70: Playing Through the Pain

The Escapist Staff

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"Many people still see virtual reality as a parody of itself; the goofy headsets and trippy virtual environments have inspired fads like the Virtual Boy and B-movies like The Lawnmower Man. But as a therapy tool, virtual reality has proven exceptionally potent. 'We found that people do get better using virtual reality therapy,' says Rothbaum. 'That it translates into real life.'

"Rothbaum points out another benefit of virtual reality: 'If you think about who the Iraq war veterans are, it's a very video-savvy, electronic generation,' she says. 'For people who don't want traditional therapy, the idea of virtual reality might be attractive. They might get curious and try it.'"

Lara Crigger speaks to researchers who are treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with video games.
Playing Through the Pain