Virtual Therapy for Veterans

Courtesy of Science Photo Library

Doctors and researchers are continually discovering new ways to help veterans to overcome the results of serving in particularly difficult combat situations, recognizing that such service after creates life-long mental health problems for those who experienced the trauma of war. Advancements in technology have aided in the formation of new ways to address old problems, and novel approaches to overcoming combat stress, such as virtual therapy, are consistently being developed.

What is Virtual Therapy?

Virtual therapy creates a virtual world, not unlike a video game, that allows the traumatized veteran to re-visit the events of war that had a profound effect on their lives, often creating anxiety and panic disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), all issues that have severely compromised the veteran's quality of life.

With the help of the virtual therapy system, veterans can learn to disconnect their emotional reaction to a particular memory from the memory itself (a technique also referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy). The therapy has proven to be particularly helpful for those suffering from debilitating PTSD, which can often literally paralyze a veteran with fear and anxiety. Nearly 60,000 of the 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with access to VA care have been diagnosed with PTSD.

During the therapy, the subject stands on a platform or sits on a chair and is given a virtual reality headset that allows him to see and hear explosions and other things that regularly happen during combat. The platform also vibrates for a more realistic feel. The subject can control his own virtual movement by means of a push-button panel. The vet can look all the way around in a 360 degree circle and the technician/therapist can manipulate the scene as the subject talks about what he remembers.

Doctors note that because most PTSD victims practice avoidance of those situations that create stress, the disorder generally worsens. Virtual therapy - also commonly known as exposure therapy - gradually puts the vet back in the moment or moments that were the most traumatic, allowing him/her to eventually realize that the memories cannot harm him/her.

Where Can Veterans Find a Virtual Therapist?

Not all therapists or psychologists are equipped to offer virtual therapy, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has invested about $6 million in research funds for virtual therapy systems known as Virtual Iraq, which are now available in about 40 Department of Defense and Veterans affairs hospitals and clinics, including Walter Reed Medical Center, the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, and many others.

Therapists who use the virtual therapy system must train at the Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington and it is noted that Army vets are making the most use of this alternative form of therapy. During training, the therapist learns to match the virtual reality to what the veteran describes as happening to them during times of severe stress.

Does it Work?

Virtual therapy has been around for about a dozen years and was first used in military application with those who fought in Vietnam. (It has also been used to help civilians overcome issues like fear of flying or heights.) The therapy is very intense as it causes the vet to recall memories that he/she may think are better left buried. Not everyone who begins this kind of therapy sticks with it but those who can handle it have lauded its success, reporting fewer side effects of PTSD including nightmares, insomnia, and flashbacks. However, most therapists still suggest that it be used as a complementary therapy, combined with more traditional treatments for chronic stress and anxiety.

The therapy is not recommended for those with substance abuse problems, those with severe flashbacks, or vets who lack basic coping mechanisms.

Sources

The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/health/28game.html

Psych Central
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/09/02/virtual-therapy-for-ptsd/8121.html

Stars and Stripes
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63509