By John Garcia Jr.
August 5, 2009
SYRACUSE, NY- The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has affected soldiers and their families since it began. Once the heroes return to the states, the war within them is far from over.
A very common battle that veterans face is post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a condition that results in anxiety stimulated by the experiences of war. The disorder commonly leads to substance and drug abuse in order to “hide” or “become numb” from the memory of trauma says Dr. Robbi Saletsky (pictured), director of the cognitive behavior therapy program at Upstate Medical University. She believes screenings that every soldier has to go through in order to deploy overseas should be stricter to try and catch more vulnerable soldiers before they are exposed to trauma experiences.
Treatment for PTSD has been mostly traditional therapy for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans, until now. The Medical University has purchased a program called "Virtual Iraq" that immerses PTSD sufferers right back into the war world they still fear in order to reduce anxiety.
"Virtual Iraq" is virtual reality hardware and software that provides the patient with the sights, sounds, and even scents from the war. The equipment includes a vibrating base, seeing goggles, headphones, and the device that deploys the scent. Scents: Gunpowder, Iraqi Market, Burning Tires, Body Odor, Gasoline etc.
The scenarios and intensity of the 30-minute “game play” are controlled by Doctors like Saletsky who have experience in dealing with PTSD diagnoses. She can control the amount of smells like gunpowder, the vibration of a humvee’s engine, or the level of gunfire from an air raid. Saletsky spoke of the program’s goal.
“To reenter the world that they were initially traumatized in and the goal that they gradually gradually are able to experience the memory without so much anxiety,” said Saletsky.
The gradual process is a weekly session, usually between 10-16 sessions, with a 90 minute one on one therapeutic experience. The 30-minute virtual session will be monitored by the doctor with little communication to record reactions of certain situations to target the most contributing memory that stimulates PTSD. The plan suggests it gets easier over time.
“Have them return to the memory in a safe and comfortable manner and be able to tolerate their anxiety,” said Saletsky.
The program was recently purchased by Upstate Medical University. The program is the latest in virtual reality therapy used off of positive research from similar models that help deal with phobias such as fear of flying. Other simulators have been used by Saletsky to aid victims of PTSD resulting from Vietnam, September 11, and Hurricane Katrina. The program is the only one of its kind in use in the state outside of New York City.
Symptoms of PTSD
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Anxiety When War is Referenced
Once Diagnosed
Client would request or be referred to “exposure therapy” that attacks the problem in small doses if determined appropriate by therapist.
History
Virtual Iraq was based off of the 2004 combat video game Full Spectrum Warrior.
Saletsky Quote 1:
Saletsky Quote 2:
No comments:
Post a Comment