If you can’t live without alcohol or drugs, it’s time to recognize you have a problem and address it. Here in Denver, I help many people who are in legal trouble when their addiction impairs their judgment and they wind up with a DUI. It is important for you to get professional help so you can start a new chapter in your life. Leave the darkness you’re in and start fresh. It’s time to put yourself in control, not your drug of choice.
If you abuse substances and drive, you risk injuring or killing yourself or others and getting arrested and convicted of DUI. The potential penalties may be much steeper if you already have a DUI conviction and you have another,
If you can’t control your substance use, being arrested and charged with DUI may be the wake-up call you need. Substance addicts often need to “hit bottom” before they address the problems ruining their lives. That bottom may be in a holding cell at your local police department headquarters.
Whether it’s your day, career, sobriety, or finances, your goals are easier to reach if you plan. If you think you can “wing it” and become and stay sober, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
What is a Sobriety Plan?
A sobriety plan is a personalized and structured strategy that individuals develop to support their efforts to become and stay sober. It’s often created with a healthcare professional, counselor, or support group. It’s tailored to your needs and circumstances.
Essential parts may include:
- Identify Triggers: You need to recognize situations, emotions, or environments that may lead to your substance abuse and develop strategies to cope with or avoid them.
- Set Goals: Establish short- and long-term goals related to sobriety, health, relationships, and personal development.
- Build a Support System: Create a network of supportive individuals who can encourage and assist you during challenging times.
- Engage in Therapy or Counseling: Participate in individual or group therapy to address underlying issues, learn coping skills, and gain insight into the reasons for your substance abuse.
- Develop Healthy Habits: Establish positive lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep, to contribute to your overall well-being.
- Monitor Your Progress: Regularly evaluate and adjust your plan to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
- Learn Relapse Prevention Strategies: Acquire skills to recognize and manage cravings, as well as strategies to prevent relapse.
- Participate in Aftercare Programs: Engage in ongoing support programs, such as 12-step meetings or other recovery groups, to maintain your sobriety.
Working with professionals and drawing on various resources can increase the chances of long-term recovery.
How Will a Sobriety Plan Help Me?
There are several reasons why a sobriety plan, if it’s followed, can be beneficial:
- Self-Awareness: Developing your sobriety plan involves reflecting on your patterns of substance use, identifying triggers, and gaining insight into what’s contributing to your addiction. This self-awareness is a critical step in the recovery process.
- Goal Setting: Creating clear and achievable short- and long-term goals helps you focus on sobriety. Goals can be related to personal growth, relationships, employment, and overall well-being.
- Support System: You’re going to have bad days, and your desire to get sober may weaken over time or due to a bad experience. Having friends, family, or support group members who understand your journey and can provide encouragement during difficult times can be immensely helpful.
- Expert Advice and Support: Working with healthcare professionals, therapists, or counselors allows you to receive the tailored help you need. They can help you address the underlying causes of your addiction and guide you in developing effective coping strategies.
- Accountability: Substance abusers usually live in denial. They deny they have a problem, but you can’t change without being accountable for your actions. This could involve regular check-ins with a counselor, attendance at support group meetings, or other methods to help you stay on track and measure your progress.
- Relapse Prevention: Learning about triggers and developing strategies to prevent relapse is an essential aspect of becoming and staying sober. Understanding the signs of relapse and having a plan to address them can significantly improve your chances of sustained recovery.
- Continuous Evaluation and Adjustment: Before a fight, former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” What will you do if you get an emotional or stress-related punch to the mouth? A good sobriety plan is dynamic and adaptable. Regularly assess your progress and make adjustments to your plan to ensure its effectiveness
Actively engaging in a treatment program, including developing and following a sobriety plan, may help soften the consequences of DUI charges. It shows you’re taking responsibility for what happened and are actively working to prevent it from happening again. This may help you get into a diversion program or obtain a favorable plea bargain agreement that allows you to put DUI charges behind you.
Get Help with Your DUI Charges
Attorney Kevin Churchill has helped clients facing substance abuse disorders and DUI charges for more than 24 years. If you’re in this situation, contact Churchill Criminal Defense. Schedule a free consultation by contacting us at (303) 832-9000 or fill out our online contact form today. We are always here to help.
