OCD TREATMENT IN CHATTANOOGA, TN

Contact Time Wellness today at 423-413-6195 to learn more about our mental health treatment programs in Tennessee.

Our Chattanooga & Greater TN OCD Treatment Programs 

The key to providing effective OCD treatment in Chattanooga, TN, for the most people possible is offering several levels of care. We match the individual with the level they need to meet their exact needs.

The types of treatment programs we offer include:

• Residential Treatment: A good choice for people who need round-the-clock care due to having severe symptoms of OCD.
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): PHP works well for people who have finished a residential program or don’t require one. Treatment sessions take place five days per week for several hours per day.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Therapy sessions take place on weekdays for a few hours.
• Outpatient Program (OP): OP only requires attending one or two therapy sessions per week.
• Supportive Mental Health Housing: Time Wellness Tennessee partners with supportive housing providers in the area to give people options for a safe place to live while they attend outpatient treatment. 
• Virtual Treatment: Our virtual rehab program provides access to treatment for those who struggle to attend in-person programming.

Understanding OCD

OCD is a mental health disorder that usually begins during a person’s childhood or adolescence but can also start when they are adults. This disorder occurs in approximately 1% to 3% of the population.

OCD can be broken down into two sections. The obsessive part has to do with how the person thinks. They become obsessed with redundant thoughts they cannot wish away. The compulsive part relates to a person’s behaviors. For example, someone obsessively washing their hands is engaged in the compulsive part of the disorder.  

People with OCD are unable to stop their obsessions and compulsions, even when they know they are unnecessary, don’t make sense, and may feel frightening. While OCD is not curable, the symptoms can be controlled by learning skills taught in therapy at a treatment program. 

Recommended: OCD at Work: Common Challenges and How to Cope

Signs and Symptoms of OCD

Someone with OCD will experience several types of signs and symptoms. Some may prove more recognizable than others, but most of them occur when a person has the disorder.

Signs and symptoms of OCD include:

• Intrusive and repetitive thoughts
• Thoughts that can be scary or disturbing and do not reflect the person’s values or interests
• Trying to stop the thoughts and behaviors, but not being able to do so
• Engaging in excessive cleaning rituals 
• Performing behaviors repetitively, even when the person realizes it’s not necessary
• Needing to count to a certain number related to an activity, such as switching a light on and off, or how many times a person checks if they turned off their stove
• Anxiety about the person’s symptoms
• Feeling exhausted

Recommended: OCD and Suicidal Thoughts

How is OCD Diagnosed?

OCD can be diagnosed by visiting a mental health professional and asking for an psychological evaluation. The clinician will ask the individual about their symptoms, when they started, and their mental health history. If they prove to have OCD, a recommendation can be made for finding OCD treatment in Chattanooga, TN.

What Causes OCD? 

Developing OCD can be influenced by having a family history of the disorder. As well, how a person grew up can cause a person to develop OCD. Having neglect and abuse in their past can also make it more likely to occur.

Someone with brain abnormalities can develop OCD or other mental health disorders. A discussion with a therapist can help to pinpoint stressors, but for some, there is no answer to why they have OCD. 

How Is OCD Treated in Chattanooga?

Our program for OCD treatment in Chattanooga, TN, recognizes that a person with multiple options for structured therapy makes more progress than someone who only attends one type.

The types of therapy we offer include:

• Medication Management: Combining the use of prescription medications for mental health with traditional therapy.   
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This therapy teaches people that the way they think and feel directly impacts how they act. Changes can be made as needed. 
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: People with OCD learn important tenets that include mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
• EMDR: People with OCD often have trauma in their backgrounds. EMDR therapy includes a therapist giving directions for eye and other movements to a person while they discuss their unresolved trauma. 
• Biofeedback Therapy: The use of non-invasive electronic monitoring to identify the person’s physiological functions to teach them how to control them.
• Red Light Therapy: This therapy uses exposure to non-invasive red light to help improve a person’s mental health.
• Alternative: While traditional therapies offer ways to heal, alternative ones also are effective. These include Alpha-Stim, Float Tank Therapy, Experiential Treatments, and Biosound Therapy.
• Life Skills: For those who need help learning daily living skills such as keeping a schedule, household chores, and personal hygiene. 
• Yoga and Mindfulness Therapy: These therapies help people with OCD learn to relax and live in the moment. 
• Art Therapy: Creating art in various forms allows a person to identify and express their emotions through artistic activities. 
• Music Therapy: Listening to and creating music provides a creative outlet to help people express their emotions and heal.   
• Trauma Therapy: Trauma-based therapies help people who have been through challenging and life-altering experiences reduce their symptoms.   
• FLOAT Tank: The person submerges themselves in a sensory deprivation tank to help them experience complete relaxation.
• Biosound Therapy: This involves the use of biofeedback and sound vibrations to teach people to harmonize their bodily rhythms and improve mental health.
• Family Program: Therapist-led sessions teach family members to understand how OCD impacts the lives of their loved ones and how they can support them. 

Recommended: Self-Harm and OCD: Causes and Treatment

Why Time Wellness?

The care we provide for people with OCD does not include a one-size-fits-all approach. Our therapists understand that people experience their mental health disorder in different ways, including different lengths and severity of symptoms. This informs our decision to get to know each person we treat. As a result, we can design a specific set of therapies for the person to attend that will drill down on their unique needs.