Virtual Reality Therapy for Stress and Anxiety Treatment
VR Therapy for Mental Health in the Metaverse
Ever have that ‘I just want to pull the covers over my head and cocoon yourself’ sort of day? Well, you’re not alone — especially in the recent uncertain times. But there is good news. Studies show that you can actually rewire your brain to produce more of those happy chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, anandamide, and so on.
Thanks to your brain’s neuroplasticity, you can reorganize synaptic connections, structures, and functions as you replace your unhealthy thoughts and behaviors with healthier ones that offer lasting positive effects on your mental health.
Stress and Anxiety in the Modern World
You may have noticed that more and more people you know have been feeling a bit on edge. The ‘cog in a wheel’ feeling in the modern workplace and the expectation to ‘go go go’ to meet those KPIs (key performance indicators) or tight deadlines is hard enough. And going home to the nuclear family with pressures to keep the kids fed, clean, educated, and enriched sure doesn’t help — especially when you have to factor in heavy traffic to get from point A to point B. Then there were the infamous lockdowns of 2020.
It’s no wonder that stress and anxiety are among the most common reasons people seek mental health treatment.
Did you know?
- There was a 49% rise in mental stress in April 2020 with an average increase of approximately 20% monthly until January 2021. (Statista, 2021)
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States, which affects approximately 18.1% of the population (AADA, 2021)
- Anxiety disorders are incredibly treatable, yet only a little over ¼ of people suffering from the debilitating symptoms seek treatment (AADA, 2021)
Sure, stress is a completely normal (and necessary) function of your body—a helpful fight-or-flight artifact from our ancestors’ cave-dwelling days. Your body is a complex machine ‘designed’ to protect, defend, and nourish itself for survival. In the face of stress, your cortisol levels rise adrenaline production increases blood vessels constrict muscles tense heart rate speeds up digestion slows down blood sugar spikes.
All of this gives you the extra energy, stamina, and strength to outrun a Saber-toothed tiger or catch your dinner. But you don’t exactly need to do that these days, do you?‘In modernity, ‘good stress’ helps you get things done and stay of danger. It warns you to get out of the way of a fast-moving bike. It prompts you to prepare for your big test or presentation. It helps you get excited about a big date…
But prolonged stress does the exact opposite. It is like your brain is your car stuck in 4th gear even when you’re trying to park to give your engine a rest.
Chronic stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on the nervous system leading to a trickle-down effect to multiple systems in the body, ultimately taking a heavy toll on your mental and physical health.
Luckily, you can reverse most (if not all) of your symptoms with a little workout for the brain with new easy-to-use technologies you can use at home. Before we explore your options, let’s take a brief look at stress and anxiety symptoms to help you understand if you would benefit from treatment.
How Stress and Anxiety Symptoms Appear in the Mind and Body?
Stress and anxiety may look different for every individual, however, if you experience even a few of these symptoms regularly, you may benefit from a consultation with a therapist or doctor.
Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms?
- pressured, shallow, or rapid breathing
- Rapid heartbeat and/or chest pain
- Muscle tension and/or clenched jaw
- Brain fog (that feeling your brain just won’t ‘turn on’)
- Inexplicable fatigue
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep or general restlessness
- Headaches
- Stomachaches, diarrhea, and/or changes in appetite
- Panic (the feeling you want to jump out of your skin)
- Intense anger
- Trouble concentrating or intense procrastination Excessive or inexplicable sweating, clamminess, or trembling
- Dizziness
- Depersonalization (out-of-body feeling)
- Agoraphobia (intense fear of going out in public spaces or crowds) or social anxiety
Sure, everyone experiences these many of these symptoms from time to time. But it’s time to get professional help if you experience the above anxiety symptoms for weeks or months on end.
Ask yourself if you anxiety symptoms negatively affect
- relationships
- work
- personal or home hygiene
- errands and tasks
In essence, if you’re not getting things done and seeing people because of your anxiety, you could use someone help to get your life back.
Therapy Approaches for Stress and Anxiety Treatment
Brain researchers once believed that the brain did not change significantly after we reached adulthood, but we now understand that the brain is a magnificent organ that can be changed and developed over time to help us adapt to new information and experiences throughout our life. It’s like a big lump of clay waiting to be molded, shaped, and carved out again and again.
That’s great news for the anxious brain.
With the help of a supportive therapist and self-determination, you can retrain your brain to handle life’s stressors—even the big ones that used to send you back to bed.
Common methods for teaching the brain new skills to handle stress and anxiety include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Psychodynamic therapies
If anxiety or stress is life-debilitating, some people also choose to take anxiolytic, antidepressant, and benzodiazepine medications; however, they all come with the risk of side effects. “Benzos’ in particular are known to be habit forming. Therefore, many people are turning to complementary and alternative practices like yoga, mindfulness, and herbal therapies to try to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms.
Now, thanks in part to the pandemic, telehealth solutions and virtual reality are becoming a mainstay in treatment so those suffering from anxiety or stress can get the help they need from the comfort of home.
Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety Disorders or Stress
Preliminary research has revealed that virtual reality applications can be efficacious tools to help relieve stress and anxiety. VR therapy is a fully immersive experience that can encourage nervous system regulation – from an anxious fight-or-flight state to a parasympathetic state of calm and ease. Moreover, it can provide that fun-filled distraction the ‘over-thinking brain’ may need.
Your personal therapist will create a personalized treatment plan for you based on your unique needs. This may include a combination of cognitive-behavioral behavioral therapy (CBT) and similar techniques alongside VR therapy using computerized imagery within a VR headset. As you play games, you’ll also be retraining your brain to relax. Many of the exercises you learn within the applications can also be applied outside of the virtual world. You can practice even when you don’t have your headset with you.
Comprehensive Therapy Program for Anxiety and Stress
Engaging Therapy
VR therapy makes treatment programs feel less like therapy and more like playing games. You’re bound to feel excited about your therapy sessions instead of avoiding them at all costs.
Clinically Proven
Studies show that VR therapy may be an effective tool for stress and anxiety management. Thanks to the brain’s neuroplasticity, VR can help ‘rewire your brain” with healthier neurons or redirect the old ones as you develop healthier habits.Â
1:1 Support
You’ll meet with your dedicated therapist on a regular basis for personalized therapy. Between sessions, you can text your therapist if you have questions or want to discuss your treatment progress.
About Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety and Stress
There are several benefits to using our virtual reality therapy programs for stress and anxiety management:
What's included?
- VR headset sent to your home
- Video calls and in-app messaging with your dedicated XRHealth therapist
- Personalized plan-of-care, consistently updated based on your progress
Who is eligible?
- If you’ve experienced stress or anxiety for more than three months, you are likely experiencing a chronic condition and could be a good candidate for VR therapy.
- VR Therapy is available for ages 12 and up.
- Our medical VR applications treat specific health conditions. In rare situations, you might not be eligible to use VR if it is contraindicated due to another medical condition.
Where do we operate?
We provide services in MA, CA, FL, IL, GA, NY, and NJ.
In MA, we work with Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim, BCBS, Medicare, and Allways insurance providers.
Medicare also covers members in FL, CA, IL. In IL, we work with BCBS PPO.