For the past fourteen years Natalie has been a licensed practical nurse at a large Catholic hospital. As a nurse practitioner, she plainly knew what to tell her patients regarding their health concerns but in her off-duty life, nevertheless, she undeniably didn’t practice what she preached. As an example, she typically drank in an excessive and irresponsible manner, she almost never exercised, she smoked nearly two packs of cigarettes on a day-to-day basis, and she was roughly thirty-nine-forty pounds overweight.

Natalie Gets Into An Automobile Accident, Fails A Breath Alcohol Test, and Goes to The County Jail

One afternoon on her way to work, Natalie got into a car accident. Because the accident was her fault and since her speech was slurred when she talked, the arresting policeman administered a breathalyzer test. In accord with standard police policy, when an individual gets involved in a car accident and does not pass a breathalyzer test, the individual has to spend at least four hours in jail.

As a matter of fact, Natalie should have known better than to drive after she had been drinking because she recently participated in an “alcohol abuse awareness” class at the hospital that focused on issues, statistics, and information about alcohol facts such as the following: binge drinking, DUIs, alcohol poisoning, and the key differences between alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Natalie is Feeling a Lot of Shame About Her Automobile Accident

It almost goes without saying that Natalie was humiliated by her car accident. Moreover, she experienced quite a bit of shame about the fact that the accident was her fault. And probably worst of all, she felt ashamed of the fact that she was driving after she consumed a few drinks. As Natalie thought about this event, however, she comprehended that it could have been far worse because at work, when a blood alcohol test is administered and failed, the individual has to go to compulsory alcohol therapy and is placed on non-pay status. This was in effect one of the alcohol facts that was a reality at her place of employment and not much could be expected to change this fact.

Natalie’s Shame About Her Traffic Accident Forces Her To Reevaluate Her Life and Make Some Relevant and Positive Modifications

In any case, Natalie’s humiliation about her vehicle accident forced her to reevaluate her life and make some important and beneficial changes. First, she was going to stop drinking in a hazardous and excessive manner. Second, she was going to stop smoking. Third, she was going to lose some weight. And fourth, she was going to start exercising.

As displeased as Natalie was about the entire car accident situation, she used this negative experience as a catalyst for positive change. Moreover, she used her awful experience as a wake up call that she had been failing to address her own health while she openly told her patients how to live a more healthy life. At the end of the day, she eventually saw the hypocrisy in her actions and decided that she would live her life as a constructive source of affirmation for the individuals she treated at the hospital.