Virtual reality, also referred to as “VR,” isn’t just for fun and games. Its ability to create immersive and highly realistic experiences has made it a highly sought-after (and effective) tool helping people gain skills for real life, like training to fly an airplane or responding to a medical emergency. This revolutionary technology has also been recognized for its potential in mental health treatment.
What is virtual reality therapy (VRT)?
Virtual reality therapy is a fairly new type of mental health treatment that uses the immersive nature of VR to give patients a safe, controlled environment that allows them to confront their past and simulate new scenarios. Although the concept has been around for over 25 years, interest in this therapy modality resurfaced as the technology improved.
The potential of VR therapy is staggering. Medical professionals can monitor a person’s physiological response to simulations as part of the initial assessment and diagnosis; places and situations that would otherwise be inaccessible (or wildly expensive) are now just a headset away; virtual exposure to triggers can aid the development of coping mechanisms in a way that talk exercises would be hard-pressed to match.
Virtual reality is well-suited for a wide range of mental health conditions, from common disorders like anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and phobias, but it is particularly well-suited to trauma and addiction, as successfully managing this condition is heavily dependent on identifying triggers and developing healthy coping mechanisms. In these instances, VRT is a type of exposure therapy but in a controlled and safe environment
Why virtual reality therapy is so effective
Even if you can clearly distinguish between virtual reality and the real thing, your brain does not. In fact, your brain sometimes cannot tell the difference between things imagined or watched on a screen. Scientists proved that the same parts and pathways of your brain light up whether you are imagining, observing, or doing.
And not only the brain that reacts. Visuals of physical activity, imagined or otherwise, can cause the body to react as well. If someone showed you a video of a person running at full speed, you might unconsciously match the physiological response as if you were running, such as having a faster heart rate or breathing rate.
Virtual reality takes this “seeing is doing” mechanism to an entirely new level. Even if the graphics themselves are not entirely realistic, VR can closely simulate sensory input, making it feel like a person is really there (it’s why VR can sometimes cause motion sickness), and generating genuine emotional responses that give both patient and treatment provider a look at how one would realistically respond to a specific scenario.
Numerous studies have found that the way a person responds to a VR simulation, both emotionally and physically, is consistent with how they respond in real life. This makes VR a highly reliable tool for both patients and mental health professionals to gauge the current response and identify the next best step for treatment.
How is virtual reality used in trauma or addiction therapy?
When used for trauma or addiction therapy, virtual reality is often used in tandem with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBD) to create opportunities to practice social skills and coping mechanisms in a realistic simulation that exposes patients to their triggers without the actual risks.
This ability to provide exposure is a key reason why VR is highly effective for trauma patients. In a clinical trial involving participants with a fear of flying, those who were exposed to VR showed weaker physiological reactions — even three years after the experiment.
In the case of addiction, the most obvious benefit of VR is that it provides the benefits of a safe environment to identify and confront triggers. It can also be an added source of motivation to overcome cravings. A team of researchers used virtual reality to show addiction recovery patients two different versions of themselves: one where they stopped using drugs, and another where they didn’t. An astounding 85% of participants successfully abstained from drugs 30 days later. The results of the study revealed that the patients immersed in virtual reality had a greater ability to delay gratification and enhance their sense of “future self.”
Is Virtual Reality Therapy right for you?
Although virtual reality is a powerful resource in treating trauma and addiction, it is not meant to be a replacement for treatment. If you are curious about utilizing VR as part of exposure therapy, talk to a mental health professional today.