Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Can Help People Overcome Phobias
“Phobias are one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. with around 10% of the population reporting specific phobia, says the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).1 Specific phobia is defined as an intense, irrational fear of something that in fact poses little or no real danger. Phobias may be caused by different things, says Amy Morin, LCSW, psychotherapist and the editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind. "Childhood events can contribute to phobias," she says. "The way your parents responded to your fears, for example, may play a big role in how likely you are to develop a phobia." Genetics may also play a role, Morin adds. This means a family history of anxiety disorders may increase your risk of developing a phobia. We can also link traumatic experiences to phobias; for instance, someone may develop a phobia of driving after a serious car accident or a fear of water after a near-drowning experience.
Researchers investigating the impact of virtual reality (VR) on phobias found that a combination of a VR exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—via a new app, oVRcome—had a high success rate in helping participants treat their phobias. The app involves what's called exposure therapy, a form of CBT that exposes participants to their specific phobias in short bursts, which aims to build up tolerance to the phobia in a clinically-approved and controlled way. "Participants demonstrated a strong acceptability of the app, highlighting its potential for delivering easily accessible, cost-effective treatment at scale, of particular use for those unable to access in-person exposure therapy to treat their phobias," says Lacey. The results, published in the Australia & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, showed a 75% reduction in phobia symptoms after the six-week treatment program. After this time, some of the participants felt comfortable facing their fears in real life.
Key
Takeaways
- A new study found that combining VR exposure therapy and CBT via an app was successful in helping people treat their phobias.
- People with common phobias such as a fear of dogs, flying, and needles reported an average reduction in their phobia symptoms of 75% after six weeks.
- Some people may be prescribed medication to manage symptoms of phobia, while CBT and exposure therapy can help treat the root cause."
Read the whole article at VeryWellMind
#VirtualReality #Phobias #Fear #Treatment
💬 Do you have any phobia? Would you consider Virtual Reality treatment?
💬 If you do not have any phobia what do you think could be the advantages/disadvantages of this treatment option?
@globalBraid3744
I've definitely heard about this! It's kind of a like exposure therapy except you're not directly exposed to the phobia trigger. It's a innovative and creative way to address medical problems with available technology that we have.
@sunnyWriting4806
Exactly! It might be so effective because it is based on principles of evidence-based Exposure therapy while it is less traumatic for the client. Nevertheless, it eases the process of stimuli desensitization so the person is less afraid to some degree as a result.
while i do not have any phobias ....
this may be useful in exposing a person to the phobia trigger in a safe and easy way however like in any simulation ... it may not deal with the often changing and unpredictable reality
for example dogs act in many many ways and the experience of a mild mannered dog to help someone over the phobia does not take into account lets say a overly friendly dog that can be confused as aggressive etc....
@toughTiger6481
These are good thoughts!! Perhaps this type of exposure can be the first step in the therapy to help the client face the feared stimulus (situation/animal etc). It is generally known that the exposure must occur in different settings to improve the therapeutic results. So as you mentioned, when someone has a dog phobia it might be important to expose the client to different dog breeds as well as in different places (e.g. in therapeutic settings, in a dog park, on the street)
@globalBraid3744 Very interesting post.
I enjoyed reading this.
Thanks for sharing this information, with the 7cups community.
@Happy900
Thank you for reading my post, I am very glad you enjoyed it!