Stress & Trauma
What is stress?
Stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response, a complex reaction of the neurologic and endocrinologic systems. Continuous stress without relief can result in a condition called distress—a negative stress reaction that can lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, loss of appetite, increased blood pressure, chest pain, sexual dysfunction, and problems sleeping. Stress can also cause or influence a broad range of physical health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, poor healing, irritable bowel syndrome, and mental disorders such as depression or anxiety
What is trauma?
Any event that involves exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence has the potential to be traumatic. Most people will go through at least 1 traumatic event in their lives, but not everyone will respond in the same way.
Virtual Reality Therapy for Stress & Trauma
With the stress and trauma environments you can easily apply eye desensitization and reprocessing by eye movements (EMDR) to mitigate the negative impacts of traumatic events, especially in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. These environments offer bilateral auditory, visual, or kinaesthetic stimulation, working on problems related to traumatic life events.
VR Environments that help
EMDR
Individuals will finds themselves on a hill surrounded by mountains and trees, supporting feelings of openness and relaxation. This environment was designed to support EMDR techniques.
Diaphragmatic breathing in a meadow
As the individual experiences a peaceful meadow, the environment technology guides them through diaphragmatic routines. Inhalation-exhalation times can be modified based on what the individual needs.
Diaphragmatic breathing underwater in the ocean
This unique underwater environment guides patients through diaphragmatic breathing. Inhalation-exhalation times can be modified based on what the individual needs.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Using tension relaxation exercises, ordered by muscle groups, this virtual environment can train the individual in the practice of progressive muscle relaxation.
Stress introduction
Educational video that explains how the word stress is mentioned often in today’s world.
How stress affects
Our environment explains the impacts of stress at a physiologic, cognitive and behavioral level.
Breathing control
This environment offers a series of breathing control techniques to help cope with stress.
VR Therapy involves gradually introducing a person to the situation causing their fear and helping them adapt to it. It may involve just a few sessions of therapy, after which the end goal is the person confronting their fear.