Combating drug addiction is a very tough process. It requires a very different mindset and a desire to get rid of this unhealthy habit. In China, virtual reality can play a key role in tackling this issue moving forward. By using a very grim software experience, patients are confronted with the long-term effects of not kicking the drug habit.
Drug Addiction and Virtual Reality
There are many different ways of staving off drug use habits. Quitting cold turkey is one of the more direct approaches, although it is not the most ideal solution by any means. Most patients can’t deal with the withdrawal symptoms in this regard and often relapse pretty quickly. Chinese rehabilitation clinics are taking a very different approach in this regard.
By tapping virtual reality technology, the clinics can educate addicts on how their drug habits will affect them moving forward. The physical and mental decline drugs will cause in the long run needs to be seen to be believed. In virtual reality, the addicts will get up close and personal with ulceration, dental health decline, deformed limbs, and so forth. It immerses the addicts in a virtual reality experience which is extremely uncomfortable, yet also conveys a message first and foremost.
It is not the first time virtual reality technology makes an impact in China. Various government agencies rely on this technology in terms of psychiatry, exercise, psychotherapy, and even gaming. Altering the behavior of addicts is quite difficult using traditional methods, yet confronting them with the dire consequences of their unhealthy habits will get the message across a lot easier.
Conducting trials like these will highlight the potential benefits of using virtual reality technology in the healthcare industry. Helping addicts fight their addiction is definitely a strong use case for this technology, assuming the end results confirm this method is effectively working. More research will be needed in this regard. China is leading the charge when it comes to embracing innovative technologies, which is a positive sign.
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