A few months ago, you were on the top of your game. You would go to work five days a week, go to the gym, eat a healthy diet, meet your friends for some drinks, and go out for dinner with your partner. Life seemed like it was going along swimmingly, but then your partner left you for someone else and you entered a downward spiral due to depression.

This Led to You Ending up in Court

You were so depressed that the love of your life was gone that the only way that you could keep yourself happy was to drink. After work each day, you would go to the pub, drown your sorrows, and then drive home. You knew you shouldn’t be driving while under the influence of alcohol, but you didn’t care and hadn’t been caught yet. However, your luck eventually ran out and one evening you were pulled over by the police while five times over the legal limit.

You are now due in court in a couple of weeks and are probably going to receive a heavy fine and have you licence taken away for a period of time. You could also face imprisonment due to how drunk you were when you got behind the wheel of a car.

Don't Worry, It Is Possible to Get Back on Track

If you can relate to the above scenario, or something that is similar, you will know how hard it can be get back on track after you have made an error due to ill judgement. However, it is possible. Below are some powerful and effective strategies that you can use to sort yourself out and to show the judge that you are trying to return to the right path. This could help you to get a better sentence.

Consider signing up for rehab: Getting a DUI charge is a clear sign of substance abuse. While it is not always the case, it is often a sign that you are addicted to alcohol. If you want to overcome your problem, then it probably a good idea to consider signing up to a rehab centre. Judges will often see this as a great positive sign that the defendant is trying to change.

Seek other professional help: Going for rehab works for some, but it doesn’t work for others. This is okay. If you feel that group meetings are not really for you, then you should think about signing up for one-on-one meetings with a professional. These people can really help you to overcome your issues. Once again, a judge will look favourably upon such an action.

Choose a hobby to take your mind off drinking more alcohol: It is not going to look good on you if you continue to drink while awaiting your court case, so to take your mind away from alcohol and the current sorrows that you are going through, you should find something you enjoy doing. For example, you could try taking up a new sport, travel more, or read more. Basically, anything that will take your mind off of your troubles will suffice.

Evaluate the friends you have: When you have been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol you will need to take everything a lot more seriously that you used to. However, your friends might not help you with that. If those around you encourage irresponsible behaviour, then you should think about staying away from them for a while. This can be challenging, but you need to show them that you have changed. Your friends should be there to support you. They don’t have to stop drinking, but they should definitely respect your decision to stop.