Virtual reality therapy will help people in difficulty

In the beginning, there was a dream and a desire to bring help to people in difficulty through virtual reality. It was the VR facilities that brought the space for a new vision. Today, IPčko has technology that allows help to others.

Virtual reality can be very effective in releasing and relaxing for people who are experiencing stress and pressure. In times of pandemic, they are also front-line people. Another advantage is that meetings can also be done remotely, which comes in handy during the lockdown.

Virtual reality therapy is a new form of assistance that uses this technology to treat mental disorders. To be implemented, hardware (VR headset) and software (operating program on a computer) are required.

Sovereign

It is a program that is located on a computer or laptop and requires only minimal device requirements. The software handles what is projected into the VR headset to the client.

Hardware

In order for all this to work, some device is also needed, in this case a VR headset. It is a device that is used to project the selected environment. It also includes a biofeedback, which is placed on the client’s hand. It allows you to obtain important data or client responses in real time.

Virtual reality therapy. What does that actually mean?

Therapy doesn’t just start. Before that, it is necessary to consult with a psychologist, who accompanies the client throughout the process. If he decides to undergo VR therapy, he will be exposed to the environment that is projected into the VR headset. Combined with the sound from the headphones, such an experience will be perfect.

The environment itself is designed to focus on problematic situations from the client’s life. It is exposed to an environment that has a healing effect. It has to perform various tasks in it and during that time it is isolated from external disturbing stimuli. He can thus fully concentrate on the situations he needs to solve in his life.

There are two main types of therapy. Exposure therapy and virtual rehabilitation.

Exhibition therapy

The client is gradually exposed to stimuli that cause stress or other problems in him. It can thus safely interact with such an environment and gradually get used to it. This therapy is excellent for the treatment of phobias, such as flying, heights, driving, spiders or social phobias.

Virtual rehabilitation

It is based on the fulfillment of tasks and trainings, thanks to which the client learns new abilities and skills. In some cases, he regains learned abilities that he has forgotten due to various events. These can be, for example, training in cognitive abilities (memory, attention), social skills or relaxation methods.

Is virtual environment therapy effective?

There is a lot of research on the effectiveness of VR therapy. In principle, they show a very high efficiency and have been shown to have an effect on various mental health problems. Therapy can treat anxiety and panic disorder, phobias, depression, autism, stress and even chronic pain. However, it also has its disadvantages.

Benefits of VR therapy

• interesting and motivating form
• provides objective output data on the effectiveness of therapy
• the data is stored on the computer on which the simulation is performed and can be easily sent to the client
• possibility of home treatment with remote monitoring
• lower treatment and equipment costs

Disadvantages of VR therapy

• VR headsets may not be comfortable
• it may not be helpful for patients with some specific symptoms
• the experience may not always be transferable to the real world