What is virtual reality therapy?
Virtual reality therapy is a new form of psychological therapy that helps to relive situations virtually. In this way patients safely experience different problematic situations.
Virtual reality and augmented reality can be defined as a set of three-dimensional environments with which a person interacts in real time, thus producing a sense of immersion (sense of presence) similar to that which occurs in a real situation.
Why is it performed?
This technology is used as a diagnostic and psychological treatment tool in different pathologies. It also serves as a way to face, in a controlled manner, situations that we would have in real life.
Among the advantages of virtual reality are the following:
- Non-invasive and safe technique.
- Shorter therapy: with the use of virtual reality the number of sessions is shortened.
This technique can help in the treatment of
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: the experience of traumatic experiences such as war, sexual assault, car accident or terrorist attack.
- Attention deficit disorder
- Hyperactivity
- Addictions
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Hypochondriasis
What does it consist of?
The virtual reality technique is based on the projection of interactive 3D graphics through a virtual reality device, such as glasses and headphones. The patient is also fitted with biofeedback sensors, which make it possible to monitor various parameters, such as blood pressure or vital signs, and which can show the patient’s degree of anxiety or stress.