Virtual Reality Treatment Helps Chinese Drug Addicts Decrease Craving

Virtual reality (VR) treatment program may help Chinese drug addicts overcome their addiction and help them off the drugs, reveals a new study.

Over 1,000 drug users in Shanghai have undergone an eight-month virtual reality treatment program over the last three years to overcome their addiction.

Drug Detox – Alcohol, Opioid, Nicotine Detoxification
Drug detoxification (or drug detox) is a process that helps drug addicts to give up drugs with less or no withdrawal symptoms.

‘The Virtual Reality system simulates drug-craving cues to collect psychological data to assess addicts and help them off drugs.’
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More than 70 percent of the participants have reduced their desire for drugs after undergoing the treatment, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday citing the local judicial department.

During the treatment, users wearing a headset see several common drug use scenarios displayed through VR software. The headset is equipped with an infrared eye-tracker that can detect what they are looking at and for how long. If one watches an object for a long time, he or she must be interested in it.

The VR system simulates drug-craving cues to collect psychological data to evaluate addicts and help them off drugs. Their biological indicators, such as heart rate and skin conductivity, are recorded at the same time.

Impact of Drug Abuse on Health and Society
Drug abuse is a negative social trend that pushes youth to drug addiction in the pretext of getting psychological effects like excitation.

Traditional methods to induce drug cravings are mainly fake drugs and pictures of drugs, which look unreal, and addicts' eye movements cannot be recorded accurately, making assessment difficult, said Xu Ding, a senior researcher with the Shanghai rehabilitation administration.

"The VR technology can offer an immersive environment, such as a party, a bar or a KTV room, where users can interact with virtual features," Xu said.

Recreational Drugs are not Completely Safe
Recreational drugs are commonly used in rave parties. Serotonin syndrome can occur in patients taking N-benzylpiperazine.

Health professionals also use VR to help addicts cut their psychological reliance on drugs.

After inducing drug cravings, VR images automatically switch to scenes showing negative consequences of drug use, such as disease, broken families, and suicide, to arouse feelings of discomfort and then aversion to drugs.

Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drug abuse is consuming prescription medications in a way different from that as prescribed by the doctor. It is becoming a colossal health problem which can lead to addiction and even death.

"If you see a worm every time you eat an apple, you'll stop wanting apples," said Zhang Chaojing, of Shanghai Qingdong rehabilitation center.

Sometimes the VR system displays natural scenery to help calm addicts, better regulate their emotions, and gradually abandon drugs.

"Modern solutions are more scientific," said Xu.

Source-IANS