Common treatments for OCD include psychotherapy and medication, and a combination of both is generally recommended, with a focus on different stages of treatment. Medication helps patients to regulate neurotransmitters more quickly, repair brain structure and function, improve OCD symptoms and reduce distress. Medications are commonly used for selective 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), including sertraline, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and paroxetine. Medication usually takes 8-12 weeks to determine if it is effective, so patients should not stop taking the medication prematurely. If a medication is effective, it should be maintained for at least 1-2 years, and discontinuation of the medication needs to be tapered to discontinuation under the guidance of a physician. Psychotherapy helps patients recognize and learn to cope with compulsions, learn to improve their thinking, manage their emotions and adopt effective behaviors to face life, and further integrate their strengths and improve their personality. Cognitive-behavioral therapy based on exposure and response prevention treatment is the main psychotherapeutic approach. Under the guidance of a therapist, patients are encouraged to actively, repeatedly and for a long time to expose themselves to situations that cause obsessive-compulsive anxiety and not to perform compulsive behaviors, and to practice progressively according to the difficulty of the exposure. Patients gradually experience that even without compulsive behaviors, anxiety will subside and disaster will not occur. Exposure practice is a painful and laborious process that requires the patient to invest effort, courage and persistence.