Virtual reality has been around for a while now, but virtual reality therapy is just starting to take off. Virtual Reality Therapy, or VRT, uses virtual reality worlds for psychological treatment. This virtual reality can be used in different ways depending on what you are trying to accomplish.
How does Virtual Reality Therapy Work?
VRT uses virtual worlds to create a safe and controlled environment where people can do things that they may not be able to do in the real world. This could be anything from confronting their fears, such as spiders or heights, to practicing social skills in a less threatening environment. VRT can also be used to help people manage their mental health conditions.
VR to Treat Mental Disorders
Virtual Reality Therapy can help people with mental disorders by providing them a safe space to explore their thoughts and feelings. The virtual world is a controlled environment, so the therapist can guide the patient through different scenarios as needed.
This also allows the therapist to see how the patient reacts to different situations. VRT can also help people with anxiety disorders. For example, people with anxiety disorders often fear public speaking or social problems. Virtual reality therapy can help these people by practicing these stressed scenarios in a safe and controlled environment.
Benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy
There are many benefits to using virtual reality therapy. Some of these benefits include:
– The ability to treat a variety of mental health conditions
– The ability to provide a safe and controlled environment for patients
– Real-time feedback for therapists
– Can be used in individual or group settings
– Inexpensive compared to traditional therapy methods
Are There any Risks Associated with Virtual Reality Therapy?
“There are very few risks associated with virtual reality therapy.,” says Dr. Lorna a behavioural psychologist at GIDI Therapy. “The main risk is that people may become too absorbed in the virtual world and lose touch with reality. This is known as virtual reality addiction or cyber psychosis, but this is a rare occurrence and has only been reported in a small number of cases.”
Who can Benefit from It?
– Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
– Specific phobias such as fear of heights etc.
– PTSD and other trauma-related disorders
– Anxiety in general
– Depression
– Schizophrenia
– Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD)
– Eating Disorders such as Anorexia, Bulimia or Binge Eating, etc.
The Future of Virtual Reality Therapy
Firstly, VRT need to become more widely available. More people are starting to use virtual reality technology for gaming, entertainment, and education or even love, so virtual reality therapy will likely follow this trend. This may allow more people to access virtual world treatment and experience the benefits of VRT.
Second, the possibility is that virtual worlds could become available on mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc. Of course, not everyone has a high-end computer or laptop, so it would be great if virtual worlds were accessible for all types of people.
Third, virtual reality therapy’s possibility is that virtual worlds could become more interactive and customizable. Now virtual world experiences are made using computer-generated images (CGI), which can be repetitive or boring for some patients. If virtual worlds were developed with touch screen technology, it would allow the patient to interact with their virtual environment like never before.
Virtual reality therapy is a great way to treat mental health conditions. VRT provides patients with the ability to practice feared scenarios in virtual worlds, all while under the supervision of a therapist. This virtual world treatment is gaining popularity for a good reason because it may soon become widely available and even more effective.