Have you ever imagined being able to face your biggest fears without physically being in the situation you fear? It is possible to become apprehensive about a particular event such as fear of flying. Before your flight, you may experience significant stress levels leading up to the event. However, only when you are in the actual airplane will you experience the most severe feelings of anxiety.
Don't you wish there was a way to work on your fear while being inside the airplane? Well, now you can. With virtual reality therapy, you can experience being in the feared airplane ride from the comfort of your therapist's office. Keep on reading to learn about 3 ways virtual reality could help you cope!
1. You decide when to start
Virtual Reality has been used in video games for quite some time now, however using it for therapy is a new field.
2. The intensity is regulated
Depending on the fear, it can be difficult to regulate the intensity. In the example of an airplane ride, you are either flying or not. It is a 100% emersion into a undesired situation. Virtual reality would allow you to explore the environment without necessarily pushing you to your most feared situation. The level of stress is measured the entire time and you are in charge of how far you will go.
3. You decide when to stop
In a real airplane exposure, if you want to get off the plane due to increased levels of anxiety, while flying in the air it may be impossible to do so. Other exposure scenarios such as crowds, or fear of heights, may also take some time for you to be completely physically removed from the feared stimulus. With virtual reality, this is not the case. You can safely exit the plane regardless of the destination, if you need to.