What is OCD?

γ€€γ€€”OCD, also known as “obsessive-compulsive neurosis,” is a common psychological disorder. Patients can’t stop thinking about meaningless issues or repeatedly repeat actions that they can’t control. Patients know that these thoughts, ideas and actions are unnecessary, but they are unable to get rid of these repetitive thoughts and actions and feel very painful. Some patients have doubts about the reliability of what they have done, repeatedly checking doors, windows, electrical appliances, and whether their study homework is accurate; some patients repeatedly think about some common things, ask questions, and cannot control themselves, thus causing great damage to their life, work, and study. This has a great impact on their life, work and study.γ€€γ€€The exact cause of OCD is not known, but the earliest onset is in adolescence. 75% of patients have the disease before the age of 30, and the average age of onset is around 20. Because of its early onset and prolonged course, OCD often has a significant impact on patients’ social functioning and quality of life. In a global disease survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was found that OCD has become one of the top 20 diseases causing the highest burden of disease among young and middle-aged people aged 15 to 44. However, many patients do not seek medical attention at the beginning of the disease due to various concerns, and many patients come to the clinic only after their symptoms are so severe that they are unable to live a normal life, and the time between the beginning of the disease and the clinic is often several years, which greatly increases the difficulty of treatment. Therefore, we should pay more attention to OCD, detect it as early as possible, and treat it as early as possible in the psychology/psychosomatic medicine department of the hospital.