’s never the best idea. You want to wait until they are sober – preferably in the morning. At this time, they will be rational and less likely to lose control of their emotions. Besides, waiting will give you more time to stage an intervention rather than doing it all by yourself.
Intervening in a loved one's self-destructive lifestyle can help that person turn their life around.
Chances are your loved one doesn’t want to talk about the DUI and their addiction problems. When you insist on having a conversation, they’ll likely be resistant and angry. You should know that he or she isn’t resisting you, but the conversation and its possible outcomes. Speak with compassion and care, not with judgment. When you accuse or speak with a negative tone, you’ll only stir resentment and anger.
Your role in getting help for the individual you are confronting is critical. Even though your words support, or actions may not go through immediately, they will bring the patient a step close to accepting they have a problem, enrolling in an addiction treatment center, and regaining control of their life.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NDSUH), 18.2 million people aged 12 and older did not receive specialty treatment despite needing one. The 2017 survey revealed that 1.0 million people perceived they needed substance use treatment, but did not get treatment at a specialty facility. Of this number, about 2 in 5 were not ready to stop using, and 1 in 3 had no medical cover and could not afford the cost. Others did not seek treatment because they did not know where to go for help or had no means to travel to the specialty facility.
Specialty facilities include rehab centers providing outpatient and inpatient services as well as inpatient services at hospitals. But they exclude treatment received in a support group, emergency room, or private doctor’s office. Although specialty facilities can be effective in addressing drug addiction and related problems, their locations and associated costs may be a hurdle for certain individuals who need substance abuse treatment.
Being able to afford quality addiction treatment doesn't have to be a gamble. Options are available for all people across the United States.
Financial limitation is a big barrier to getting effective treatment. Many drug-dependent individuals lack insurance, which covers a large percentage of treatment costs. Without insurance, the out-of-pocket costs can make care unaffordable for many people – even low-cost options like individual or outpatient therapy.
Here are some common reasons why many people remain uninsured:
In 2018, 27.9 million individuals, 65 years or younger, were uninsured in the United States. This number is higher (by 500,000) than what was recorded in 2017. About 5% of the uninsured were Native Hawaiian/Asian, 15% black, 33% Hispanic, and 44% white.
People without insurance coverage have far less access to care than those who are insured. Several studies show that uninsured individuals are less likely to get treatment for drug use and related conditions than the insured counterparts. Most of them would rather avoid seeking treatment because of the amount they would need to pay-out-of-pocket.
The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) of 9,000 participants asked why individuals with dual diagnosis (substance abuse and mental disorders) did not seek professional care. Almost 15% of participants quoted financial limitations such as concerns about cost or lack of insurance. About 17% said they had to stop treatment because of the cost and their insurance not financing further treatment.
Many people cite financial limitations as a primary reason they don't get treatment for their addiction.
The actual price that an individual pays for substance use rehabilitation depends on a range of factors, including:
Rehab facilities costs vary based on the aspects mentioned above. But on average, people bay about $1,500 to 2,500 per month.
Every policy or plan is different, but employer-subsidized insurance, private insurance, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cover abuse and mental health treatments. The ACA doesn’t consider substance abuse as a pre-existing condition. So it doesn’t deny treatments. Those who are covered under Medicare or Medicaid can also get funding and treatment options for substance use.
While there are many options to pay for drug rehab, the cost is ultimately worth it. You cannot put a price tag on your health and safety.
Insurance is a great way to fund addiction treatment. But as we’ve discussed earlier, people might not have it for several reasons. The good news is that there are free drug rehabilitation programs that patients can join. Most states offer to fund rehab services that can be accessed by those with little to no income or insurance. These treatment centers often require that the patients meet certain requirements to qualify. For example, one will have to demonstrate a lack of income, addiction status, and need for help. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) maintains a Single State Agencies (SSA) for Substance Abuse Services directory that helps individuals determine who to contact for free rehabilitation programs.
The Salvation Army is yet another widely recognized and available addiction resource providing free drug rehabilitation services. It maintains a database of no-fee rehab programs, and those with low or no income or insurance cover can access treatment facilities. Salvation Army has been offering emotional, social, and faith-based help for people struggling with alcohol or drug addiction problems for more than 100 years. Their no-cost programs provide food, housing, community, counseling, and employment as they work to treat symptoms and eventually, the root causes of prolonged substance use.
Some programs offer financing options. Financing is a better option as free rehabs often have waiting lists and limited funding. Some individuals may be somewhat skeptical about taking on a debt, but it’s essential to look at addiction treatment as an investment. In the end, it pays off. When someone attains sobriety, they can go back to their healthy, productive lives. Their loved ones, too, can have peace of mind to focus on other essential aspects of life.
Those that choose to pay for care out of pocket can avoid different hassles and challenges. They have the freedom to pick the rehab facility of choice without third-party influence, and not have to worry about uncovered or unusual expenses as well as hidden fees. Besides, paying cash allows one to negotiate the cost of care, and sometimes, get great deals along the way. LA Times analysis revealed that a majority of treatment facilities offer deep discounts to individuals who pay for care out of pocket. The report pointed out that those who paid in cash could pay $250, while those who used private insurance paid $2,400.
With so many lacking insurance coverage in the United States, it is no wonder the addiction epidemic has skyrocketed out of control. Help is always available. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to make your own luck.
A study published on CNBC indicates that 62% of Americans do not have enough money to pay for emergencies. These families are living paycheck to paycheck, and lack savings to pay for rehabilitation costs. Insurance plans that offer coverage for substance abuse come in handy because they cover about 60-80% of the overall cost. But again, not everyone has insurance coverage. That said, the pricing (or cost) shouldn’t hold patients back. As mentioned earlier, there are free rehab programs, low- and no-cost addiction rehabs, financing among other options to explore.
Addiction is a scary thing – no doubt. Parents fret over it, schools try to prevent it, politicians politicize it (that’s another discussion), but everyone is afraid of it. Let’s face it - addiction comes with a label and that label is hard to get out from under. Some would say almost as hard to beat as the disease itself. The label of addiction immediately comes with a sense of hopelessness.
“Your life is over!”
“You’ll never amount to anything!”
“You’ve ruined everything!”
But people have come back from the disease of addiction. Not only have they returned from the abyss, but they have flourished. You must believe that addiction is completely treatable using effective and consistent care.
The following are examples of individuals, both entrepreneurs, and celebrities, who have succeeded after their addiction.
There is something about recovery that begins to unlock the creative within an individual and reignites their desire to thrive. Many individuals have even started businesses while in rehab.
Akshay Nanavati battled with heroin and alcohol. At one point it was so bad Akshay considered taking his own life. Yet this Marine Corp veteran beat his demons and is now sober. His company, existing2living, is thriving and often featured in top news portals like Forbes, USA Today, and CNN.
Julio Briones addiction to alcohol landed him in prison for a 10-year sentence. During his two-year stay at a rehab facility, he was able to get clean and focus on his family and what is important to him. Julio now owns AnswerMan Specialty Services, which consults for prisons and provides personal crisis management solutions.
Blake Denman believes that starting his business was the second toughest thing he has ever done besides getting sober, but he used what he learned in recovery to find success with his company, Ricketyroo, a digital marketing company who’s entire team is in addiction recovery. Blake believes, “There's no doubt that if recovery wasn't my foundation then my business would not be where it is today.”
Many young entrepreneurs have used drug rehabilitation as a spring board to their ultimate financial success.
Jessica Mehta experienced success after winning not one, but two national bronze awards for Startup of the Year in 2015. Her SEO writing services company, MehtaFor is a small but thriving company and she believes that the same attributes that fed her eating disorder also helped fuel her ambition.
Per Wickstrom is the president and founder of Best Drug Rehabilitation. His rehabilitation center focuses on helping people beat their addiction using holistic and natural methods. Wickstrom says he turned to alcohol at a young age, instead of facing his problems head-on. Alcohol led to drugs and they became his solution to escape life’s problems, a path so many follow on their way to addiction. After rehab saved his life, he turned to a higher calling and opened his own treatment facility which has saved more than 6,000 people to date.
It seems that celebrities and addiction often go hand-in-hand, or at least the media makes it seem that way. The brutal pressure to be perfect, to succeed, to battle criticism, is often too much for some, and alcohol or drugs are an easy method to silence the voices that rage all around them. Although we have read many stories of talented celebrities who took their addiction to its fatal end, many have beat their drug of choice and have soared to new heights within their career.
The country music superstar who is married to movie legend Nicole Kidman, now has 18 #1 hits and 3 Grammys, but in 1998 he first checked himself into a Nashville drug treatment program. His struggle to make a name for himself after winning Star Maker in 1990 took a toll on his psyche. Urban drowned out the voices by using cocaine and alcohol.
“The whole back end of the 90’s were just awful,” Urban admits.
Photo by: J-smith.17 at English Wikipedia. Under CC License
After getting clean, his career began to gain steam, capping it with a #1 hit, Be Here, in 2004. Keith met Kidman a year later. But Urban admits, he let his guard down and ultimately checked into a rehab facility again in 2006. This was only a few months after his marriage to Kidman. Once he was clean again, he got back to work a released a rash of hits, winning Entertainer of the Year in 2011 from the Academy of Country Music. He is now 14 years sober and credits his wife, Nicole who staged an intervention to get him sober.
Now 33, this handsome actor has been in front of the spotlight most of his life. His big break came in 2006 with the monster hit, High School Musical, and as he was presented with more adult roles, so was he presented with the temptations that lure so many in Hollywood. Many doors get opened when you are young and beautiful in Tinsletown and recreational partying can soon turn into a problem, as it did for the young actor.
“I mean, you’re in your 20s, single, going through life in Hollywood, you know? Everything is thrown at you.” Efron recalls.
Eventually, it was reported that alcohol and cocaine abuse started to eclipse his talent and in 2013, Efron checked into a treatment center. This was the turning point for the actor and the impetus to change his life. He ditched his partying-ways and moved in with his brother. The dedication to his sobriety was the pathway to his best roles yet appearing in Neighbors, Dirty Grandpa, and the Ted Bundy biopic.
Efron takes his sobriety one day at a time and still attends AA meetings.
What can be said about Anthony Hopkins that hasn’t already said? A brilliant actor who has two Emmy’s, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar all of which were awarded to Hopkins after he stopped drinking. Even his knighthood (remember he is now Sir Anthony Hopkins) came after he beat his demons.
It’s said that Hopkins’ father was an alcoholic as well. Studies have shown that addiction is often passed down in families and Hopkins was no exception. Drinking at the pub night after night, often with other hard-drinking British actors like Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton, Hopkins admits that he’s made films he doesn’t even remember because he was so drunk.
Eventually, his wife left him and Hopkins, now deep into his own emotional abuse which he was trying to drink away, drove away from a party so drunk he blacked out while driving. Knowing he could have killed someone; Hopkins attended his first AA meeting 2 days later.
Hopkins later said, “I was hellbent on destruction. And I just asked for a little bit of help, and suddenly, pow. It was just like bingo.” He credits AA for saving his life.
This United States Congress image is in the public domain.
Bradley Cooper is arguably one of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now. He was named the Sexist Man Alive by People magazine and Time labeled him as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”
But it wasn’t always this way.
His own self-doubt and insecurities led him to thoughts of ending his own life early in his career. Alcohol and drugs became his solution, but like most, this led to devastating consequences. At one low point, Cooper intentionally smashed his head on a concrete floor while at a party and needed to be rushed to the hospital.
Once he was clean though, things began to change with a breakthrough role in The Hangover which eventually led to blockbuster movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and four years of Oscar nominations.
Bradley admits, “I would never be sitting here with you, no way, no chance, (if I hadn’t gotten sober).”
Nothing great is ever given to you in life. It must be earned. No treatment center in the world will get you sober if you don’t make a personal commitment to do it for yourself. Once you make that decision, you will be amazed at how much motivation you can find within yourself.
No matter what happens to you in your life, you always have the strength to overcome it.
As you reach for success, play to your strengths and your experiences. No matter what happens in your life, believe that you have the power to overcome it. Use these stories of success to light your own passion to recover, then let it rage inside you. Use these stories to set yourself on your path to success and stick with it. Believe that no matter what, you have the power within yourself to get clean.
