Recently a friend of mine got a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and had to spend the weekend in jail. The bail was set at $200,000, which was quite excessive, but the drunk driver had been involved in an accident that sent people to the hospital. One of the most important things a person needs to do after being arrested for a DUI and getting out of jail is enter treatment immediately. This particular friend of mine who was arrested for a DUI and had the excessive bail amount did not enter addiction or alcohol treatment and it did not look good when it came time for her to appear before a judge. Eventually she was sentenced to jail for her DUI and the treatment she received in jail for her alcoholism was minuscule. Most lawyers will tell you after you get a DUI, especially in Orange County, to enter treatment immediately. Whether it will help your legal case or not, in my opinion, doesn't really matter. What matters is that a person gets the treatment they need for their alcoholism or drug addiction. Having said that, I know that when a person enters treatment as soon as possible after a DUI it often works to their favor in the courts. What is the most interesting to me is when I see people (severe addicts and alcoholics mostly) who are given the option to go to jail or enter addiction treatment, they will seriously consider going to jail instead of addiction treatment. To them going to addiction treatment for a DUI is a worse option than jail! This is definitely one of the signs that you might be an alcoholic or an addict, when you consider spending time in jail instead of spending 90 days in addiction treatment. Sincerely, Brendan Bickley, Clinical Director, NTS

Labels: Orange County DUI Treatment, Orange County Outpatient Drug and Alcohol Treatment