Being arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and enrolling in court-ordered rehab is a difficult experience to go through, but it can also end up being a turning point for your life. Getting a DUI is a sign you may have an alcohol or substance use disorder. If you don’t face your addiction problems and seek help, you may end up with repeat DUI offenses or cause serious injury to yourself or someone else.
Call Sierra Sage Recovery Services at 833.922.2884 if you need help arranging court-ordered rehab services after a DUI arrest.
What Are the Consequences of Getting a DUI?
The legal ramifications of a DUI vary according to your state and county laws, your driving record, and other factors, such as if you had illegal substances at the time of the arrest. A first offense is typically a misdemeanor, but that doesn’t mean it is not serious. Some of the penalties you may face after a DUI arrest include:
- Up to five years of probation
- Suspension of driver’s license
- Going to DUI school
- Costly fines
- Legal fees
- Limited driving privileges
- Job loss
- Jail time
- Court-ordered rehab
Getting a DUI can also have personal and social consequences. You may lose the trust of friends or family members. A DUI arrest is a public confirmation that you have an addiction problem for some.
What’s Next After Getting a DUI?
At the time, it may seem like a DUI arrest has shattered your world, and it can never be repaired. Not only can you recover from the experience, but you can also create an even better world for yourself in the long run. As with all phases of recovery, it’s important to focus on one step at a time.
Step One: Take Responsibility for Your Actions
Whatever the situation, repairing your legal, social, and employment status will be easier if you take responsibility for the behavior that led to getting a DUI arrest. Admit that you made a mistake and begin doing all you can to make things right.
Step Two: Find Support
Being arrested for driving under the influence is a humbling experience. To navigate life after a DUI, you will need legal advice, and you may also need financial assistance or people to give you rides to court, work, and other places. You may need the skills of loved ones and professionals to help you create a plan to deal with the consequences of your arrest.
Step Three: Attend Court Ordered Rehab
If you are given the option to attend a mandatory rehabilitation program instead of being incarcerated, consider yourself fortunate. Dealing with an addiction disorder is the best way to avoid future DUIs and the ever-worsening consequences that come with multiple arrests.
Court-ordered rehab isn’t a different or lesser type of addiction treatment. It simply means that attendance at rehab is part of a court ruling.
Indicators you may qualify for mandated rehab include:
- The crime was nonviolent
- The crime was a direct result of drug or alcohol use
- The judge believes the person can benefit from addiction treatment
- The DUI arrest qualifies for a probation sentence (extenuating factors may disqualify you for probation)
Once in rehab, it is necessary to stay for the entire treatment program, participate in therapies, submit to random drug/alcohol testing and complete whatever other terms the court demands. If you don’t, the court may still sentence you to jail.
Find Recovery at Sierra Sage Recovery Services
Fulfilling court-ordered rehab requirements can be as deeply meaningful and life-changing as entering treatment on your own. Many individuals are “forced” into rehab in one way or another. That doesn’t mean the experience can’t be effective.
Committing yourself to recovery is always your choice, no matter what circumstances brought you to treatment. Call Sierra Sage Recovery Services at 833.922.2884 for help rebuilding your life after a DUI arrest.
