SelfhelpMagazine

by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.

Penalties for DUIs vary by State so it is impossible to tell you what the range of jail time might be. However, given that he has now had 10 DUIs, he will probably receive a severe sentence.

Your father has a severe drinking problem, as you probably already know. If he has been in treatment at different times he has not benefited from it enough to avoid further alcohol-related problems. If this is the case and the courts take all of his DUI arrests into account, your father may be in for a long stay in prison, so there is time for him to learn whatever he still needs to learn, that is, if he gets into treatment. We can only hope the the court sees it appropriate to refer him for more intensive alcohol rehab while serving whatever time he has. Many people require multiple attempts at quitting, so take heart and do not give up hope.

Meanwhile, your focus may be best directed toward avoiding your own co-dependency, which can not only harm you and your other loved ones, but also harm him. To learn about how you can best help yourself (and him), you might consider going to Alanon meetings or Co-dependency meetings, both of which are managed by Alcoholic's Anonymous (AA) group. They are all free and very consumer friendly.

You can find the AA in the white pages of most phone books listed under 'Alcoholics Anonymous'. You might also try to find them online, where they have developed a very strong following.

About the Author:

Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 9426 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Phone: (505)345-6100

Dr. Hester is has developed an evidence-based, web application called ModerateDrinking.com to help heavy drinkers be successful in changing their drinking. A video demo of the program is available at www.behaviortherapy.com