Using Virtual Reality To Combat Fear

As the season of Halloween approaches, we thought now would be an appropriate time to discuss the very real issue of “Fear.” Phobias, anxieties and paranoia are much more common across America than you may realize and for many, they can have crippling consequences. One of the more encouraging stories on this topic came from The Independent and discussed how technology is being used to help people overcome issues that may be plaguing them.

This latest news concerns Virtual Reality (“VR” for short) and the idea that can people can face their darkest fears in a controlled setting. One example given concerns a phobia of heights, which can impede people from working in tall buildings or boarding airplanes. In this scenario, subjects put on VR glasses and are given “virtual challenges” that put them atop high peaks in the safety of a therapist’s office. Counselors are there to guide them every step of the way and can turn off the experience at a moment’s notice.

“A fear of heights is just the most common type of phobia, and one we know a lot of people do not get treatment for despite it impinging on many people’s lives quite a lot,” University of Oxford professor Daniel Freeman told The Guardian. “What is hugely encouraging here is just the size of the treatment effects; it is really very large. And the results with this are very encouraging.”

Freeman has been part of an ongoing study analyzing VR treatment for phobias. Not only is he using it to combat height issues, he is also exploring ways virtual reality can treat depression and schizophrenia. In regards to the height experiment, he tested 100 adults who claimed to suffer from this type of paranoia. Among them, exactly half were given VR sessions two to three times a week. After a period of months, 68% claimed their fears had lessened.

As he explained to The Independent, there was a strict regimen that accompanies each session. For these experiments, coaches would slowly put subjects on different floors of a VR building and ask them to perform activities (such as picking fruit, which is shown below). Pep talks and surveys would be implemented, slowly building people’s confidence as they stepped into higher and higher scenarios.

These certainly sound like encouraging results to us and we are excited to see how this type of treatment progresses. In the meantime, however, we offer our own support systems for those dealing with daily phobias and are more than happy to make ourselves available.

Exposing The Truth About Social Anxiety

This week, we’re tipping our hat to The Huffington Post. The famed news site, which is read by millions, put a very important story on its homepage. And sadly, this is a story that is all too often missed by the mainstream media. We are talking about Social Anxiety and the very real phobias that impact a large percentage of people in this country.

The HuffPo headline reads: Social Anxiety Doesn’t Get The Attention It Deserves. And that couldn’t ring more true. First we get the surprising stat. Did you know that over 15 million Americans suffer from this issue? And, for the most part, they suffer in silence.

Several case studies were used throughout the article, highlighting everyday people who find “simple tasks” excruciating. Sophie Trapani, for example, would convulse and literally shut down whenever she would have to speak in front of people. This led to her losing work, shying away from friends and even distancing herself from her family. In truth, it all becomes a vicious cycle where people get stuck in isolation.

Common fears include being judged, being rejected by peers or being confronted by dangerous people. These may not all be “rational” to the everyday person, but they are daily reality for those suffering from fear. Social anxiety can also overlap with other issues, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression or panic attacks. Worse yet, people afflicted by this are often labeled as “shy” and not taken seriously.

The article goes on to highlight the enablers of the modern world and how, in today’s day and age, it is much easier to retreat and not face your problems. Social media and the web, for example, can allow people to hide even more and go undiagnosed.

We understand that this is a very serious issue and actually have treatment options for people suffering from this affliction. The most important thing a person can do, is recognize the symptoms of social anxiety. And it is just as important for a person’s network of family and friends to acknowledge it too and, perhaps, step in if help is needed.

“It is rather easy for those who do not understand or experience the condition to ignore or marginalize the disorder,” clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly told HuffPo. “As a result, those who suffer from social anxiety often feel as if they are outcasts ― as if they do not measure up. A therapist or psychiatrist can help you work through the worst of it.”

We couldn’t agree more and are happy to help anyone suffering from this take the first step to wellness.