What is graded exposure?
Graded exposure is a technique to help people who suffer from anxiety or phobias.
If you suffer from agoraphobia - fear of going outside - graded exposure can help. You might start by walking a very short distance by yourself and then gradually increasing the distance until you no longer feel anxiety. For example you might start by going outside your house for a very short period of time, before gradually increasing the length of time you spend outside and the distance you travel from your house.
Traditional exposure therapy is very useful, but what about exposure therapy using virtual reality? Virtual reality can be used to simulate situations and scenarios which look realistic, but in a completely safe environment. For example some people might be scared of going out on a train. A mock up 3d display of a train using virtual reality might help those with phobias like this.
Virtual reality allows researchers to study human behaviour in a controlled, safe environment. It can simulate quasi-realistic situations.
It is thought virtual reality might be very useful to treat many mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, people with ocd, people with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar as well as pain management and eating disorders.
Below is a quote regarding the efficacy of graded exposure in people with acrophobia (fear of heights):
“This is the first case report to test the efficacy of computer-generated virtual reality (VR) for the treatment of acrophobia. The subject was a 19-year-old undergraduate student with a fear of heights, particularly of elevators. Twice weekly, sessions were conducted for 3 weeks, for a total of 5 sessions. Outcome was assessed on measures of anxiety, avoidance, attitude, distress, and included a behavioral avoidance test. VR graded exposure was successful in reducing fears of heights. VR graded exposure is proposed as a new medium for exposure therapy.”
I have a vr headset called a MetaQuest 3. It is very relaxing and you can access Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, YouTube, hundreds of 3d games and listen to music. I myself am afraid of heights but I watched many Metaquest movies that featured climbing mountains such as climbing the Matterhorn and Everest. It terrified me at the start but I started to feel less anxiety the more I watched it. It really does look as though you are really there as you can move your head and look around. This is an example of vr graded exposure carried out by myself.
Virtual reality is not always just for fun. It is a very useful tool for researchers and patients. As technology improves, computer generated vr situations will become far more realistic.
Below is the organisation called Oxford Virtual Reality (VR) for Mental Health. Here you will find many studies that have been carried out.
“For over 20 years we have combined clinical psychological science with the best immersive VR technologies to assess, understand, and treat mental health problems.”
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