Life ending experience

Something doesn't sit right with me about this story: I'm finding it hard to believe. If you're in IT you will more than likely be working from home, each day, every day. Other alarm bells for me is that you're a newly registered boards user with one single post, and that post contains a lot of detail. Maybe I'm wrong, but I find it hard to believe.

If your liked in work, look for a role change that doesn't require travel or public transport could be used. Or start looking for other work that doesn't need travel.

Banned from driving isn't the end of the world, you have just made it out to be. You even pointed out it was the first time on the bike in a month.

Not paying a mortgage in Ireland really means little to nothing. I'm serious, you could pay 50 quid a month for decades and the bank could do little or nothing. It's a bit more debt to pay in the future but its not the end of the world.

Go to the doctor, get something for your anxiety.

There are alternatives to using a car for work so don't be worrying about that. Is Public Transport an option to get around for work?

Or you could look in to getting a e-Bike if the distances between work sites is not too far. And then there is always the option to take a taxi.

No licence for two years is certainly overcome-able.

Go talk to a barrister who specialize in this sort of case. Things could go bad in court but they might not. Normally I'd be hard on people driving with no insurance, till my wife let her's laps while I was driving her car for months. She's just had a baby and we'd moved the year before so she got no letter. It happens.

Get the solicitor or better still a barrister to explain the court the circumstances and that you have given up riding a motorbike that you need a car work. If you show that you take this very seriously, well you've learned your lesson so there is no point been harsh. Expect a fine hopefully you don't get banned. If you do talk to your work see if they can accommodate you if they can't you can look for job working form home or office based where don't have to drive. You might also be able appeal the driving ban after a 9 months to a year and see if you can get you license back.

Worst case you get a lower paid work from home job for two years and move on after that.

Also go talk to your GP about the panic attacks you are losing all sense of scale here, it's bad but not life changing or doomsday stuff. Its just a hill you have to climb

You're being extremely overdramatic. KildareP's advice is very good, follow it.

I'll add that I've had worse legal trouble than this over dumb mistakes and bounced back. I've also never held a driver's license due to the financial barriers of lessons, insurance etc and am only getting one now and have gotten along just fine, and where I live the public transport situation is much much worse than it is in Dublin.

2 things I can tell you for certain: 1) the worrying you do before you go to court (basically what you are going through now) is almost guaranteed to be a worse punishment than what the judge will give you.

2) A lot of it depends on the mood of the judge on the day.

Be contrite, apologetic, own up to it, they like that. But do let your solicitor put forth your circumstances with your father, your good insurance record, record of hard work and college, the fact you bought a house. Let them speak for you and try to get you a positive result. That's their job. This isnt the crime of the century stop making it out to be so bad, you'll get through it.

The fact you are in college and working will stand to you, you arent a bum, you aren't a foreign person who came here to leech off the system, you made a good life for yourself.

The judge is not going to want to take all youve worked for away from you for a minor accident with no injuries, it wouldn't make sense.

The judges do a good bit harder on those who aren't from here (of course theyd never admit that) so if you do have to speak try and sound as Irish as possible but best thing to do is say nothing and let your solicitor do the talking.

I get the sense that while you are smart and a hard worker, you are still quite young or haven't had to deal with much real adversity. This is so far from 'life ending' it's actually laughable - i thought i was clicking into a thread about a DUI with injuries or an actual deadly accident. Stop this talk of euthanasia, it's ridiculous. Your post reminds me of the story of a guy who survived a suicide attempt when he jumped off the Golden Gate bridge. On the way down he was overcome with regret as he realized 'All my problems were fixable'.

Let your solicitor speak for you, take the punishment and move on. You think your life is over? Well as you sit through court listen to what other people there are being charged with. For sure some of them would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

Lastly, smoking weed won't help you if you already worried it will only make you more paranoid! Put it away for now and save it to smoke some after your court date, when you'll be celebrating a good result because the judge decided you need your transport for work and gave you a chance since you had such a good record otherwise so they let you away with penalty points and a fine.

Even if you do get a ban, you're in a city with lots of transport options, you work in a field that is hiring like mad all the time, and those wee e-scooters you don't need a license for could be an option for a few months too. push comes to shove buy one of those and wizz about.