PTSD Treatment Following Auto Accidents
PTSD Treatment Following Auto Accidents – People who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a lot to deal with. They often have trouble adjusting to their everyday life, have difficulty sleeping at night, and have issues maintaining their relationships with family and friends. Most people associate PTSD with serving in the military. While this is true, PTSD can impact anyone, including those who have been involved in an auto accident. The treatment of PTSD is multi-faceted and often requires counseling, therapy, and possibly medication, however, virtual reality is also emerging as an effective treatment option for those who suffer from PTSD. According to a news article which was recently published:
- Virtual reality for PTSD first made headlines following a study out of Georgia Tech in 1997.
- Ten veterans who were suffering from PTSD put on virtual reality headsets after not responding to conventional PTSD treatment.
- They entered a jungle setting which was called “virtual Vietnam.”
- The researchers manipulated the setting to make it similar to each person’s individual trauma.
- After a month of this exposure therapy, every veteran showed improvement in his or her symptoms.
Virtual reality has the potential to help people who are suffering from PTSD after serving in the military, however, can it also be effective in helping people who have developed PTSD in other ways?
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
When someone is going through post-traumatic stress disorder, it can sometimes take a while to arrive at this diagnosis. Often, PTSD is confused with many other mental health conditions. However, some of the signs and symptoms that family members and friends can look for include:
- Hypervigilance, or the feeling that someone is out to get them.
- Self-destructive behavior.
- Difficulty maintaining relationships with family and friends.
- Easily irritable with significant emotional swings.
- Flashbacks to the event that caused the trauma.
- Loss of interest in activities and events that used to provide happiness.
- Difficulty sleeping at night due to insomnia and nightmares.
Everyone who develops PTSD manifests it in different ways. Some people could experience all of the symptoms above while others may only experience a couple. The treatment of PTSD often involves meeting with a counselor. However, research is starting to show the potential of virtual reality treatment.
Virtual Reality Treatment for PTSD Following an Auto Accident
Those who are involved in an auto accident and suffer serious injuries can develop PTSD just like anyone else who has been through a traumatic event. The symptoms that these individuals develop can be markedly similar to those who have been through combat. Virtual reality works by:
- Placing people into a virtual world that is similar to the one that caused their trauma.
- Talking the individuals through their trauma using exposure therapy.
- Exposing the individuals to their trauma and demonstrating that they make it out alive. Virtual reality can help people overcome their trauma.
While this doesn’t happen overnight and more research still needs to be done, the early results are promising. Those who have experienced traumatic injuries or lost loved ones in accidents may find virtual reality treatment helpful. The technology is improving quickly, and this could represent a novel treatment option for those looking for help.
Watch YouTube Video: Treating PTSD with Virtual Reality Therapy: A Way to Heal Trauma. In this video, ABC News reports about a clinical psychologist who applies virtual reality to help treat patients suffering from PTSD after a traumatic event.
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Sacramento Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer. Virtual reality is an emerging treatment option for severe pain. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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PTSD Treatment Following Auto Accidents: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/ PTSD Treatment Following Auto Accidents.
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