What is an Intensive Treatment Program?
Although many effective medical and psychological treatments are available for OCD, not all treatments work for everybody. Unfortunately, for some people nothing seems to be effective. To combat this, a number of intensive residential treatment programs have been developed.
A main feature of these programs is interdisciplinary care that incorporates the joint-expertise of physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and other health professionals to design individualized treatment plans aimed at managing OCD symptoms that have proven difficult to treat using standard therapies.
In addition, these programs usually involve staying in the hospital for a specified period of time. While some programs require admission to the hospital for up to 3 months, other programs may only require admission for a few weeks or even just a weekend. These extended stays allow medications to be adjusted while under expert medical supervision as well as provide lots of opportunity to undertake cognitive-behavioral therapy.
How do I Find an Intensive OCD Treatment Program?
The OCD Foundation has compiled a list of intensive OCD treatment programs and organized them by geographic location.
In most cases, a referral from your family doctor or psychiatrist is necessary to be admitted to a program. Residents of Canada should note that these intensive OCD treatment programs are often covered by provincial health insurance plans.
