5 ways to support a friend or family member to move forward after a DUI
For everyone involved in a DUI, the event, the immediate impact, and the aftermath can all be pretty draining. Many will be unsure how they can help their friend or family member to properly move forward afterwards, tentatively trying to help but being entirely unsure if it will work.
Here are five tried and tested ways to support someone to move forward after a DUI.
Reserve judgment
When it comes to crimes, whatever the magnitude, the person who has done the deed will know and understand that they did something wrong. Judging them and telling them how disappointed you are in them will serve zero purposes at all. In fact, doing so could prevent them from getting the help they truly need and moving on with their life in a positive way. Indeed, mental health challenges, including suicidal thoughts, are common when feeling like you have let everyone down.
Encourage them to follow instructions
It can be difficult to follow instructions and orders when it inconveniences you. However, if your friend or family member does not comply with what the court has ordered them to do, they may well find themselves in even hotter water. Not only is it imperative that they comply but doing so could even impact positively on their futures. For example, DUI classes at Cornerstone can support people to get their lives back on track and have healthier relationships with alcohol and drugs, for example.
Offer to drive them
Being without a driver’s license can be challenging, particularly when you rely on your vehicle to get to important appointments, your workplace or even to court. Without the support of friends and family members, the person on the receiving end of the DUI may feel tempted to jump behind the wheel of a car yet again rather than feeling as though they are putting others out by expecting lifts. However, in doing so, they are jeopardizing their good behavior expectations and putting themselves at risk of further court action.
Meeting up regularly is still important, but it is also key to arrange things that are near your friend or family’s members’ house to make it easier for them to get there. Furthermore, it would be useful to consider the type of activity you do. If your usual meet would involve a few beers, perhaps relocate to a bowling alley or the cinema instead where there are fewer temptations. Rather than organizing things for the evening, why not meet in the afternoon and have a coffee instead of rum and coke? Or lace up your trainers, then go for a run or have a kick about in the park.
Do not offer legal advice
It can be ever so tempting to hop onto Google and research the DUI and ways in which you could get it overturned. However, offering legal advice could backfire, and it may result in your friend or family member getting their hopes up unnecessarily. Furthermore, seeking proper legal advice is definitely what they need rather than someone who has read a few websites.
