Revoked licence due to alcohol Dependence/missuse

Convicted Driver Insurance

sineater

New Member
Hi wanted to tell my story and see if anyone else had the same problems I have had. I will try to keep it quick:rolleyes: I am 47 years old.:cool:
I have been off work for 10 years now after an earth shattering event that I wont go into.
I felt ready to return to work in 2014 but as I had a lads view of drinking on weekends after doctors advise I cut down to sensible amounts and started to get back into the swing of life. As I am type 2 diabetic I have regular blood tests, March 2015 went to see new doctor as mine had left she asked me how my drinking was and I informed her that the previous Saturday I consumed 3 cans of larger to which she replied "oh I can help you with that if you like" which threw me a bit because she was serious. I later found out that I was put down as alcohol dependent 3 mths earlier. I asked my doctor in may 2015 if I am fit enough to pass my medical for my pcv she replied of course.
Oct 2015 I applied to renew my PCV licence as it had ran out in 2014 with a well known bus company as I could not afford a medical myself.
Usual questions when it got to drinking the bus doctor gave me hypothetical questions and I answered, well she said that she ticked dependent and misuse due to the way that I talked about alcohol. I contacted my GP and explained and she said send it off and she would if need be confirm that I am fine to drive ect so I did (I know what a fool).
26th oct 2015 licence revoked for 12 mths due to alcohol dependency in the last 12 months and apparently I am a HRO. contacted gp told her she said she would sort it that it was a coding error on the docs computer and it should be excess not dependency which was news to me that I had a recent problem.
Anyway 11 nov letter sent to dvla from doc explaining that I drank to excess early 2014 but have sorted it out and actually stopped altogether in may 2015.
17 Feb 2016 after few months of phoning and getting told dvla has 8 week waiting before looking into my case I received an update stating that they are writing to my doc and a reply can take upto six weeks around the same time I received a app form for my licence so filled it out ect sent it off.
29 mar 2016 letter from dvla saying they are considering medical info and could take 9 weeks to be reviewed.
31 march dvla decided that I should have full medical at their expense (nice) phoned the doc I was given and the only time for medical was May 11 2016 which I took, medical took 10 mins quick blood test poke around ect.

17 May 2016 letter dvla looking and assessing medical report.
07 June 2016 licence through post hooray no wait a min its only for a year got to go through same next year.
So just thought I would share my dvla nightmare so far there are some small points left out but I hope you got the gist of things sorry it's so long :eek: any questions I will try to answer if you want to ask any
Thanks
 
You will find that they will issue a 1 year licence 3 times (yes 3 consecutive 1 year licences) until you answer no on the forms to any problems in the last 3 years, crafty right?
 
Hi i know this is an old post hope for a reply, my doctor said i was fine to drive so sent off forms then got told i would have a medical , phoned 2 days later and dvla told me i was drink dependent wtf i was shocked and amazed as my docs said i would be fine to send off for my licence . Dvla said my docs answered yes to being drink dependent in the last six years but havent been for the last 3 months , i have never implied that i was or even said i drink every day you think this could be a mistake on my docs behalf . My doctor is going to ring me on monday to discuss this with me any replies would be much appreciated ...
 
Not have to drink every day to be ‘drink dependent’.
This is the best explanation I have seen to describe ‘dependence:

Are you alcohol dependent?
It might be surprising to hear that you don’t always have to be drinking to extreme levels to become dependent on alcohol. Anyone who is drinking regularly will have a degree of alcohol dependency.

According to Dr Nick Sheron, a liver disease specialist from Southampton University, alcohol dependency operates on a spectrum. “At one end of the scale you have people who are mildly dependent,” he says. “That’s people who, for example, can’t conceive of a Friday night without having enough drinks to get a bit tipsy. At the other end, you have people where alcohol is more important than their jobs, their families, than pretty much anything, including being alive.”

People who drink heavily tend to keep increasing the amount they drink because they develop a tolerance to alcohol. Tolerance is a physiological response we have to any drug: the more you consume, the more you need to consume to have the same effect.

Part of this dependence is because the wiring in the brain changes with frequent consumption of alcohol. Then, as Dr Sheron says: “This change makes you less able to drink in a controlled way.”

 
I have actually stopped drink altogether to prove a point that i am not dependant on alcohol thanks for the reply , but it didnt really answer my question tbh .
 
My answer did explain how dependence can be categorised, which I thought would be helpful for you. the only question that you asked is: “you think this could be a mistake on my docs behalf” and no one can answer that apart from your GP. I thought it would help for you to have an understanding of dependence so you could have a discussion with your GP on monday in a more informed way.

in your post on 3rd July you said: “ i had just a urine test 3 years ago which i stupidly failed ..but wont do this time i am cutting down on the drink just incase to get my cdt levels down”
in a later post that day you said: “just have to wean off the drink”

What you have to understand is that your GP and DVLA may be looking at alcohol dependence or misuse from different stances.
Your GP has said he thinks you are fit to drive... but that is now. You say you were drinking up until 3 months ago (despite what you have posted on 3rd July) and DVLA take the view that if you were misusing alcohol, let alone showing signs of dependence, that they want you to show 6 months of controlled drinking (or 12 months abstinence if they do take the view that you have been dependent. They are also mindful of the fact that you failed a urine test 3 years ago, so if you show and elevated results now they are very likely to consider you dependent as you have failed to control your drinking despite wanting your licence back.

I am not having a go at you, but I also am not going to just say what you want to hear of offer sympathy but no constructive advice.
You need to grasp what you face to get your licence back. I can tell you the theory, there are others on here who have lived and breathed the process (sometimes more than once!) and they will also give you constructive advice if you ask the questions that you need answers to.
 
I didnt say i was drinking up untill 3 months ago, my doctor said i was dependent up untill 3 months ago and i have never said i was dependant to my docs, so just confused how he can say that after looking at my file going back a year at least .Yes i said to wean because i was going to stop altogether thats not because im dependant its just i like a drink like millions of people do i would just miss it less if cut down over a period of time thanks for the replies tho .
 
DVLA will delve back 6 years to form an opinion, and base even misuse as drinking over the ‘guidelines’ for alcohol consumption, which is ‘normally not more than 14 units per week”. They even categorise 8 or more units in one session as a ‘binge drink’.. that is 3 pints of Stella! I think I know what a binge really is, but you have to live by the health guidelines for your process to lead to a satisfactory conclusion.
 
Enter code DRINKDRIVING10 during checkout for 10% off
Top