OCD Treatment Center & Hospital in Covington, LA

Learn more about OCD treatment at Covington Behavioral Health in St. Tammany Parish

As its name suggests, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) consists of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are persistent and distressing thoughts, and compulsions are actions that an individual takes in an attempt to resolve his or her obsessions. For example, compulsions can include actions such as hand-washing, ordering or arranging items, counting, repeating words, or checking locks, switches, and other items. Unsurprisingly, this disorder can cause enormous disruption across nearly all areas of a person’s life if the person does not seek treatment at a hospital or center for OCD.

Fortunately, you or your loved one need not suffer alone. At Covington Behavioral Health, located in Covington, LA, individuals can receive expert care delivered by a team of compassionate and experienced professionals. With the help of our center’s dedicated treatment team, it is possible to learn to manage the symptoms of OCD and live a healthier, happier life.

Helping a loved one get treatment for OCD

As someone whose loved one is struggling with OCD, you likely feel a broad spectrum of emotions ranging from sadness to fear to anxiety to outright powerlessness. Fortunately, however, you are not powerless to help your loved one. Consider the following suggestions:

• Research OCD. Learn about its symptoms and effects and try to build your understanding of what your loved one is experiencing.
• Speak with treatment professionals at hospitals and treatment centers. These individuals can help you gain perspective and can direct you towards further sources of help.
• Investigate options for treatment at a hospital or center specializing in OCD. Pay attention to each hospital’s and treatment center’s approach to treatment and consider speaking with an admissions team staff member to gather more information about the program.
• Once you have completed your research, make a short list of a few centers or hospitals that may be a good fit for your loved one.
• Keep open lines of communication with your loved one. Discuss your concerns openly and nonjudgmentally and listen carefully to your loved one’s responses. If he or she seems amenable to treatment, share your list of treatment centers.
• Once your loved one decides to enter treatment at a hospital or center for OCD, make any necessary arrangements. Set up appointments with treatment center staff and offer to accompany your loved one to those appointments. In addition, consider issues such as childcare, transportation, and any other matters that need to be sorted before your loved one can enter treatment.
• During your loved one’s time in treatment, continue to be an active source of support and participate in any family sessions that your chosen treatment center may offer.
• Be active about seeking out the support of family and friends during this process. Now is not the time to go it alone.
• Do not forget about your own mental and physical health. Make sure to keep up healthy habits, and be sure to schedule time for your own hobbies and leisure.

Why consider treatment for OCD at Covington Behavioral Health in St. Tammany Parish

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, if left untreated, can all but destroy a person’s ability to function effectively in everyday life. A person may spend excessive amounts of time on his or her compulsions, leaving him or her unable to maintain social relationships and unable to perform at work, possibly resulting in job loss and financial strain. Depending on an individual’s obsessions, compulsions, and fears, he or she may avoid healthy activities, such as refusing to go to a physician’s office out of fear of germs, or may excessively perform healthy activities, such as washing their hands dozens of times per day. Restrictions that the individual imposes on him- or herself or others can cause internal anguish or severe family tension and dysfunction. In addition, people with OCD are at a higher risk of experiencing co-occurring mental health disorders and suicidal thoughts.

Types of OCD treatment offered at Covington Behavioral Health in St. Tammany Parish

Covington Behavioral Health is a 104-bed residential treatment center that provides personalized, comprehensive care for adolescents ages 10-17, adults age 18 and older, and geriatric patients who have experienced acute changes in their emotional and mental well-being and need psychiatric stabilization.

At Covington Behavioral Health, care for people who have been diagnosed with OCD is provided by multidisciplinary teams of talented and dedicated professionals, including psychiatrists, medical psychologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, counselors, activity therapists, and mental health technicians. Among the members of our center’s staff who have specialized training are our full-time staff dietitian, social workers who are certified in gerontology, and physicians certified in forensic psychiatry and addictionology.

The care that our patients receive at our center incorporates a variety of treatment techniques and therapeutic modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). We place a premium on conducting thorough assessments on each patient at Covington Behavioral Health to ensure that we are able to develop individualized treatment plans that address each person’s specific strengths, needs, and treatment goals.

Each patient’s time at Covington Behavioral Health will be a unique experience based upon his or her specific strengths and needs. Depending upon those unique factors, a patient’s treatment at our center may include the following elements:

Medication management: Some individuals with OCD may benefit from having certain prescription medications incorporated into their treatment plans at our center. Covington patients who meet this description will have the opportunity to meet with our psychiatrist and nursing staff on a regular basis to receive medication management services.

Detoxification: Covington Behavioral Health is not a substance abuse treatment center; however, we do understand that prospective patients may have struggled with substance abuse in addition to their challenges with OCD. To best serve these individuals at our center, we provide detox services for individuals who been abusing alcohol, prescription painkillers, and certain other drugs. After they have rid their bodies of the substances that they have been abusing, detox patients will transfer directly into residential treatment to receive care for their mental health disorders.

Individual therapy: Patients in the inpatient program may meet with a member of our social service staff (LCSW, LMSW, LPC, or PLPC) or nursing staff (RN or LPN) for individual therapy as needed. Individual therapy allows patients to address issues that they may be hesitant to bring up during group sessions, provides them with one-on-one feedback and guidance from experienced professionals, and helps them to develop effective skills for managing the symptoms of OCD.

Group therapy: Group therapy sessions are fundamental elements of treatment at Covington Behavioral Health. Group therapy provides a structured yet dynamic environment in which participants can share their insights and experiences, learn from the contributions of fellow patients, and practice healthy interpersonal skills such as effective communication, empathy, and giving and receiving support. The following are among the groups that a patient who is being treated for OCD may participate in during his or her time at Covington:

• Activity groups
• Creative therapy groups
• Dietary groups
• Process groups
• Psychoeducation groups

Group therapy sessions, which are typically offered at least five times during each treatment day at our center, are led by nurses, activity therapists, mental health technicians, and members of our social services staff.

Family therapy: At Covington Behavioral Health, we understand that an individual’s struggles with OCD may impact his or her entire family. With family therapy, loved ones of Covington patients have the opportunity to address how they have been affected by the patient’s mental health problems, learn how to strengthen family bonds and improve intra-familial relationships, and develop the skills that will allow them to provide the best possible support as their loved one continues in recovery following the residential phase of his or her treatment. Family therapy sessions at Covington Behavioral Health are typically conducted by the patient’s case manager and may be scheduled on an as-needed basis or by request.

Geriatric services: Even within the specific population of individuals who are receiving treatment for OCD, geriatric patients may have unique needs and may therefore respond better to certain types of therapy than do younger adults. For these reasons, we are proud to provide specialized services at our center for geriatric patients, including a dedicated geriatric residential unit, group therapy sessions that address issues such as grief/loss, dealing with adult children, and other topics of increased significance to the geriatric population, and more intense medical services to meet the expanded health needs of our geriatric patients.

Discharge planning: We provide robust discharge planning services at our center to ensure that each patient and his or her family has a thorough plan that identifies the referrals, community-based services, and other support services that will put the patient in the best position to maintain and improve upon the progress that he or she made while in treatment for OCD at Covington Behavioral Health.

At Covington Behavioral Health, our ultimate goal is to provide the focused, effective, and personalized care that can improve the quality of life for all who are entrusted into our care. For more information about our center’s services, please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience. We look forward to answering all of your questions and helping you determine if Covington Behavioral Health is the perfect place for you or your loved one.