VR In PTSD Therapy

Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD can originate from many different things. According to Wasmer (2016) about 7.7 billion people suffer from PTSD. One of the most common contributors is war and combat situations. There is also rape, child abuse, car accidents, and other tragic events that can cause PTSD. That being said there are also several different ways to combat PTSD. The two most common methods are medication and exposure therapy. Though there are many other forms of therapy these two forms are recommended because of extensive research and positive test results.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is described as a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after experiencing a traumatic event that causes extreme emotional trauma. This emotional trauma is more often than not contributed to a fear of injury or death to either oneself or others. It is currently projected that one in three returning military service members will suffer from PTSD. Along with the rise in PTSD the suicide rate for military service members and veterans has increased astronomically with an average of 22 suicides per day. With so many of the nation’s veterans suffering from this disorder it has become the center for research and studies within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). The focal point of this research being how to improve PTSD sufferer’s quality of life and if it is possible to prevent PTSD altogether.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and persistent problem in military populations with an estimated 21.8% of veterans diagnosed after Iraq and Afghanistan. Along with PTSD, there is an increase in substance abuse, depression, and interpersonal conflicts in this population. The more a solider is exposed to combat, the higher the risk is for developing PTSD. There is a strong negative stigma against mental health care for active or recently deployed soldiers, despite having a higher incidence of reported mental health issues. Because of this, there is a need for treatment without the stigma for PTSD symptoms for active duty military in general health care settings as opposed to solely

The following provides a brief overview and critique of the intervention video. The video provides a visual of a therapeutic session using cognitive processing therapy (CPT) with a veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic disorder (PTSD). There is significant evidence that distinguishes CPT as an effective intervention model for PTSD.

Although American service members have felt the lasting effects of combat throughout the history of the nation, it was not until 1980 that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was formally added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Once referred to as “irritable heart” or “shell-shock,” PTSD made its way into the national spotlight in the years following the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan due to U.S. military members having difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. High rates of suicide, depression, and elevated levels of violent crime within the veteran community made the need to find an effective treatment of this disorder a top priority for the Veterans Health Administration. While it is widely accepted by medical professionals that there is no single, definitive cure for PTSD, many different methods have been cultivated within the past 15 years that make coping with it an easier process; some to a greater extent than others. While medications, namely antidepressants and benzodiazepines, usually find themselves at the forefront of any discussion regarding mental debilitation, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution to the problems that combat veterans face. As this particular disorder is attached to a certain memory or traumatic occurrence, alternative methods of rehabilitation such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) have also shown promise in

On March 19, 2003, then President George W. Bush “gave the green light to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom” (history.com, 2009). From the start of the war to present day, the casualties of American military personnel were calculated to be in the range of over 4,000 that have served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The number of wounded military personnel returning from deployment was upwards of 31,000. According to research conducted by Burke, Degeneffe & Olney (2009), traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the signature injuries of military personnel returning from OIF deployments. While there are elevated rates of military personnel returning from OIF with

“The goal of CBT is to teach clients how to separate the evaluation of their behaviour from the evaluation of themselves and how to accept themselves in spite of imperfections” (Corey, 2009, p. 279). In CBT the clients are expected to change their current behaviour (normally full of automatic thoughts) to a more rational way of thinking. The clinician will challenge the client’s behaviour in order for the client to understand his or her behaviour and get alternatives to change his/her behaviour. When using CBT, the client’s behaviour changes when they are aware of the abnormal behaviour. This approach allows the client to focus on improving his/her wellbeing. This enhances the client’s awareness of an existing issue and that changes are necessary. The client will develop new coping skills to deal with the situation and develop a new way of thinking from negative (automatic thoughts) to positive (more realistic thoughts). Initially the client may not recognise that a problem exists, but through this process will get

Twenty percent of all American adults who experience traumatic events this year will go on to develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. It is estimated that 31 million United States citizens are suffering from the disorder at any given moment. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is one of the world’s most prominent psychological issues, despite the fact that several people are not even familiar with its name. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that may occur after experiencing traumatizing events or being involved in life-threatening situations. There are several warning signs that a victim of PTSD may omit that range from subtle to very intense, including—but not limited to—avoidance of certain people, objects, or places, negative thoughts and moodiness, and changes in emotional behavior. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent the onset of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder altogether. For example, one can try to detect the disorder early, and seek help immediately following a traumatizing event. However, if PTSD does happen to be diagnosed, it can be managed via various types of psychological therapy and rehabilitation as well as medically prescribed aliments to combat the potential issues that may arise. These treatments are beneficial to society as a whole when taking into consideration just how many of its members suffer from this disorder. Many people deal with PTSD, but the presence of this pandemic can be moderated through consciousness of causation,

Although this specific program will likely not become available to average consumers, the same foundations for the simulation will be available on the marketplace while being affordable at the same time. In time, applied use of virtual reality such as the Oculus Rift will become mainstream and accepted in everyday life not only due its entertainment value, but also due to its affordability for consumers everywhere. Thoughts of virtual reality often resemble fantastical scenarios reminiscent of scenes in movies with similar themes like Gamer, The Matrix, Total Recall, and Inception. After one delves into the VR technology in products such as the Oculus Rift, one will begin to believe, and he or she will brace themselves for the tidal wave that is the paradigm shift of virtual reality.

Virtual reality, also known as VR or computer simulated reality, is a new computer technology that mimic an real or imagined environment, VR simulates a user's physical presence and environment.it does this in a way that allows the person to touch and interact with it. VR aims artificially create a sensory experience for the user, which can include touch, Sight, Smell, and Hearing.

The lack of technology in the past has left multiple stroke patients struggling with physical and mental impairments. However, due to the constant change and improvements made to technology, patients are now getting more help with their physical and mental needs. Nowadays, the odds of a patient gaining full function and ability back after a traumatic brain injury are much more favorable than not. Advanced technology such as robotic gloves, interactive video games, and electrical stimulators are effective tools in the treatment of strokes because they stimulate the brain to help regain ability and motor functions.

In order to explore the efficacy of VRET we investigate its effect on reducing symptoms of PTSD and compare it to prolonged exposure. Prolonged exposure (PE) is considered a gold standard in PTSD treatment due to the significant evidence supporting its efficacy (Rothbaum, Hodges, Ready, Graap, Alarcon, 2001; Powers et al., 2010). So far there have been seven studies comparing the effects of VRET to PE in treating PTSD. The control group in these studies involvs traditional PE in which patients re-experience traumatic memories through imaginal and in-vivo exposure with the help of a therapist.

Oculus VR is a company that is working to develop a virtual reality for video

VR systems support 3-dimensional graphics, wide angle of view, stereovision, and viewer-centered perspective. In many VR systems the participant is not seated and is free to walk about and gesture broadly. These features make a computer system which is closer to a workshop, an operating room, or a national park than it is to a desk in an office. This perspective allows freedom in the creation of human-computer interfaces that is not afforded by the current standard interfaces [4].

Seeing is believing, these words are the best combination to understand the meaning of Virtual Reality (VR). VR is one of the best asset and aspect of our future. No other technology has seen such a revolution like VR has. It is practically in use in almost every field such as entertainment, gaming, defense, robotics, medical, healthcare, military, education, fashion, heritage, business, engineering and many more fields. VR sometimes called Virtual Environment has drawn much attention in the last two decade. Extensive media coverage causes the much more rapid increase in the interest of the masses. Very few people, however, really know what VR is and what are its open problems are. In this report a historical overview of virtual reality is presented, basic terminology as an introduction are listed, followed by applications of this technology in science, work, and entertainment areas. Its present developments are thoroughly discussed in this report. Finally, the future of VR is considered in two aspects: technological and social. New research directions, technological frontiers and potential applications are pointed out. The possible positive and negative influence of VR on life of average people is speculated.