How do you think it feels to see your
father under trauma especially when you haven’t seen him for a long time and
you are at an age when you need his love and attention the most?
I personally haven’t experienced this but a
close friend of mine spent most of her childhood without much of her dad’s
attention because he had served in the army fighting wars and just couldn’t
leave those moments of bloodshed behind.
He was traumatized and it was difficult for him to be the father he was
set out to be because he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
To give an end to this suffering,
technology has something to offer….
Yes I am talking about the use of virtual reality in preventing and helping cure PTSD.
PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
We all have internal fears towards some situations or environments
based on our past experiences. But in some cases, this fear is so extreme that it
haunts them in their day-to-day lives, creating mental stress of unbearable
levels and changing their normal human behavior. This is called as PTSD. The
characteristics of PTSD are intrusive thoughts and flashbacks, anger,
isolation, emotional numbing, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, survivor
guilt, hype, suicidal feelings and thoughts, alienation, negative self-image.
A few years back, doctors thought about the application of Virtual Reality to treat this disorder acclimatizing patients to the situations by
exposing them to a series of imitated virtual situations to create a sense of
mental adaptation. Although the therapy is still undergoing trials involving a
few Vietnam War Veterans of the US Military, doctors have seen a significant
reduction in symptoms of PTSD after just 13 exposures. This is giving doctors a ray of hope in the
direction of treating PTSD through Virtual Reality.
The current project is aimed at treating Iraq & Afghanistan war
veterans where a game named “Full Spectrum Warrior” imitates cities and war
environments customized to the individual needs of every patient.
Maybe you and I cannot relate to these technology
advancement but it is my friend and many who have suffered from this trauma of
their loved ones who will truly benefit from this technology.
I feel working on this technology is
totally worth it as it makes the world a better place to live…. After all we have
a responsibility to help the people who fight for us and have sleepless nights
so that we can sleep in peace.
