Qatar's Hamad Medical Lecture to Probe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Doha, May 21 (QNA) - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a mental condition which compels affected people to repeatedly engage in uncontrollable acts due to their thoughts, feelings and fears, will be probed at a lecture organized by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). HMC Senior Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Hazem Hashem will speak on OCD which affects around 2% of world population. The lecture will be held at HMC Psychiatry Department located opposite The Center in Doha on May 23 from 6pm to 7pm, the HMC announced Monday. 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). 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 obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This rate may increase in Arab communities due to social and religious restrictions. Symptoms and signs of this disease normally appear at the end of the adolescence stage and can progress with age. OCD patients comprise about 10% of the total visitors of psychiatry clinics," said Dr. Hashem. "OCD is 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," said Dr. Hashem. "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 said. 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 these lectures as part of its mandate to offer public education on different mental health illnesses and treatment options. (QNA)