VR drug clinic: Simulated horror trips to reduce drug addiction

When the psychological drug addiction is stronger than the physical one, normal detox programmes often no longer help. In China, therapists are experimenting with drastic virtual reality videos that are designed to take away the desire for drugs.

"The best thing about a person is their memory. But it's also the worst thing," says Wang Yongguang, who helped develop the VR treatment at the Chinese Liangzhu Rehabilitation Centre.

His therapy is based on human memory: Explicit VR videos are intended to condition addicts to loathe drugs. According to Wang, the videos are intended to help the test subjects "transform their drug addiction into hatred and fear of drugs".

Simulated horror trips to deter drug addicts

The therapy is divided into three VR films. In the first film, addicts are shown scenes designed to trigger their desire for drugs. The patient is immersed in a hotel room scene in which drug users are gathered. He hears lighters being dropped and the sound of burning meth pipes.

The second VR video simulates a drug nightmare: the patients see their corpses being packed into bags. Maggots crawl over their bodies and gnaw on their bones. "So much pain came up in me when I took drugs. My innermost fears were awakened by the consumption and I wanted to vomit," says one of the test subjects. It is precisely these kinds of fears and horror trips that the VR video aims to trigger again - but with a clear head.

As a contrasting programme, in the third video the patient sees the good side of life without drugs. He sits at the dining table with his family in a good mood.

The therapists believe in the effect

The therapeutic approach may seem a little clumsy, but the Chinese therapists are convinced of its merits - and want to make it a success. prove with figures:

In a clinical study, 60 drug addicts underwent six VR sessions over 15 days. Around three quarters of the participants had less craving for addictive substances after this treatment. In a comparison group without VR therapy, more participants reported a desire for drugs.

"At the moment, we mainly use VR therapy for methamphetamine addicts. It is easy for addicts to stop the physical addiction," says Xia Xia, a therapist at the rehab centre. Psychological addiction, on the other hand, is more stubborn.

"VR helps patients to reduce their psychological dependency," continues Xia. However, the addiction cannot be completely cured.

The Liangzhu Rehabilitation Clinic wants to improve the therapy with additional methods: In future, other senses such as touch and smell are to be utilised in order to increase the credibility of the virtual scenes - and possibly also the effectiveness of the therapy.

Source: Vrodo / Youtube