Freeman Recovery Center provides integrated treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder and co-occurring substance use disorders at its Dickson, Tennessee facility, located approximately 40 miles west of Nashville. OCD and addiction rarely exist in isolation, and FRC’s dual diagnosis approach treats both conditions simultaneously across multiple levels of care, including residential treatment at the Burns, TN campus, and Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) at the Dickson location. When OCD has been driving or worsening substance use, both conditions are addressed by the same clinical team within a single, coordinated treatment framework. Call (615) 645-3677 for a free, confidential assessment. Same-day admissions are available.
How Freeman Recovery Center Addresses OCD and Co-Occurring Substance Use
OCD is classified in the DSM-5 as a distinct disorder characterized by obsessions (intrusive, persistent, unwanted thoughts or images) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce distress). When substance use is also present, the clinical picture becomes more complex. Treatment must account for both conditions simultaneously, because addressing only the addiction leaves OCD intact as a powerful relapse driver, and treating only OCD without acknowledging the dependency frequently falls short as well.
FRC’s dual diagnosis approach integrates psychiatric support, evidence-based therapy, and structured programming across multiple levels of care. The clinical team develops individualized treatment plans that address the specific way OCD and substance use interact for each patient, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Statistics on OCD and Substance Abuse in Tennessee
In Tennessee, OCD affects millions of adults, and many families in the child welfare system experience issues with substance use as well as mental health conditions, including OCD. Research shows symptoms of OCD and other neurotypes negatively affect life satisfaction, highlighting the emotional challenges people face.
Substance use is common among people with severe mental illnesses, with nearly half affected, increasing the need for specialized care. Fortunately, Tennessee offers resources to help, with 205 treatment facilities providing dual-diagnosis services for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. This means that for people dealing with OCD and addiction, there are tailored programs available to address both conditions together, improving the chances of recovery and supporting emotional well-being across the state.
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When OCD and Addiction Collide, Treating One Without the Other Frequently Falls Short
For many people, obsessive-compulsive disorder does not show up on its own. The relentless cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors creates an enormous amount of psychological distress, and substances often enter the picture as an attempt to quiet that noise. Alcohol may dull the anxiety behind obsessions. Opioids or benzodiazepines may become a way to break out of a compulsion loop. Over time, the substance use becomes its own problem, layered on top of the OCD that was never fully addressed.
This is the clinical reality that Freeman Recovery Center is built to handle. Because more than 50% of FRC’s staff are personally in recovery, the team brings both clinical training and firsthand understanding to the way co-occurring conditions are treated. The goal is not simply to stabilize someone enough to leave, but to build the clinical foundation that gives both OCD and addiction recovery a genuine path forward.
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Our Rehab Facilities That Treat Dual Diagnosis in Tennessee
Freeman Recovery Center offers 24/7 co-occurring Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and substance abuse rehab at our detoxification and residential inpatient facility at 1615 Highway 96, Burns, TN 37029, and we also provide PHPs, IOPs, and outpatient services at 250 State St., Dickson, TN 37055 for structured, OCD-informed addiction treatment (open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday); call (615) 645-3677 to learn more about your options.
Levels of Care for Dual Diagnosis OCD Treatment at Freeman Recovery
Medical Detox (Burns, TN campus): For patients who have developed physical dependence on substances, safe withdrawal management is the first clinical priority. FRC’s medically monitored detox program, located at the Burns, TN campus, provides 24/7 medical and clinical supervision throughout the withdrawal process. For patients with OCD, this phase also involves psychiatric assessment to begin mapping out the mental health component of treatment.
Residential Treatment (Burns, TN campus): After detox, residential care for a dual diagnosis provides the most intensive structured environment for addressing both OCD and addiction. Patients at the Burns campus live on-site with 24/7 support, participating in individual therapy, group sessions, and trauma-informed counseling. For someone whose OCD has been severe or long-standing, the immersive structure of residential treatment provides the consistency that meaningful symptom reduction requires. Residential programs range from 30-day options up to 90-day and 180-day stays depending on clinical need.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) in Dickson, TN: PHP for a dual diagnosis delivers intensive daytime clinical programming at FRC’s Dickson location while patients live off-site, whether at home or in one of FRC’s sober living homes in Middle Tennessee. For patients stepping down from residential care, or entering treatment without requiring inpatient stabilization, PHP maintains a high level of therapeutic intensity without the full residential structure. OCD-focused therapy continues daily within the PHP schedule.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Dickson, TN: IOP for a dual diagnosis provides several hours of structured therapy per week, with evening sessions available for adults who are working, parenting, or managing other daily responsibilities. For patients further along in recovery from OCD and co-occurring addiction, IOP supports continued progress while gradually reintegrating into daily life. Supportive recovery housing through FRC’s sober living network is available for IOP patients who need stable housing.
The Therapies Used to Treat OCD in a Dual Diagnosis Setting
Effective OCD treatment in a substance use recovery context draws on specific evidence-based frameworks. The therapies FRC uses are clinically validated approaches suited to the complexity of co-occurring OCD and addiction.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the primary evidence-based treatments for OCD, working by identifying the distorted thought patterns that fuel obsessions and the behavioral patterns that reinforce compulsions. In a dual diagnosis context, CBT also addresses the cognitive distortions that drive substance use, creating an integrated framework that challenges both sets of patterns simultaneously. FRC clinicians apply CBT across all levels of care as a foundational component of OCD-related treatment.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT’s focus on distress tolerance and emotional regulation is particularly relevant for patients with OCD, where the distress generated by intrusive thoughts is often what triggers both compulsive behaviors and substance use. The distress tolerance skills taught in DBT provide patients with concrete alternatives to compulsive action or self-medication.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Ambivalence about treatment is common with OCD, especially when compulsions have become deeply ingrained over years. FRC’s clinicians are trained in motivational interviewing, a client-centered method that uses open-ended questions, reflections, and affirmations to help patients explore their own motivation for change rather than having change imposed on them.
Trauma-Informed Counseling
For a significant portion of people with OCD, trauma is part of the clinical picture. OCD can develop or worsen following traumatic experiences, and trauma-informed care is integrated throughout FRC’s programming to ensure that the treatment environment and therapeutic relationships actively support patients with trauma histories rather than inadvertently compounding them.
Group Therapy
Group sessions provide structured peer interaction, shared accountability, and the experience of working through challenges alongside others who understand the difficulty of co-occurring conditions. For patients with OCD, the social component of group therapy also provides real-time practice with interpersonal situations that OCD can make feel threatening.
Individual Therapy
One-on-one sessions with a licensed clinician allow for the deeper, personalized work that OCD requires. The specific nature of someone’s obsessions, the way their compulsions function, and the history behind both are addressed in private sessions calibrated to that individual’s clinical needs.
OCD, Substance Use, and the Connection That Gets Missed
Research consistently shows that people with OCD have elevated rates of substance use disorders compared to the general population. Alcohol use disorder is among the most common co-occurring conditions, in part because alcohol’s short-term anti-anxiety effects can temporarily reduce OCD-related distress. Benzodiazepines carry a similar risk profile, as they are often prescribed for anxiety-adjacent conditions and can become a tool for managing obsessive anxiety before dependence sets in.
What makes this pairing particularly difficult to treat in standard settings is that OCD’s core mechanism, the obsession-compulsion cycle, closely mirrors the craving-use cycle of addiction. Both involve intrusive mental experiences that generate distress, followed by a behavior designed to relieve that distress, followed by temporary relief that reinforces the cycle. When both are present simultaneously, each cycle can amplify the other.
This is why the dual diagnosis framework at Freeman Recovery Center specifically addresses how OCD and substance use interact for each individual patient, rather than treating each condition in a separate lane.
What Treatment at Freeman Recovery Center Actually Looks Like
Day-to-day life in treatment at FRC is structured, and that structure is intentional. A typical day in residential treatment at the Burns campus includes individual therapy sessions, group therapy, 12-step or non-12-step meetings (both tracks are available), trauma-informed counseling, gender-specific support groups, medication management where clinically appropriate, and community activities. Patients engaged in PHP at the Dickson campus follow a comparable therapeutic schedule during daytime hours before returning to their residence.
FRC also offers the optional “Arise” faith-based recovery track, a Christ-centered, biblically integrated program that allows patients whose faith is central to their identity to incorporate that foundation into their treatment. Non-faith-based tracks are equally available, and no patient is required to engage with religious content.
For patients who benefit from medication as part of their OCD management, FRC’s integration with Freeman Health Partners, its sister medical and psychiatric organization, extends clinical capacity to include psychiatric services and medication management. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders is also available through this integrated care relationship.
Supporting Recovery After Treatment: What Comes Next
Discharge from residential or PHP is not the end of the clinical relationship at FRC. The Aercare alumni program provides ongoing connection through alumni events, a dedicated alumni app, peer mentoring, and recovery coaching after treatment ends. For patients with OCD, the maintenance phase of recovery is critical because OCD requires ongoing management and a strong support network well beyond any single treatment episode.
Patients stepping down from residential treatment can transition into PHP or IOP at the Dickson location, with sober living available through FRC’s network of gender-specific homes across Middle Tennessee for those who need stable housing during outpatient care.
The full continuum at Freeman Recovery Center, from detox through residential, PHP, IOP, standard outpatient, sober living, and alumni support, exists within a single provider network. Transitions between levels of care do not mean starting over with a new clinical team.
Frequently Asked Questions About OCD and Addiction Treatment
Can OCD and addiction be treated at the same facility in Tennessee?
Yes. Freeman Recovery Center’s dual diagnosis programming is designed to treat co-occurring conditions like OCD and substance use disorders within an integrated framework. Both conditions are addressed by the same clinical team across all levels of care, from residential treatment at the Burns, TN campus to PHP and IOP in Dickson, TN, near Nashville.
What is dual diagnosis treatment for OCD?
Dual diagnosis treatment means that both OCD and the co-occurring substance use disorder are treated simultaneously rather than sequentially. At FRC, psychiatric assessment, evidence-based therapy for OCD, and addiction-focused clinical work are integrated into a single treatment plan rather than addressed in separate silos.
Does OCD qualify as a dual diagnosis condition?
Yes. When OCD is present alongside a substance use disorder, it meets the clinical definition of a co-occurring or dual diagnosis condition. This designation means both conditions are treated together within the same program rather than referred out to separate providers. Research indicates that OCD significantly increases the risk of substance use disorders, particularly alcohol and benzodiazepine dependence, making integrated treatment the appropriate clinical standard.
Does Freeman Recovery Center treat OCD alongside substance use disorders?
Yes. OCD is one of the co-occurring mental health conditions addressed within FRC’s dual diagnosis programming alongside addiction treatment. The clinical team includes licensed professionals trained in evidence-based approaches relevant to OCD treatment within an addiction recovery context.
What therapies are used to treat OCD in a rehab setting?
At FRC, OCD is addressed through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, trauma-informed counseling, and individual and group therapy. Consult directly with the FRC admissions and clinical team at (615) 645-3677 for a complete and current list of OCD-specific therapeutic protocols available at each level of care.
Statistical Data on OCD and Addiction in Tennessee
- According to NAMI Tennessee, 2 million to 3 million adults in the U.S. have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- About 60% of the families with children in the child welfare system have problems with substance use, and at least half of those have a co-occurring mental illness, the Tennessee Co-Occurring Disorders Collaborative reports.
- Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder have negative effects on life satisfaction and account for 15% of the variation in life satisfaction, according to a study published by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
- Substance use affects nearly 50% of people with a severe mental illness, according to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
- According to SAMHSA, 205 substance use treatment facilities in Tennessee offer treatment for clients with co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
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