[Misssy2]

My sister has always had a drinking problem.
And has been arrested for 2 DUIs in the past.

One of them she got removed. So her record shows that she currently has 1 DUI with the 2nd one occurring the other night.

Yesterday she texted me and told me she was screwed and I asked what was going on. The night before she went out to the store that is literally 2 blocks away from her house. She has 2 children 12 and 15 that live in my mothers house on the top floor. They were asleep in bed and she HAD to go to the store.

She gets pulled over and arrested for a DUI. Now this is her 2nd one..in less that 5 years. The other one was 4 years ago. In my state that means mandatory jail time..and lots of fines and community service.

Also at the time she was stopped they told her that her license had been suspended...So now the charge is a DUI on a Suspended License.

It was suspended because she did not renew her license on her birthday but she was unaware of that.

She has MS...she works 6 days a week...and now she can't drive probably for a year...and will probably do the minimum jail time of 10 days (jeapordizing her job and having no one to watch the kids, bring them to school and activities). Her daughter recently had major surgery on her back (spine) and my sister has been carrying a heavy load for a very long time.

I am going to kick in and probably take her to work for a little while and her daughter to school...but she is a mess and I don't know how to help her.

this is what drinking and driving does...this is what alcoholism does...its a huge mess.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Does your state allow work passes to drive? In my state my friend was given a pass that let her drive exactly to work and back but no other driving.

[GGChar]

Wow, that is bad for your sister. You are wonderful to step in where she most needs it. When I got 2 DUIs, 2 weeks apart, I got a lawyer right away and petitioned for my license back. If your sister's was already suspended it might be more difficult.

It's obviously a very serious offence. It sucks beyond belief. I had no idea how much trouble I was really in until it was spelled out for me. In my state the laws are some of the strictest around: no bargaining. I was engulfed in depression and anxiety. I didn't drink after that time though.

I got 10 days jail (scared s***less, only did 3 bc they screwed up my meds and I had a good lawyer), 250 hours community service, drug and alcohol testing, risk reduction class, 18 months probation, heavy fines and an interlock device on my car. Also, picture in local paper which I'm not sure they ever did. Someone saw my DUIs somewhere though and told a family member. I had hidden it bc certain of my family would have just LOVED to see me fall. That sucked but it actually made me stronger.

I also had to do mandatory substance abuse classes because my drinking was obviously a problem. BTW, we have a thing here called DUI Court which would negate the jail time but has its own BIG negatives.

I got all of my things done, got the interlock device off of my car and HAD MY LIFE BACK! I had been going to therapy as well. One month later I got in a fight with my teenage daughter, picked up drinking again and promptly got my 3rd DUI.

I had my liscense revoked (not suspended) 2 years and will have a restricted one for 3 after that IF I'm lucky. I won't go into the rest.

I have let alcohol devastate my life. I hate the damn stuff and I've hated that I couldn't beat it those times. I did know if I drank again I would die or kill someone so I haven't had a drop since. 2 1/2 years almost.

I could go on and on but please tell your sister she MUST stop. Take anabuse, campral, whatever it takes but stop.

I don't know any more about her but one huge sideline is that I was finally diagnosed w bipolar 2 after all of this. I feel it explains my drinking patterns. Long periods of sobriety w 2 week binges. Fun, fun. I never could explain why I would just pick up again after being sober so long.

Take each day one by one. Try to find solutions and get help from others. I've told people I can't drive bc of medication I'm on.

PM me if you have any more questions.

It DOES get better if she stops drinking.

[Misssy2]

Thank you ..she is not going to stop.
I was with her today and I hope she doesn't get hit with as much stuff as you did.

The amount of money this is going to cost her or anyone in this situation is astronomical and devastating. I think she was in shock still because she has no emotion. I took her to a Neuropsyche appointment for her MS.

She is lucky to have a couple of good friends that are going to chip in with the drives to work and picking up the kids. It has not a lot to do with me but i am so overwhelmed by this and I am an alcoholic. I had 8 years sobriety but life happened and I thought I could drink and I have struggled for the last 3 years.

I am really struggling now..and knowing all this about her should be a deterant for me and it really isn't...Life sucks sometimes and she has it really bad right now.

Thank you for the time...and reply

[ComfortablyNumb5]

DUI's are handled very seriously here in MI and you'd have to pay out the ***** for a good lawyer or else you are screwed. I think legal fees added up to $14,000 when my bro just had one DUI (he has multiple now too). And they put you on probation and drug test you. I used to have to drive my bro to his every week. I hated it.

[Misssy2]

RX I'm going to hate driving my sister to.
I only realize that i am lucky to have never gotten caught driving drunk.

[Hairball]

She needs to check into the conditional hardship license issued by your state. This should allow her to do what she needs, as far as work and kids.

[Misssy2]

Hairball..thank you, I have told her to look into this which I hope her lawyer would tell her about it...but it gave me a chance to read about it.

In my state it is 100 dollars for installation of an interlock device and a hardship is only allowed for people that have had DUI offenses. (Rhode Island)

I am going to be incredibly unsupportive here. I have my own addictions and I take full responsibility for them. I am appalled at the lack of acknowledgement that one shouldn't have been driving in the first place and making this instead about being caught. Shame on you who have insinuated this.

As for the original poster. I empathize with her situation. She did not ask for this.