The disorders that are categorized under the term ?obsessive-compulsive= are mistakenly regarded as being rare forms of mental illness. In fact, more than 3% of the population suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders. In addition to the severe sense of shame that those affected experience, which causes acute psychological stress, the disorder is often not recognized, or recognized incorrectly. In addition, there is a persistent misconception among experts that obsessive-compulsive disorders are difficult to treat. This practice-oriented standard work deals with the broad spectrum of this often bizarre condition, which is difficult to understand for outsiders, in accordance with the latest state of knowledge about it. Numerous renowned experts provide well-founded explanations of the background, special features, and methods of treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Dr. Charles Benoy is a Psychological Psychotherapist at the Centre Hospitalier Neuro-Psychiatrique Luxembourg (CHNP) and University Psychiatric Hospitals (UPK) in Basel, as well as a Board Member and Past President of the Swiss Society for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. Prof. Marc Walter, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy, specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, is departmental director and head physician of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Aargau Psychiatric Services and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Basel.