Author Topic: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD  (Read 269 times)

Offline EskimoJoe

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Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« on: December 31, 2009, 05:55:24 PM »
At Andrews AFB, Maryland. A virtual reality setup helps troops coming back from the sandbox suffering from PTSD. There might be one commercial, about 30 seconds long before the actual video begins, just a forewarning.

http://www.ktuu.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=4422705&at1=Slideshow

Let's not turn this into political BS. Comments? I think this is pretty cool, so I thought I'd share.
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Offline crazyivan

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2009, 06:29:53 PM »
Yeah saw that this morning on the news.
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Offline USRanger

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2009, 06:39:54 PM »
I'm no shrink, but I have no interest in reliving that time in my life.  I won't even play CoD.  Bringing troops home & then making them play it as a friggin video game is insulting IMO.  But like I said, I'm no shrink.
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Offline EskimoJoe

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2009, 06:47:12 PM »
I'm no shrink, but I have no interest in reliving that time in my life.  I won't even play CoD.  Bringing troops home & then making them play it as a friggin video game is insulting IMO.  But like I said, I'm no shrink.
It may help some, at least.
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Offline crazyivan

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 06:53:29 PM »
The thoery was I think reliving a traumatic experience in a safe environment. No shrink either,  but the virtual headset looked neat.
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Offline EskimoJoe

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2009, 06:59:46 PM »
The thoery was I think reliving a traumatic experience in a safe environment. No shrink either,  but the virtual headset looked neat.

I believe that was the theory as well. I agree on the headset  :aok
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Offline Ghosth

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2010, 07:33:22 AM »
Anything that can help vets put the kind of horror they have been through in context. That helps them to deal with where they have been, done, seen, so they can go back to being members of society.

That is a good thing in my opinion.

Is it perfect, most likely not. But perhaps a step in the right direction to deprogram these guys.

Offline DREDIOCK

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2010, 12:26:22 PM »
Personally I was always in favor of my idea of deploying them along our borders and gradually easing them back into a normal life again over time.
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Offline Maverick

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2010, 01:52:30 PM »
If it works, I am all for it but with the understanding that the same treatment will not be good for everyone with the syndrome. Like anything else, treatment has to be tailored to the individual. One size does not fit all. At least it is not being ignored and swept under the rug.
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Offline Penguin

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2010, 02:21:47 PM »
Here's the fundamental problem.  You've essentially taken a chainsaw and cut out every civilian part of their lives, and replaced it with the cold hard ability to kill another person.  This has left deep, deep scars in their psyche's, and that has been aggravated by the horrors of war. 

Now try to take a person who's been brainwashed, mortified, and shown dead and wounded people for years , and make them act like a normal person again.  One constraint though, it can't be bootcamp.

That's why it seems so simple in theory, but is so incredibly difficult to do.  That shouldn't keep us from trying, since these men and women gave their all to defend our country, and overseas interests from being destroyed.  To all the shrinks who help those soldiers out, you have the toughest job in the world, but please, keep on trying.  You're the only people standing between them and insanity.  :salute

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Offline Vulcan

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Re: Virtual Reality helps veterans with PTSD
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2010, 05:19:42 PM »
but the virtual headset looked neat.

Thats the same headset I use :D an emagin Z800.