The Hamad Medical Corporation’s Psychiatry Department will tomorrow hold a public lecture on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from 6pm-7pm.
Dr Hashem
The lecture will be delivered by HMC senior consultant psychiatrist Dr Hazem Hashem at the psychiatry department located opposite The Centre and Mega Mart and next to the Kahramaa office.
OCD is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviours that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions).
Symptoms and signs of the disease normally appear at the end of the adolescence stage and can progress with age.
The lecture will explain the symptoms of OCD, their effect on patients, their families and friends, as well as various treatment practices and latest updates in the field.
“About 2% of world population suffers from OCD. This rate may increase in Arab communities due to social and religious restrictions. OCD patients comprise about 10% of the total visitors of psychiatry clinics,” Dr Hashem said.
He explained that OCD was often a very debilitating disease as individuals who experience uncontrollable obsessions can spend a lot of their time trying to rectify their compulsions which causes more anxiety.
“Most OCD patients feel that they are alone in dealing with their problem and do not consider seeking treatment. They continue to suffer from the disease for five years or even more before consulting a psychiatrist. However, statistics show that 70% of patients who seek treatment can expect to make a complete recovery,” he stated.
During the lecture, Dr Hashem will respond to questions from attendees and members of staff will be able to provide information to the visiting public in different languages.
HMC’s Psychiatry Department offers series of lectures as part of its mandate to offer public education on different mental health illnesses and treatment options.