What Happens When a Loved One Undergoes Substance Abuse Assessment?

If you have considered using the Marchman Act to help a loved one receive possibly life-saving court ordered addiction treatment, it's important to understand what happens to him or her during this process. For example, involuntary alcohol abuse assessment is the step where clinicians evaluate the extent of the person's alcohol dependence and attempt to match the person with appropriate treatment. Assessment defines the nature of the person's addiction and develops treatment recommendations for addressing the addiction.

At Addiction Recovery Legal Services LLC, we help people navigate the Marchman process so their loved ones can be assessed and appropriate treatment recommendations can be made. Here are some of the components of addiction assessment programs.

Assessment of Immediate Safety Risk

The first step in assessing addiction involves determining any immediate risks related to severe intoxication or withdrawal as well as immediate risk for violence, self-harm, or suicide. Addiction treatment professionals will ask the person being assessed if he or she has any immediate attention of engaging in self-injury or violence. If so, the clinician will take appropriate safety precautions, try to obtain more information on the nature of the intentions and arrange for more thorough assessment by a trained mental health professional.

Screening for Co-Occurring Mental Illnesses Like Depression

Depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common among substance abusers, and those entering into court ordered addiction assessment are screened for co-occurring disorders like these. If screening indicates a possible mental health disorder, more thorough evaluation will be done by a mental health professional. Some drugs and withdrawal symptoms mimic mental illness symptoms, so reassessment of mental illness is generally performed again later to ensure accurate diagnosis and recommendations for treatment.

The Assessment Interview

The assessment interview is really the first step in assessment and treatment of addiction, and can set the tone for the entire process from the point of view of the addict. The interviewer usually explains up front the reason for the interview and will take into account mental health screening results so that ultimately a comprehensive treatment recommendation can be made. A skilled interviewer understands that addiction isn't isolated, but occurs in response to other areas of life and conveys this understanding to the patient. This understanding can help disarm a patient's natural defensiveness concerning his or her addiction.

Medical Assessment

Medical screening is important in addiction assessment, because many people with addictions lack health care, and because many addictions result in health consequences such as sexually transmitted diseases and infectious diseases like HIV. If the person undergoing assessment has other health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, or if a female patient is pregnant, this information should be considered when the assessment team makes addiction treatment recommendations. 

Considerations of Barriers to Treatment

When making recommendations about addiction treatment, clinicians should take into account possible barriers to treatment, including dysfunctional family relationships, treatment program restrictions, presence or absence of health insurance, and financial obstacles. When potential barriers to treatment are identified, substance abuse professionals can try to address these barriers in their treatment recommendations to increase chances for successful rehabilitation.

Court ordered addiction treatment can work when voluntary treatment does not. The Marchman Act makes provisions for involuntary alcohol abuse assessment or addiction assessment, and the assessment process sets the stage for addicted individuals to be matched with a treatment program that can best meet their needs. (Learn more about us here)

Here Are 5 of the Most Common Substances Treated in Rehab Centers

The Marchman Act has given families and loved ones of addicts a powerful tool for helping addicts receive life saving treatment. It is a legal process that should not be taken lightly, but that can compel a person to get treatment for an addiction when everything else has failed. The Marchman Act includes the consequence of incarceration for those who drop out of rehab or refuse to go, and it usually gets results. Here are five of the most common types of addictions that can be deadly if they go untreated.                                          

1. Alcohol

Court ordered alcohol addiction intervention works when regular interventions fail. Alcohol abuse carries with it risk of physical injuries and violence, and it can cause serious fetal damage in pregnant women. Alcohol is often a major complicating factor with clinical depression, and long term alcohol use can cause neurologic problems and liver failure. Fatal overdoses are also possible. If your loved one refuses treatment, court ordered alcohol addiction intervention may be the only option for saving their life.

2. Opioids

The most commonly abused opioid is heroin, which also goes by the nicknames brown sugar, dope, H, junk, and smack. It may injected, snorted, or smoked, and causes drowsiness, euphoria, confusion, dizziness, sedation, and slowed breathing. Consequences of opiod abuse range from constipation to inflammation of the heart, hepatitis, HIV from shared needles, and fatal overdose. Court ordered addiction treatment can work when other types of opioid addiction intervention fail.

3. Stimulants

Stimulant addictions that can be deadly include addictions to cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine. These drugs may be snorted, smoked, or injected. Short term effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure, alertness, reduced appetite, and sometimes violent or psychotic behavior. Over time, nasal damage can result from snorting cocaine, and severe dental problems result from methamphetamine abuse. These drugs can also cause cardiovascular events, seizures, and death. Methamphetamine addiction is particularly severe, and legal processes like the Marchman process are sometimes necessary to ensure these addicts get help before it's too late.

4. Club Drugs and Dissociative Drugs

Club drugs include MDMA (Ecstasy), rohypnol, and GHB, while dissociative drugs include ketamine, PCP, and dextromethorphan (DXM). While abuse of these drugs may not act like the "typical" addiction, they can cause serious short term effects that can result in death, and they may be abused by people with other addictions.

5. Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug abuse can be particularly difficult because many people believe that prescription drugs are inherently safe. The most commonly abused prescription drugs include barbiturates like Seconal, benzodiazepines like Ativan and Xanax, and sleep medications like Ambien. Prescription pain relievers can be highly addictive, and people do die from prescription drug addiction. It may be hard for the prescription drug addict to accept that he or she has a problem, but court ordered treatment may be necessary for addicts who refuse to recognize the serious dangers that can result from abusing these drugs.

At Addiction Recovery Legal Services LLC, we help relatives and loved ones of addicts evaluate their options and help them through the Marchman process when that is their best option for helping the addict they love.

Is an Intervention the Answer for Your Loved One?

Most people have seen television programs involving interventions with people who have severe addictions. While interventions can work, they are certainly not guaranteed. Fortunately, you do have options for court ordered alcohol abuse treatment or drug treatment for your loved one with an addiction. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we help people like you get help through the court system for loved ones with severe addictions.

The Ambush Approach Can Backfire

Many interventions take an "ambush" approach, and this can backfire, putting the person with the problem on the defensive, and sometimes making them reject help even more determinedly. Furthermore, in many cases, people within that person's family or circle of friends may be codependent or may enable the addict's behavior. While interventions can be done without the "ambush" approach, there is still no guarantee they'll work.

You Can Work Through the Courts to Help an Addict

Forced drug rehabilitation is a drastic step, but there are situations that warrant it. If an addict is a danger to himself or others, refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, or is no longer able to make sound personal decisions, you can use the Marchman Act to petition the court to order forced drug rehabilitation.

Help Is Available With Court Procedures

The Marchman Act procedure can be complicated, and if you fail to complete a step in the process properly, you may have to start over from square one, wasting precious time. There are legal firms that are experienced in use of the Marchman Act for ordering drug rehabilitation, and these professionals can help you ensure that you meet all deadlines and complete all necessary steps to help your loved one.

Don't Give Up on Your Loved One

Court ordered alcohol abuse treatment or drug treatment is often the only way to ensure someone gets the care they require to overcome addiction. Addicts often deny that there's a problem, even after an intervention, but the Marchman Act process gives families and friends a way to legally compel their loved one to get treatment. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we can help you with every step of the legal process.

You Have Legal Options for Getting Help for a Loved One with an Addiction

Court ordered addiction treatment sometimes gets through to addicts when nothing else does. Whether a person's drug of choice is alcohol, cocaine, heroin, or some other substance, when other measures fail, a court order to report to rehab can succeed. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, our job is to help families and friends get help for loved ones with life-threatening addictions.

Alcohol Addiction Shortens Lives

According to 2010 figures from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15,990 people died from alcoholism-related liver disease that year, and the number of non-accident and non-homicide alcohol related deaths was 25,692. Court ordered alcohol abuse assessment is the first step toward getting someone with severe alcohol addiction the help they need. Even if an intervention has failed, court ordered alcohol abuse assessment can work, because the consequences for not complying include incarceration.

Illicit Drugs Can Cause a Rapid Downward Spiral

If you know someone who is addicted to dangerous illicit substances like meth or heroin, you have seen firsthand the damage addiction can do. Addiction to prescription painkillers can also ruin and even end lives. If you're afraid that your loved one's "rock bottom" is death, then you should learn more about court ordered addiction treatment.

You Can Petition for Court Ordered Assessment

Under the Marchman Act, you can petition a county judge to order your loved one to be professionally assessed, and based on the recommendations after the assessment, the addict may be ordered by the court to attend 60 days of rehab. If the person leaves treatment before it's completed, or doesn't report to treatment, he or she can be jailed. The threat of incarceration prompts many addicts to decide to go to treatment willingly.

Court Ordered Treatment May Save Your Loved One's Life

Deciding to use the Marchman Act to help someone you love isn't easy, but sometimes you have no other choice in order to save their life. You do not have to go through the process alone. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we guide worried family members and friends through the process of getting court ordered treatment for those with severe addictions.

The Affordable Care Act and Substance Abuse Treatment

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) goes into effect in earnest in 2014, but already substance abuse experts are predicting the effects the law may have on those with addictions. Most believe that the overall effect will be positive, since currently only a small fraction of those with addictions receive substance abuse treatment. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLP, we are hopeful that the ACA will result in better addiction care under the Marchman Act.

Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment into Overall Health Care

Under the ACA, drug rehabilitation will become part of primary health care, and more efforts will go toward prevention of substance abuse. Furthermore, addiction treatment will be considered an essential service, requiring health plans to provide it. The hope is that prevention and early intervention will reduce the need for forced drug rehabilitation under the Marchman Act, saving money and ultimately lives.

Focus Should Eventually Shift to Addiction Prevention

Imagine if the only people who were treated for heart disease were those who had already had major heart attacks. Unfortunately, that is analogous to the situation with many addicts. Some receive no help at all until their addiction has destroyed relationships, jobs, and lives. There will most likely always be a need for forced drug rehabilitation in severe addiction cases, but there is hope the ACA will prevent some of these cases.

Forced Drug Treatment Won't Completely Go Away

You may be thinking, "That's great, but my loved one is suffering severely from an addiction right now." At Addiction Recovery Legal Specialists, LLC, we're there for you when intervention under the Marchman Act is necessary to save a loved one's life. Unfortunately, many addictions can't wait until the ACA provisions are running smoothly to get help, but you don't have to wait.

There Are Still Several Months Until the ACA Goes Into Effect

It could be a long time before primary care physicians are routinely caring for those in the early stages of addiction. If your loved one has a severe addiction, he or she can't wait. Forced drug treatment is a drastic step, but it is essential in some cases to save lives, so don't hesitate to call.

Forced Addiction Treatment versus Jail Time

Some people argue that forced drug or alcohol rehabilitation isn't effective because attendees don't want to be there. However, when faced with the choice of jail or rehab, even severely addicted people choose rehab. If your loved one has a serious addiction and won't go to rehab, court ordered treatment may be the answer. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services we help friends and family members get help for their loved ones with addictions.

Alcohol Abuse Presents Chronic Danger

Court ordered alcohol abuse treatment is a drastic step, but alcoholism endangers the alcoholic, his or her family, and even strangers if the alcoholic gets behind the wheel. Chronic alcoholism is life-threatening, even in young alcoholics. Unfortunately, some alcoholics don't accept the seriousness of their situation until they are faced with either jail time or court ordered alcohol abuse treatment.

Cocaine Abuse Ruins Finances and Lives

Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment becomes necessary when a cocaine addict can no longer cope with the tasks of daily living, endangering himself or herself as well as others. Running out of money doesn't stop some cocaine addicts, and sometimes nothing short of forced rehab is effective. Court ordered cocaine abuse treatment is preferable to jail for most cocaine addicts.

The Threat of Incarceration Gets People's Attention

Some addictions are severe enough that losing a job, a marriage, friends, or a home isn't enough to convince the addict to seek professional help. These people can be legally compelled to attend court ordered rehab, and if they don't comply, they can end up in jail. Many addicts suddenly decide that rehab is in their best interests when they discover the alternative is spending time behind bars.

You Don't Have to Shoulder the Burden of Helping Your Loved One Alone

If someone you love is losing their life to addiction, you can work through the courts to have your loved one legally compelled to go to rehab. It isn't easy, and it's a drastic step, but in many cases it is a lifesaving step. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, we can advise you on every part of the process, so that your loved one can start conquering addiction as soon as possible.

All Hope Is Not Lost for Your Loved One with an Addiction

The destruction caused by addiction harms more than just the addict. Friends, spouses, children, siblings, and parents can see their entire lives fall apart in the wake of an addict's actions. If someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, you may think you've run out of options. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, our job is to show you that you still have options, and how to exercise them.

When Addicts Are In Denial

Court ordered addiction rehab sounds like a drastic step, and it is. However, for addicts who are in denial about how their addiction harms them and those who love them, court ordered addiction treatment may be the only way to ensure addicts receive treatment. Just because you have not been able to get your loved one into treatment doesn't mean all hope is lost.

When Interventions Don't Work

Sometimes interventions work, and sometimes they fail spectacularly. If you have tried an intervention with an addict you love and it has failed, it doesn't mean that you have failed. Court ordered addiction rehab is still an option, and sometimes addicts lose their denial and voluntarily enter rehab when faced with court ordered addiction treatment. If they don't voluntarily go, the courts may legally compel them to go or face serious consequences.

You Have Legal Options through the Courts

The Marchman Act allows relatives or friends of addicts to petition the court to force an addict into treatment. Before sending an addict to treatment, a judge will order a short term evaluation and await the recommendations from that evaluation. If the professionals who evaluate the addict believe that court ordered addiction treatment is necessary, a judge can send an addict into treatment for at least 60 days.

The Marchaman Act Imposes Real Consequences

The Marchman Act has "teeth." Addicts who leave treatment early or refuse to enter treatment can be incarcerated. Using the Marchman Act to help an addict is a big step, but sometimes it's the only thing you can do. At Addiction Recovery Legal Services, LLC, we have extensive experience helping families and friends help loved ones get the lifesaving treatment they need.