Slow learner
New Member
Hello.
Ok, I'm after a bit of advice and will leave this here for a day or two in the hope someone has some experience of or knowledge of a similar situation and can help me.
Background:
My fourth and final drink driving conviction came to an end in Dec 2010. I was no way ready to apply for my licence back in those dark days but now things are much better.
I have just received a letter from the DVLA saying, after consulting with my GP, that I cannot apply for my driving license yet due to alcohol dependence in the last 12 months and that I can argue in court about it if I wish.
Well there is no point in doing that as I said on the form I was still drinking heavily within the last 12 months, but I have been on a course of treatment for the last 43 weeks and I now drink less in a week than I used to in a day, only drinking around 4 or 5 units 3 or 4 times a week, by choice not due to any urge or dependence.
Now it gets a little confusing. My GP prescribes my medication but does not treat my alcoholism, that is treated by a specialist service locally, and the treatment I am on is a life long treatment, not because I am currently an alcoholic but to prevent me becoming one again in the future, so I will to my knowledge always be 'undergoing treatment' from a specialist alcohol service and be prescribed medication for my 'condition' via my GP.
So....
The day I started treatment my drinking was immediately halved to around 90 UK units a week and has dropped steadily reaching my current drinking levels at week 27, maintained since then and as I said it is now week 43. Someone would be hard pushed to look at my drinking today and call it a problem, I certainly don't.
I consider my 'dependence' to have ended the day I started this treatment, 43 weeks ago.
However any letter the DVLA writes to my GP will be replied to by someone (may not be my GP, could be any doctor in a large surgery) who opens my file on their PC, looks at my name, and sees 'In treatment for alcoholism' on the screen. That will always be there as I will always be 'in treatment' even though I am no longer be a problem drinker.
Ok, I'm rambling and I'm not sure now where this is going. I'm a little upset as I only got the DVLA letter today.
I guess I want to know if I wait until I have been in treatment 52 weeks, can I argue I have not been alcohol dependent for 12 months? (I believe I would have truth on my side). Also, can I apply again in 9 weeks or is there a time limit between applications? Will the fact I am, and will always be, in treatment go against me?
I'll be talking to my GP and the specialist alcohol service about this soon enough, I just wondered if anybody on the front line had any advice or experience.
Till then.
Ok, I'm after a bit of advice and will leave this here for a day or two in the hope someone has some experience of or knowledge of a similar situation and can help me.
Background:
My fourth and final drink driving conviction came to an end in Dec 2010. I was no way ready to apply for my licence back in those dark days but now things are much better.
I have just received a letter from the DVLA saying, after consulting with my GP, that I cannot apply for my driving license yet due to alcohol dependence in the last 12 months and that I can argue in court about it if I wish.
Well there is no point in doing that as I said on the form I was still drinking heavily within the last 12 months, but I have been on a course of treatment for the last 43 weeks and I now drink less in a week than I used to in a day, only drinking around 4 or 5 units 3 or 4 times a week, by choice not due to any urge or dependence.
Now it gets a little confusing. My GP prescribes my medication but does not treat my alcoholism, that is treated by a specialist service locally, and the treatment I am on is a life long treatment, not because I am currently an alcoholic but to prevent me becoming one again in the future, so I will to my knowledge always be 'undergoing treatment' from a specialist alcohol service and be prescribed medication for my 'condition' via my GP.
So....
The day I started treatment my drinking was immediately halved to around 90 UK units a week and has dropped steadily reaching my current drinking levels at week 27, maintained since then and as I said it is now week 43. Someone would be hard pushed to look at my drinking today and call it a problem, I certainly don't.
I consider my 'dependence' to have ended the day I started this treatment, 43 weeks ago.
However any letter the DVLA writes to my GP will be replied to by someone (may not be my GP, could be any doctor in a large surgery) who opens my file on their PC, looks at my name, and sees 'In treatment for alcoholism' on the screen. That will always be there as I will always be 'in treatment' even though I am no longer be a problem drinker.
Ok, I'm rambling and I'm not sure now where this is going. I'm a little upset as I only got the DVLA letter today.
I guess I want to know if I wait until I have been in treatment 52 weeks, can I argue I have not been alcohol dependent for 12 months? (I believe I would have truth on my side). Also, can I apply again in 9 weeks or is there a time limit between applications? Will the fact I am, and will always be, in treatment go against me?
I'll be talking to my GP and the specialist alcohol service about this soon enough, I just wondered if anybody on the front line had any advice or experience.
Till then.
