Virtual Iraq: The Psychology of War

When soldiers return from war, their experiences incorporated with stress and combat with life or death situations cause many to experience symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Evidently, this is a complicated and necessary disorder to treat. In Sue Halperns Virtual Iraq psychologists begin a new method of coping with PTSD. Prolonged-Exposure therapy; the big idea is this: soldiers need an outlet so real to their experience that they are able to cope with it, come to terms, and be able to live in their trying positions. Virtual stimulation's allow the tragic men and women to flashback to an uncomfortable time, and because of this psychologists require that scenarios be given to the patients before they begin immersion therapy. "We're a video game generation. It's what we grew up on. So maybe we'll respond to it" says Paul Riechoff of the simulator. Although, there are some concerns with the product such as the graphic features that contain explicit images of war. Clinical trails show that this treatment can be proven useful but it will always be impossible to fully eliminate the effects of post traumatic stress disorder. Veterans who are fortunate enough to live should not have to experience such horror when they return home, and Virtual Iraq may help, but full recovery is impossible.