OCD Treatment in Sandy Springs, GA

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is much more than being tidy or particular. People living with OCD experience unwanted thoughts, images or urges that feel intrusive and distressing, and they often feel driven to perform rituals to quiet that distress, even when they know the rituals do not make logical sense. OCD can consume hours of the day, and it is also highly treatable.

Atlanta Outpatient Rehab by The Recovery Village treats OCD and other mental health conditions in an outpatient setting at 325 Hammond Drive, Suite 103, in Sandy Springs. Our program is designed for adults, including those whose OCD overlaps with alcohol or drug use. To ask whether our program is a good fit, call (855) 917-2011.

Understanding OCD

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD involves obsessions, compulsions, or both. Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges or mental images that cause anxiety. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts a person feels they must do in response. Common themes include:

• Fear of germs or contamination, leading to excessive washing or cleaning
• Doubts about safety, such as whether the stove is off or the door is locked, leading to repeated checking
• Unwanted taboo or aggressive thoughts that the person finds upsetting, often answered with mental reviewing or reassurance-seeking
• A strong need for symmetry, order or things feeling “just right”
• Counting, repeating words or redoing tasks until the anxiety eases

OCD symptoms can wax and wane, often getting worse during periods of stress. Many people hide their symptoms out of embarrassment, which can delay treatment for years. A diagnosis should come from a qualified clinician, and our intake process includes a mental health assessment.

The Connection Between OCD and Addiction

Living with constant anxiety and rituals is exhausting. Some people turn to alcohol, cannabis, sedatives or other substances to get temporary relief from obsessive thoughts. That relief tends to be short-lived: substances can worsen anxiety over time, disrupt sleep and make it harder to engage in therapy. The NIMH notes that mental health and substance use disorders frequently occur together, and treating them in a coordinated way gives people a better chance at lasting progress.

In our program, the same care team addresses both, so OCD symptoms are not overlooked while substance use is treated, and vice versa. This integrated approach is the core of our intensive outpatient program.

Evidence-Based Treatment for OCD

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the best-studied treatments for OCD, particularly a form called exposure and response prevention, in which people gradually face feared thoughts or situations while resisting the urge to perform a compulsion. Medication can also help some people and is prescribed and managed by a physician or psychiatric provider. In our outpatient setting, your plan may include:

• Individual therapy grounded in CBT principles
• Skills groups that draw on DBT and ACT to build tolerance for uncertainty and distress
• Motivational interviewing when ambivalence about change is getting in the way
• Relapse-prevention work if substance use is part of the picture
• Family education, when appropriate, so loved ones can stop unintentionally reinforcing rituals

If you already see a psychiatrist or primary care provider for medication, let us know so we can keep your care coordinated.

OCD Treatment in Sandy Springs

Our IOP meets for at least nine hours per week, with morning and evening tracks, and most people complete it in around 12 weeks. That schedule works for many people with jobs in Perimeter Center, Buckhead or Midtown, and for students or parents in Dunwoody, Roswell and Alpharetta. The office on Hammond Drive is close to GA-400 and I-285, and MARTA’s Red Line serves the Perimeter area. We do not provide transportation.

If OCD or co-occurring substance use is severe enough that you cannot function day to day or stay safe at home, a more intensive setting may be the right starting point. If you need residential mental health care or medical detox first, our sister facility The Recovery Village Atlanta in Roswell offers those services, and you can step down to outpatient care in Sandy Springs afterward.

Our admissions team can review your insurance benefits before you begin so you know what to expect financially.

Begin Your Recovery Journey Today

You do not have to keep managing OCD on your own. Call (855) 917-2011 to speak confidentially with our team about your symptoms, any substance use, and how an outpatient schedule could work for you, or read about what to expect in your first week. If you are ever in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.