Virtual Reality Based Treatments for Anxiety Disorders

Behavioral therapy has been a traditionally effective method of treating anxiety disorders. In this therapy, patients learn that the more that they expose themselves to a fearful situation, the better they will be able to cope with more anxiety-provoking situations in the future. Virtual reality treatment is structured in the same way as traditional behavioral therapy. The big difference is that patients are exposed to virtual environments and not real situations. VR treatment makes it possible to recreate the painful stimulus, enabling both the patient and clinician to have complete control over the situation. VR also allows patients to confront fears that are not easy to simulate because of geography or cost – fear of heights or flying for example. This book is a comprehensive review of the use of virtual reality to treat anxiety disorders, including specific phobias, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The book includes a review of the results of past research and controlled studies on each disorder, descriptions of the symptomatology of each disorder, protocols for the treatment of each disorder and the ethical implications of virtual reality treatment.

Brenda K. Wiederhold is Executive Director of the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), a professional medical corporation with offices in San Diego and Los Angeles, California and as Chief Executive Officer of the Interactive Media Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the application of advanced technologies for patient care. She is also a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD. Dr. Wiederhold is a licensed clinical psychologist and has a doctorate in Clinical Health Psychology, as well as national certification in both biofeedback and neurofeedback. She serves on the editorial board of Cyber Psychology & Behavior Journal and is recognized as a national and international expert in the treatment of anxiety, panic and phobias with virtual reality exposure and cognitive-behavioral therapy, having completed over 3,000 VR therapy sessions. VRMC offers comprehensive programs to treat fear of flying, driving, public speaking, heights, claustrophobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social phobia and eating disorders. Prior to entering the field of psychology, Dr. Wiederhold completed a Masters in Business Administration and has ten years experience as a chief financial officer of a management consulting firm and served in civil service as head of internal audit for the government.