SearchDoes everyone who receives a DUI charge have a substance abuse problem? What is it like to start rehab after getting a DUI charge? Is this step even necessary?
It’s natural to have questions like these if you or someone you love has been charged with driving under the influence. Keep reading this guide to get them answered and to learn more about the process of enrolling in rehab after getting a DUI charge.
What It Means to Get A DUI
There are several ways for a police officer to tell if someone is driving under the influence. While they might be swerving or showing other signs of intoxication with the way they drive, it will usually require more evidence to confirm that someone should receive a DUI charge.
Police officers may use the following tactics to see if a person is driving under the influence:
- Asking the driver to walk in a straight line or stand on one leg .If the person driving cannot stay balanced or coordinated white walking, it is a sign that they are under the influence of alcohol or another substance.
- Asking the driver to say the alphabet backwards. When a person is not able to perform normal brain functions like thinking of and reciting the alphabet backwards, they may have alcohol or drugs in their system.
- Giving them a breathalyzer test. This is the most reliable way to tell if someone has been drinking while driving. Breathalyzer tests are used to determine someone’s blood alcohol content, or BAC, levels. A person should not be driving if their BAC levels are over 0.8%. Driving anywhere over this level is considered illegal and warrants a DUI.
When someone gets a DUI, they are at risk for getting in a few legal complications and other predicaments. In most cases, a police officer will keep the person in custody for the night and let them out on bail the next day. They will also schedule a court trial, where a judge will determine someone’s next step after they receive a DUI charge.
Next steps and consequences after a person gets a DUI may include court-ordered rehab, probation, more jail time, paying a fine, losing their license, getting their vehicle taken away, community service, and more.
Of course, these outcomes only happen in some DUI cases.In others, the police officer or judge will let the person who received the charge go to choose the next best step for them. This will depend on the severity of the DUI charge and what state a person receives the charge in.
Do You Need Rehab After Getting A DUI?
Even if a judge does not determine that someone needs court-ordered rehab after they get a DUI, this option is still encouraged. Going to rehab is typically the best choice for people who get charged with a DUI. Not only is enrolling in a rehab program more cost-efficient than paying a fine or going to jail, but it also offers individuals the resources they need to understand why they drove under the influence and develop tools to make sure the same problem doesn’t happen again. Additionally, people who participate in rehab after getting a DUI charge are less likely to end up in jail or prison because they have access to comprehensive treatment.
When someone gets a DUI, it means that their life has been negatively impacted by alcohol. If a person’s life is going off track because of drinking, it may be time for them to consider enrolling in a rehab program anyway. Rehab is also a good decision for individuals who have had trouble quitting drinking on their own or think their life would be better without alcohol.
Participating in Rehab After A DUI
Rehabilitation programs are always designed for every individual who enrolls. So if someone goes to rehab after getting charged with a DUI, they will be offered a personalized experience during the program. If someone is in a rehab program after getting a DUI, they will likely:
- Abstain from alcohol and drugs
- Undergo detox treatment
- Meet with a counselor regularly
- Work with a case manager
- Participate in support groups
- Attend DUI school
- And more
These programs will help a person develop healthier habits so that they do not get themselves in a situation where they could get a DUI charge again. Rehab will encourage these individuals to set new goals, understand their triggers, and go to support meetings or therapy for as long as they need (even after the program ends).
