Treating phobias through virtual reality has been accelerated in recent years. However, the newly developed technologies make it possible to apply this therapy without the need for a therapist. This may be the beginning of a new era.
Phobias is a problem that affects the lives of many people and reduces the quality of life. Moreover, a significant portion of people with phobia is not treated at any time in their lives. This means that their problems have never been solved. However, the new technologies that are expanding in the last few years are getting closer to eliminating these problems.
Are therapists no longer needed?
Virtual reality has been used for a while to treat phobias. However, it was necessary to carry out this treatment under the supervision of a therapist.
Now, this necessity is gradually disappearing. A new program developed by Professor Daniel Freeman from the University of Oxford enables psychological therapy to be done through a “virtual therapist”. Moreover, it is possible to communicate with this virtual therapist thanks to the program which can be personalized and the voice command system included in the program.
The results of the experiments carried out among 100 people who have fear of heights at Oxford University are as follows: It was observed that the phobias of the 68 percent of the participants who used the googles for more than five times (each time for maximum 2 hours) a day. The decrease in the fear of these participants is almost 75 percent! Moreover, according to Freeman, these rates are much better than face-to-face therapies.
“Results are better than we expected”
Among the tasks you need to complete by wearing the virtual reality glasses is to pass through a bridge that is about to collapse, save the cat from a tree in the height of a three-floored building, and paint on the edge of a high building's balcony.
The results made us very satisfied. We were convinced that this treatment would work, but the results exceeded our expectations. When this treatment is practiced, the lives of patients are changing as if they are treated in conventional ways.
Those who suffer from fear of heights are quite satisfied with the results. Sarah, one of the participants of the treatment, says she thinks she's wearing virtual reality goggles when she is in a high place: “I'm trying to forget that I’m in a high place, thinking that I’m wearing virtual reality goggles. In this way, my anxiety decreases.
One of the participants, Nico, says that he didn’t think this treatment would make so much difference in his life but everything is so far so good: “
I thought that this treatment would be no different than a game, and that it would not reach its goal. But after the treatment, I started to push myself. The fourth after the third floor, then the fifth…”
The situation in Turkey
The use of virtual reality goggles in our country to treat phobias isn’t something recent. Çiğdem Demirsoy, clinical psychologist at NP İstanbul Brain Hospital, said: “For the treatment of anxiety and fear, virtual reality is applied only when desensitization in speech or imagination is not sufficient. In anxiety, fear and especially phobias, cognitive behavioral therapies are effective.
In psychotherapy, it is not only the treatment by talking to the patient but also utilizing technology. In the therapy of anxiety disorders and phobias, the thoughts and images causing these are spotted and the gradual desensitization is carried out. To overcome anxiety and fear, the patient must face anxiety and fear. Till the recent years, desensitization techniques in imagination had been carried out.”
Elif Üzümcü, Burçin Akın, Hüseyin Nergiz, Müjgan İnözü and Ufuk Çelikcan's article titled, Virtual Reality in Anxiety Disorders, published in an academic journal by Current Approaches in Psychiatry, also presents remarkable results.
One of the most important problems of this treatment is that virtual reality does not create a risk. That is, those with phobias know that they aren’t at risk on the terrace of the world's highest structure with virtual reality goggles. However, the conclusion of the article in Virtual Reality in Anxiety Disorders includes the following: “
Experiences in the virtual environment also affect one's real life experiences. Today's technology acts as a bridge between virtual experiences and real life experiences. The use of virtual reality technology in the evaluation and treatment of psychopathologies also gives a habit to the healthy behavior and coping skills under the control of the therapist.”
It is necessary to acknowledge that the study at the University of Oxford is just a beginning. In the following years, it is enough to buy the developed program without the need for a therapist in phobia therapies. One of the signals of this is to make investments to treat psychological disorders with virtual reality. The National Institute for Health Research in England has announced that an investment of four million pounds will be made in this area. Dr. Warren Mansell claims it's not surprising.
