When you’re arrested for driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, you’re bound to face a significant amount of stress. The thought of going to trial can leave you on edge, and knowing that your freedom is on the line can riddle you with anxiety.
We know you’re going to feel a variety of emotions as your case unfolds, but you need to find a way to get a handle on your stress and protect your emotional and psychological well-being. That’s why in this post we want to give you some tips for how to take care of yourself while you’re facing DUI or DWI charges.
Steps you can take to cope with the stress of a DUI or DWI arrest
There’s a natural tendency to self-isolate after being accused of criminal wrongdoing. Accused individuals are often ashamed, and they don’t want to be put in a position where they have to explain themselves to others. But isolating and wallowing in despair aren’t healthy behaviors. Fortunately, you don’t have to fall into a hole of depression while your case plays out. Instead, you can do each of the following to take care of your mental health and ease your stress:
- Go easy on yourself: This might sound counterintuitive, but beating yourself up isn’t going to do anything except make you feel worse about yourself and your situation. It might be hard to do but try to put things in perspective by recognizing that even though getting through your DUI or DWI case is going to be tough, you will come out on the other side and have the opportunity to rebuild your life.
- Find support: Instead of isolating yourself from others, you should find support while you deal with the challenges of your drunk driving case. Family and friends may be there to support you, but you can also turn to a mental health professional for help or find a support group in your community. You may find that these support systems help alleviate the emotional burden that you’ve been shouldering on your own.
- Take care of yourself: You’ll put yourself in a better state of mind by getting plenty of rest, eating healthily, exercising, and abstaining from drug and alcohol abuse. See if you can develop a routine that keeps your mood stabilized and your mind focused on the future.
- Be mindful: Ultimately, our life experiences teach us better ways to live. Try to be cognizant of what you learn from your drunk driving case so that you can focus on improving your quality of life moving forward.
- Stay informed and educated: A lot of your fear in your drunk driving case will stem from uncertainty. But you can take at least some of the guesswork out of your case by educating yourself on the law and staying informed on any developments in your case. By being active in your criminal defense, you can achieve a sense of control over the outcome, which should help put your mind at ease.
Develop the criminal defense strategy that’s right for you
There are several ways to approach your drunk driving case. You have to find the one that’s most targeted on the realistic outcome that you want and can achieve. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start in building your case. You can talk to your attorney about the best way to craft your legal strategy, which should leave you feeling confident that your criminal defense is in good hands.