USING VIRTUAL REALITY EXPOSURE THERAPY TO HELP VETERANS OVERCOME ANXIETY OF WATCHING A MOVIE IN A MOVIE THEATER
Using Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy To Help Veterans Overcome Anxiety Of Watching A Movie In A Movie Theater. Post-traumatic stress disorder commonly occurs after an individual experiences a traumatic event he or she believes they have no control over. Veterans who have seen violent combat, are at a high risk of developing PTSD. According to a study conducted on Vietnam veterans, using a sample size of 3016 veterans, 30.9% of males and 26.9% of females had PTSD (Kulka, 1990). Another study used Gulf War Veterans and out of 11,441 veterans, a total 12.1% met the criteria for having PTSD (Kang, 2003). The final study was conducted
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Studies have shown perceived safety plays an important role when it comes to overcoming PTSD symptoms (Cai, 2014) and a theater does not supply an apparent, safe environment. For example, in order to feel safe, most veterans with PTSD in a social environment will choose a seat that allows them to sit strategically with their back to a corner in a wall, giving them a view of the whole room. Sitting in a corner eliminates the fear of an unknown person lurking behind him or her undetected causing the person to have high levels of stress (Collins, …show more content…
The participants will be chosen at random and will be recruited with ads placed around the community, University, and at the Veterans Hospital in Ashville, North Carolina. In order to participate, individuals must have PTSD based on a self-report survey (Orme, 2012) and be 18 years or older. Also, participants must have self-reported issues regarding going to movie theaters. Applicants must also be willing to participate in a follow up study that will happen 6 months after the intitial
Every weekend moviegoers flock to the theatres and video stores alike to catch a ride on one of society's most entertaining elements. Action films are a rush to some enthusiasts such as myself. It doesn't take long before we find ourselves on the edge of our seats frantically munching popcorn as our mind is flooded with stimuli. The box office as well as the population were shaken to the core with the releases of two new hit action movies, Friday Night Lights and V for Vendetta. Whether you enjoy the realistic on-edge action of Friday Night Lights or the poetic elocution of a historical hero in V for Vendetta this analysis is for you.
“Studies show that PTSD occurs in 1%-14% of the population. It can be diagnosed at any age, and can occ...
With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, symptoms and cases are preventable and able to be countered if addressed properly. If the potential PTSD victims take necessary action to recover from their experience early on, suffering can be aided the best. The Vietnam War, filled with the gruesome combat due to technological advancements, fighting that still resulted in northern Vietnam’s victory and leaving many soldiers with feeling that the war was pointless, and the amount of innocents killed in the process, a heavy impact was left upon the veterans; however, it was America’s generally hostile response to the Vietnam War and lack of sympathy that contributed the most to the high numbers of PTSD victims.
The horror genre is synonymous with images of terror, violence and human carnage; the mere mention of horror movies evokes physical and psychological torture. As remarked by noted author Stephen King “the mythic horror movie…has a dirty job to do. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us. It is morbidity unchained, our most base instincts let free, our nastiest fantasies realized.” (King, 786). At manageable intervals, we choose to live these horrific events vicariously through the characters in horror movies and books as a means of safely experiencing the “what if”. The horror genre allows us to explore our fears, be it spiders, vampires, loss of our identity, or death of a loved, under the most fantastic and horrible circumstances conceivable. King also points out that by watching horror movies we “may allow our emotions a free rein . . . or no rein at all.” (King, 784). According to psychiatrist James Schaller, by vicariously “experiencing contrived fears, a person develops a sense of competence over similar types of fears.” (Schaller). Horror films allow the viewer the opportunity to safely examine their fears safely and to the depth and extent they wish to do so. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 provides the opportunity for the viewer to consider a diverse range of fears, with a little humor thrown in for balance, from the safety of a darkened room, a comfortable seat and in less than 120 minutes.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...
In recent research findings, four out of five veterans struggle with PTSD twenty to twenty five years later (Price). The very ‘unpopular’ war left Vietnam veterans with major psychological problems (Mintz). The effects of such cruel attacks have made it difficult for veterans to adjust to life post-war. This illness can happen within 3 months to years after the unpleasant event. Frequently, veterans and victims of war suffer relentlessly from PTSD.
During the first few weeks of our FYS-X class, the students are required to view the movie “Dead Man Walking. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it to the showing at school, but I rented the DVD from Block Buster Video. I missed an opportunity to gain some bonding time with my classmates, but I could not get off work in the short notice that the class was told about the film viewing. When I viewed film, I had the pleasure of being in my home atmosphere, and I had the opportunity to better concentrate on the movie and the ability to rewind at certain points in the film. Before viewing the film, I was not too excited about having to watch it.
The first large occurrences of PTSD were in the 1910’s. During World War I, PTSD was common amongst veterans of trench warfare. It was referred to as “shell-shock”, which was originally believed to be caused by the sounds of artillery fire, according to Nancy C Andreasen. World War II had even more cases due to the use of more weapons, bombs, and smaller squads, which caused less social interaction. It was then that the government realized that PTSD in veterans, or more commonly called “combat exhaustion”, can effect anybody, not just the weak minded. The Vietnam War experienced the most victims, however. Each battalion had a mental heath therapist, which helped immensely through the early years of the war. However, the citizens questioned the legality of the war, and soldiers were disgraced. They returned home and recieved no appreciation, and a loss in socialization. Roughly one in three soldiers had post-traumatic stress disorder, and 15 percent still had the condition 20 years later. More recent events have also spiked PTSD cases; terrorism. 9/11 caused global fear for everyone, but also caused over ten thousand cases of PTSD in first responders and bystanders. Research and treatment improved vastly over the years, with treatments working on patients who have access to
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
According to a veteran, anxiety and depression are often misdiagnosed as PTSD. Since the Vietnam War, the occurrence and diagnosis of PTSD has skyrocketed. After a sev-ere reduction in the rate of PTSD in veterans where poorly documented PTSD cases were culled from the collection, Bruce P. Dohr-enwend of Columbia found a 13% reduction in the lifetime rate of PTSD; in a continuation of Dohr-enwend’s work, McNally concluded that a majority of PTSD patients were fit to live in everyday life, re-ducing the lifetime rate of PTSD by another 7% (Dobbs 2). In addition, many veterans have been known to be over- or under-reporting their PTSD symptoms, making the accurate diagnosis even more trouble-some.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is a misunderstood anxiety disorder in which case many believe that occurs right after a traumatic event. One of the biggest myths is that PTSD only affects veterans. It is a fact however that anyone can be diagnosed with PTSD, approximately one out of 10 women in America m...
The diagnosis of Post –Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves clusters of symptoms. They include persistent re-experiencing of the trauma, avoidance of traumatic reminders/ general numbing of emotional responsiveness, and hyper-arousal (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In order for the possible diagnosis of PTSD the individual needs to have exposed to a
When most people who are aware of PTSD think of the disorder, military soldiers and veterans are the first to come to mind as those who suffer from it. However, as mentioned in the introduction, PTSD is universal. It does not discriminate based on career, gender, location or so forth. A person becomes more susceptible to developing PTSD if he or she has been directly exposed to the trauma as a victim or a witness. Examples of events that can lead to a person developing PTSD are traumatic car accidents, natural disasters, violence – including domestic and warfare, rape, sexual abuse, school shootings, or any other event that causes the person to feel out of control and in danger. Other factors that increase the likelihood of developing PTSD are whether or not the person was seriously injured, the length of the event, if the person believed a loved one or self were in imminent danger and were helpless in avoiding or protecting themselves or others from the trauma. Yet there are even more contributor...
PREVIEW MAIN POINTS: today I will discuss, some of the reasons we are interest, the chemicals in our bodies that are set off when we watch them and ways to be less afraid when watching these horrifying movies.
Over the years horror movies have become a big part of cinema business. Teenagers and adults like to watch scary movies because of the adrenaline rush. Every scary movie includes unexpected scenes that make the movie interesting and frightening. It is very terrifying that, parents are allowing their children to watch horror movies. This can be very harmful for children’s mental health. Watching really scary movies and cartoons, and even playing scary games, has many lasting side effects on children. When we watch those horror movies with kids, unknowingly we might hurt their feelings. To be more precise, it can easily affect their nervous systems. Unexpected loud scenes in horror movies may scare children easily. Horror movies can create negative