PHDtobe_
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2022
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
Hey y'all. I asked about this a few years ago when it happened but its now time to actually address this in my internship process. I'm at the question that asks if I've been convicted of any crime and to elaborate so here's my story and I'm looking for any advice on how to address this in my application... I've used this post as kind of a very very rough draft of how i'll address this, touching on the main points that I'll dive deeper into, so I would love direct feedback on any of that and anything else I should or shouldnt include. Thank you all in advance!!!!
In feb 2021, I had a few cocktails while out with friends. I intentionally stopped drinking around 11:30 and felt like I was fine to drive and that most of it shouldve been out of my system when everyone was leaving around 2:30 AM. I was pulled over for driving slightly over the white line when exiting the freeway. The officer stated that he smelled alcohol on my breath and asked me to step out of the car, complete the roadside sobriety tests, and blow into the breathalyzer. My BAC registered at a .10 (legal limit in my state is .08), so I was arrested and ultimately convicted in May 2022 (yes, the courts took forever). I was sentenced to 1 year of probation with the requirements of random alcohol/drug testing every week, monthly meetings with my probation officer, completing an 8 hour alcohol and driving course, attending a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) seminar, and 40 hours of community service. I completed all requirements and was in good standing, so I was granted early termination of probation. Immediately after this happened, I met with a substance abuse counselor and completed an assessment, and he reported that he did not believe that I had a substance abuse problem (adding this here in case it would be helpful to mention that i took this step but im aware this might not hold any credibility since we all know the results are based on info I self-reported...thoughts?)
At the time, I was a social drinker at least 1-2x per month having 3-4 drinks each time, but since then I've drank 2-3 times per year mainly on special occasions having no more than 2 drinks and never driving after. At the time, I was also ignorant regarding the process/timing of themetabolization of alcohol , I genuinely thought it would mostly be out of my system by that time. however, I recognize that the problem is that I impulsively drove period knowing I consumed multiple drinks thinking that I was "fine" without considering that my judgement of how I felt was also likely impaired and that I was putting the public and myself in danger. This experience ultimately catapulted a deeper reflection of my personal and professional values and how regular consumption of alcohol did not align with those. It also really opened my eyes to how normalized binge drinking is in our society and that I was blindly following those norms...
I am grateful beyond words that I did not hurt or kill anyone else, that the consequences I have to deal with on my own did not ruin anyone else's life. This mistake possibly ruining my career made me realize how much I value that work I do, the reason I am in the field of psychology to promote resilience, growth, insight, support in people, to help people face the battles and obstacles in their journey, to educate and spread awareness. I debated if it was even worth continuing in my program and if I'd be able to match with an internship, but I did not allow this to interfere with my passion and goals, my progress and quality of work throughout my time in the program, and the care I was providing to my clients.
In feb 2021, I had a few cocktails while out with friends. I intentionally stopped drinking around 11:30 and felt like I was fine to drive and that most of it shouldve been out of my system when everyone was leaving around 2:30 AM. I was pulled over for driving slightly over the white line when exiting the freeway. The officer stated that he smelled alcohol on my breath and asked me to step out of the car, complete the roadside sobriety tests, and blow into the breathalyzer. My BAC registered at a .10 (legal limit in my state is .08), so I was arrested and ultimately convicted in May 2022 (yes, the courts took forever). I was sentenced to 1 year of probation with the requirements of random alcohol/drug testing every week, monthly meetings with my probation officer, completing an 8 hour alcohol and driving course, attending a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) seminar, and 40 hours of community service. I completed all requirements and was in good standing, so I was granted early termination of probation. Immediately after this happened, I met with a substance abuse counselor and completed an assessment, and he reported that he did not believe that I had a substance abuse problem (adding this here in case it would be helpful to mention that i took this step but im aware this might not hold any credibility since we all know the results are based on info I self-reported...thoughts?)
At the time, I was a social drinker at least 1-2x per month having 3-4 drinks each time, but since then I've drank 2-3 times per year mainly on special occasions having no more than 2 drinks and never driving after. At the time, I was also ignorant regarding the process/timing of themetabolization of alcohol , I genuinely thought it would mostly be out of my system by that time. however, I recognize that the problem is that I impulsively drove period knowing I consumed multiple drinks thinking that I was "fine" without considering that my judgement of how I felt was also likely impaired and that I was putting the public and myself in danger. This experience ultimately catapulted a deeper reflection of my personal and professional values and how regular consumption of alcohol did not align with those. It also really opened my eyes to how normalized binge drinking is in our society and that I was blindly following those norms...
I am grateful beyond words that I did not hurt or kill anyone else, that the consequences I have to deal with on my own did not ruin anyone else's life. This mistake possibly ruining my career made me realize how much I value that work I do, the reason I am in the field of psychology to promote resilience, growth, insight, support in people, to help people face the battles and obstacles in their journey, to educate and spread awareness. I debated if it was even worth continuing in my program and if I'd be able to match with an internship, but I did not allow this to interfere with my passion and goals, my progress and quality of work throughout my time in the program, and the care I was providing to my clients.