As the year winds towards the holidays, and you look back on 2015, you have to admit that this one wasn’t exactly your best. Your Los Angeles DUI arrest, in some sense, was the tip of the iceberg. Maybe you faced rejection at work or financial problems. Perhaps you had a big issue with a personal relationship or suffered a health setback that led you to take refuge in the bottle or in some other compulsive activity.
2015 is a year you would like to forget.
That said, you want to take away valuable lessons from what happened to avoid repeating mistakes going forward. In our society, we are taught to pay attention to our neighbors and friends — to measure our progress in relation to what others do. But it’s more accurate (not to mention more resourceful and compassionate) to measure our progress based our OWN past experiences.
To that end, let’s unpack your year. Ponder the following questions:
• What was happening in my life just prior to my arrest?
• Did a particular emotional or psychological trigger cause the DUI?
• If so, what can I do in the future to avoid those triggers or handle them in more resourceful ways?
For instance, let’s say that you’ve had a chronic battle with your boss for the past 7 years. This relationship gives you heartburn and causes you to “act out,” even when you are not in the office. Deal with that trigger in 2016! Find some other place to work. Or find a better way to discharge your anger and passion. Instead of drinking, go to the batting cage and whack at some balls for an hour.
Also ask:
• What activities or resources in the past have soothed me and prevented me from feeling compelled to drink or do drugs?
• How can I access those resources on a more regular basis?
For instance, create an agreement with a sober friend; he will come and pick you up, no questions asked, if you’re ever trouble. Or set aside money in your budget every month to pay for an Uber whenever you go out to parties or bars.
No matter what happened in 2015, 2016 offers a fresh start. The attorneys here at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers would love to help you. Please our call an experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyer today to schedule a private and confidential consultation.
Call attorney Michael Kraut at (323) 464-6453 for help if you’ve been stopped for DUI in Los Angeles. Or Contact our team online. We’re located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, California 90028.