Confronting Post-Traumatic Stress

New Therapy for Battlefield PTSD

VR is expanding the capabilities of traditional Imaginal Exposure Therapy for PTSD. In conventional Imaginal Therapy the therapist guides the patient to recall, confront and then cope with memories of traumatic events and associated emotions. This approach faces challenges because it requires emotionally scarred individuals to immerse themselves in their most painful memories. Virtual worlds tailored to the themes and experiences of battlefield vets can compliment therapy by engaging the patient in a dynamic simulation of a traumatic event, helping them gain access to their memories of their own traumatic combat-related experience.

Firsthand virtual worlds immerse the patient in a compelling, dynamic environment. Our unique experience developing PTSD applications enables Firsthand to create the highly engaging environments required for therapeutic applications. Firsthand has teamed with leading psychologists in VR and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to build a number of applications. One example is IraqWorld, which simulates an attack on a humvee patrol on the streets of Baghdad.