# Virtual Reality Therapy



## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

Has anybody had any experience with VR therapy for SAD or any other phobia?


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

What does this involve?


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## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

Well it's supposed to be the new big thing for a while now but no one ever seems to have any experience with it, at least on here. I think of it as an intermediate step before real life exposure. It has to be better than visualization. Some links

http://www.vrphobia.com/heights.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality_therapy


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

I can see that making sense for something like a fear of heights, but social situations are very difficult to replicate in a virtual setting. I don't think I'd be intimidated at all by a virtual human being.


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## sprinter (Nov 22, 2003)

ardrum said:


> I can see that making sense for something like a fear of heights, but social situations are very difficult to replicate in a virtual setting. I don't think I'd be intimidated at all by a virtual human being.


I agree with a situation like a party or club would be hard to replicate realistically, although they do have them. But with a situation like public speaking, a virtual audience should work pretty good.
http://www.vrphobia.com/speaking.htm For heights, claustrophobia and spiders apparently some are using regular video games like Half-Life and Unreal Tournament which can be and can be "easily adapted to an individual patient's particular fears." 
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4292
I have no idea about this since I know hardly anything about video games. I might look into these games for my fear of heights though.


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## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

It would definitely be interesting to try.


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## ~AJ~ (Jan 23, 2008)

I doubt it would work, it would be like playing a role playing video game. I have no problem playing any video game


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