Alcohol and Depression

After beginning to work here at Nave Law Firm, I have seen that DWI’s do not discriminate. They can happen to anyone with any background. From your neighborhood doctor to the person running the cash register at your local corner store; young and old; rich and poor and everyone in between. The consequences of a DWI on people’s lives can be life-changing. It can affect not just your license, but your job, finances, freedom and your relationships. For some people, these DWI’s happen because of a blip in judgment but for others, it is a result of having a real addiction to alcohol or drugs.

What I have seen in my personal life with loved ones, and here at our firm with many of our clients, is the real effects of alcohol on someone’s body and mind. From Liver and heart damage to behavioral changes to stomach issues and coordination problems. Mood changes and depression are often accompanied by the dependency on alcohol.  Visit https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/effects/ to see more detail about the effects of alcohol on your body.

I have encountered many people who are going through a hard time in their life who turn to alcohol or drugs. Maybe they suffered a death in their family, sometimes they are going through a divorce or have suffered from years of mental or physical abuse and sometimes people are struggling with the day to day life. To deal with their suffering they often turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with their pain. What we have seen is, while this may temporarily relieve their suffering, the alcohol use will pull them into a deeper depression and make it harder to cope and get better. In this article, it explains the link between alcohol abuse and depression. https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/dual-diagnosis/alcohol-and-depression/. It is unfortunate but, we have seen the consequences of these two things colliding, and people have taken their own lives. If you or someone you know are suffering and are having thoughts of suicide please call the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ for more information.

People have this idea that a DWI Attorney is simply trying to get people out of the consequences of a DWI and that anyone who has been ticketed for a DWI is a bad person or a criminal. We argue that WE are NOT this at all, and our clients are your brothers, sister, fathers, and mothers, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and coworkers. We are a firm who advocates for our client’s rights and at the same time advocating for them personally. We recognize that our clients may have been charged with a crime they did not commit, but we also recognize our clients as individuals who have made a mistake and maybe going through a hard time. In fact, we often recommend people attend a Victim Impact Panel, which gives people the opportunity to hear people whose lives have been affected by DWI in the past.

We also recommend for clients get an alcohol and drug evaluation and attend any treatment that is recommended by their counselors. We want to help our clients move on with their lives after a DWI so that they can be healthy, positive members of our communities.

Article written by Paralegal Danelle Ceratt, for more information and questions, please contact her at DCerratt@NaveTeam.com