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.
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