Virtual Reality Helps Soldiers Cope with the Actual Reality of PTSD

A new clinic at Andrews Air force Base is giving soldiers a chance to re-live the most treacherous, dangerous, and violent aspects of war. Although the traditional notion is that soldiers should be kept as far away from those images and thoughts as possible, these new virtual reality concepts may be the keys in unlocking the emotional toll of post traumatic stress disorder. At the clinic, soldiers have the opportunity to put on headphones to hear the sounds of battles, gunfire, shouting, etc. They also put on virtual reality goggles, allowing them to see images of warfare.

In some of the virtual reality scenarios, soldiers are riding in troop vehicles headed into foreign, dangerous territory. Most of these set ups recall flashbacks from soldiers that led to a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder. This disorder effects thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans every year, with that number to only increase as many go over for multiple tours of duty. The virtual reality experience takes soldiers back into the battlefield, so they can encounter stressful, terrifying situations in which their survival mechanisms kicked in and they lived through the attack. Those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder realize that they are reliving the battle in a safe place, which makes the virtual experience treatment effective.

Once the soldiers go through the virtual experience at the clinic, social workers, psychologists, and medical personnel are available to address their needs, and discuss their emotions. Colonel Tim Lacy, program manger of the clinic at Andrews stated, “ …they can reprocess the sights and sounds and vibration and so one, but with an emotional connection of safety and security rather than fear.” The concept is being tested at ten bases where troops will soon deploy back into the real battlefields. The hope is that the program will help them to return home without the fear, depression, social withdrawal, and anxiety associated with post traumatic stress disorder. Many are skeptical of the “video game” type concept, noting that no virtual experience will adequately reflect what soldiers will actually confront in war. They note that while it is a novel concept, it will likely not aid soldiers in the way it is intended. In recent months, the military and the Veteran’s Administration has been under fire with the lack of treatment options available to soldiers suffering from PTSD. It has been reported that soldiers suffering from PTSD are sent back into the field with little to no medical intervention. Perhaps this virtual experience is one way that the military is trying to rectify the problems plaguing its medical care of veterans.