Can't Drink.....What Now?

Once you are convicted, a condition of your 1 year ASAP program is that you are required to abstain from consuming any and all alcohol beverages during that 1 year period. You will be drug tested randomly during this time by ASAP so don't take this requirement of your probation and/or treatment period lightly. This will be difficult for some people so I am giving you some suggestions on actions you can take to help curb your desire or temptation to drink alcohol.

1. Put together a written plan of action that you will follow over the 1 year probation period. this will help organize your thoughts around what is required of you and what actions you need to take during this period. I organized my plan of action and everything associated with my DUI in a 3 ring binder.
2. Start an exercise program. One of the first items on my plan of action was to join a local fitness club and follow a consistent exercises program that includes at least 3 days of intense cardio (any exercises that gets your heart rate up). Of course, make sure you are healthy enough to start such a program. Cardio excercise causes the brain to produce chemicals that give you the same euphoric feeling as alcohol. I encourage you to research this subject for yourself. For me this has been the best replacement of my habit of cracking open a beer after work. I feel better than I have in a long time. This exercise program will have multiple benefits. You will feel better every morning, you will be more productive at work, you will have the energy to do other things that you have been putting off in your life, and you will be amazed at the positive changes in your body appearance. If you are saying to yourself you can't afford to join a fitness club, compare the small membership investment you make each month to the amount you were spending on alcohol each month. I pay $59 for my gym membership and as some of you know, you can spend this in one night drinking at a bar.
3. Start reading if you have not been doing so. If you are like me you don't have the time to read at night or you are too tired after work. I joined an audio book web site and I now spend all my driving time reading. I have read 7 full length books since my arrest. Like exercise, this is a life changer. you will feel so good about yourself when you start a consistent reading program.
4. Find an activity to do or goal you have been wanting to achieve and start spending your spare time pursuing. Idle time is not a good thing during the 1 year probation period. You need to stay busy. I have started an Internet and this blog since my DUI conviction.
5. Write out and read aloud daily positive affirmations. This will be an abstract concept for most people to grasp. These affirmations should be written in the first person, present tense. These afirmations should be developed from items in your plan of action and behaviors you are trying to change. Some examples are:

• I drink plenty of water each day.
• I can have fun without drinking alcohol.
• I feel great since I stopped drinking alcohol.
• I consistently follow my weekly exercise program.

Follow my suggestions and you will find it so much easier to endure the consequences and changes your DUI conviction has brought to your life.