What To Do if They Drink and Drive
Love Over Addiction
Michelle Anderson
4.8 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 26 November 2017
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Are you worried about your partner drunk driving?
When you ask them for the keys, do they refuse?
Do they try to convince you that they are fine?
They might tell you they have spread out their drinking over the night, or that they only had beer and not liquor. Or perhaps they are abusing drugs and you can tell they are high and shouldn't get behind the wheel.
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post and a podcast episode of the Wife Of An Alcoholic Podcast about DUI's that I think you might find helpful.
But what should you do if you're concerned about others on the road?
Are you stuck always having to drive them home (that is, if they let you)? And if they don't give you the keys, what would happen if someone got hurt?
I'm going to tell you what to do, but I want to warn you first. You're not going to love my answer. It's going to be difficult for you. But your uncomfortable decision could save the life of the one you love and the innocent lives of others who are sharing the road with someone who legally should not be behind the wheel.
Are you ready for this loving truth?
Here's what you do... if you know he's been drinking and he refuses to give you the keys, the second he gets in the car you need to call the police. They don't have to know you're the one that called.
I know that sounds harsh, but you could be saving his life and the lives of many others on the road. If he gets into an accident, you could lose not just him, but things that are mutually in your name.
He will be arrested and maybe serve some jail time, but that could be the best thing that ever happened to him (and you).
I know this will be difficult and scary, but please consider setting this boundary. Consequences are necessary for the ones we love to sober.
Read more about my program, Love Over Boundaries here.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to the wife of an alcoholic podcast. Hey there I'm Michelle Lisa Anderson and I am so glad you join me this week. |
| 0:22.1 | So we're going to dive right in. |
| 0:24.1 | And it's the holidays, so I get it. |
| 0:27.3 | You are probably shopping and planning and entertaining |
| 0:32.4 | and also probably in a lot of pain because I remember when I was married to a |
| 0:38.3 | substance abuser and an alcoholic the holidays were always some of the most depressing times, not every holiday, but for the most part they would mean a lot of drinking, a lot of using, a lot of abandonment, a lot of disappointments, and a lot of embarrassment. |
| 0:55.0 | And so I want to make sure before we get started today that I am with you, |
| 1:00.0 | that you are not alone, that I understand exactly what you're going through and that it's okay, that |
| 1:09.5 | if you have shared this with somebody, that this is what you're going through or not I get it |
| 1:15.1 | and we are sisters and I hope you join our community because we are all here for you |
| 1:22.2 | you don't have to do this by yourself. |
| 1:25.0 | So today we're going to talk about drinking and driving. |
| 1:28.0 | Now, are you worried about their drinking and driving? |
| 1:31.0 | Because I know I sure did. When you ask them for the |
| 1:34.1 | keys do they refuse? Do they try to convince you that they are fine? They might tell |
| 1:40.4 | you they have spent, they have spread out their drinking over the night, or they only |
| 1:45.5 | had beer, not liquor, or they're only high on marijuana, not on anything else, or perhaps they are abusing drugs like serious drugs and you can |
| 1:57.0 | tell they're high and shouldn't get behind a wheel. |
| 1:59.9 | And when I say serious drugs I really genuinely mean any drugs. |
| 2:03.6 | Like to me, to me, and I realize that I might be stepping on some toes here, |
| 2:09.8 | any drug is not acceptable. |
| 2:12.0 | I'm not sure that some of you don't feel that way, but for me I just don't |
... |
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