A Young Man’s Careless Drinking Results in a DUI, Jail Time, and Depression
Pete had an unusually hard time keeping a job. In fact, because of his lassitude, lack of motivation, and poor work attitude, he was out of a job far more often than he was in a job situation. Not only this, but when he did land a job, he frequently got less than optimal performance assessments, he had an exceedingly difficult time getting to work when his shift began, and he called off sick so frequently that he regularly got fired a month or two after he began working. It therefore should not come as a big shock realize that one of the effects of Pete’s terrible employment history was the fact that he was virtually broke on a day-to-day basis.
In spite of Pete’s financial misbehavior and awful work record, then again, he excelled at engaging in abusive drinking during the week and especially on the weekends.
So it really was no great surprise to his friends, co-workers, and family when Pete received his fourth DUI in the past ten months. When he went to court, the judge told Pete that his alcohol-related conduct was appalling and, consequently, he was going to fine him $7,500 and sentence him to two years in the local municipal jail.
While he was in the municipal jail, Pete was expected to learn about the harmful and devastating effects of hazardous and immature drinking, about alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction statistics and facts, and he was mandated to get professional alcohol treatment. The magistrate clearly fact that unless Pete gets professional alcohol therapy and discovers how to live a life of sobriety, he would without a doubt be spending many months locked up behind bars.
Pete claimed that he understood the magistrates message but he still believed that serving time in the local jail was not the right form of punishment. The magistrate, however, perceived things from a radically different perspective and told Pete that it was his duty to keep people off the highway who drink and drive and who get arrested for one or more DWIs. To back up his position, the magistrate listed some thoroughly researched, venerable alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency facts and statistics that clearly demonstrated some of the horror stores that are linked with driving and drinking.
When Pete thought about his drinking situation in an honest manner, he admitted that he drank excessively on a regular basis. He never believed, however, that he was an alcoholic. So it was a jolt to his ego when Pete began having alcohol withdrawal symptoms two or three hours after he was taken to the municipal jail.
According to the standard operating procedures, when a prisoner goes through alcohol withdrawal symptoms he or she is transferred to an alcohol abuse and alcohol treatment center and then brought back to the municipal jail. This is done so that the drinkers alcohol withdrawals are addressed in a safe and protected manner. While behind bars in the municipal jail, Pete went to alcohol counseling four days every week. Since his rehabilitation was mandated by the judge, however, Pete was reluctant to take ownership of his habitual drinking.
After serving his time behind bars, the judge in no uncertain terms stressed to Pete that he would be placed on probation for a year, he would be placed under close observation, and he would have to go through urine alcohol tests at court-assigned times.
After discovering how Pete failed to take accountability for his drinking behavior and how reluctant he was in maintaining the rehab and treatment modus operandi while he was behind bars in the municipal jail, the magistrate knew that it was principally a matter of time before Pete would once again appear in court for his abusive and chronic drinking behavior. As the magistrate thought about Pete and his particular situation, he fairly easily arrived at the conclusion that some individuals never use their brain and discover how to live in a mature and accountable manner.
Denny Mitchell writes about alcoholic behavior, drug testing, alcohol treatment, the social effects of alcohol, and alcohol abuse statistics. For more info please visit stages of alcoholism.
