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Virtual Reality as a Tool for Mental Health

By Paul Rothbart

One of the most amazing technological advances of recent times is virtual reality. Its most common application is in video games, in which a visor and headset place players into a 3D environment where they can interact with the virtual world around them. It can also be used to give a person the experience of being in another country, underwater, or outer space. The sky's the limit. Anything a programmer can create will be available. A more recent use for VR technology is in mental health treatment. Here are three ways that virtual reality may be useful in therapy.

Situational Coaching

One of the most common problems therapists help with is anxiety in specific situations. This could be a party or social gathering that includes strangers, a crowded store, or being alone in a new place. Effective treatment involves state dependent learning. This is when the techniques learned to combat anxiety are practiced in the environment where that anxiety is experienced. The mind remembers the techniques much better this way. Time and money constraints may make training in an actual situation quite difficult. With virtual reality, the patient can experience the fearful experience right in the therapist's office. This could potentially revolutionize the treatment of this type of disorder. 

VR Is Flexible

Virtual reality environments can be created with any parameters. So if treating a person with a fear of crowds, an environment with a small number of people can be used at the start. As the patient progresses, more and more people can be added to the simulation, thus reducing anxiety in more crowded areas. A University of Oxford study tried this with a group of people who were afraid of heights. A virtual building with 10 stories was created. The patients were free to navigate to any floor, gradually working their way up as their comfort grew. The flexibility of VR makes it adaptable to help treat almost any mental disorder.

VR Can Be Automated

Virtual reality simulations can be programmed with a virtual therapist who will guide that patient through the process. In this way, a person afflicted with a mental health issue can receive a treatment session instantly without needing to set up an appointment. While this will not replace actual therapy sessions, it can be a valuable addition to traditional treatments.

Technology grows ever more sophisticated. Virtual reality provides the ability to place people in any environment, real or imagined. This can be a lot of fun but it's application as a therapy tool may prove to be a boost treating mental health issues. 

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Dallas, Tex.

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