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'Virtual Iraq' Helps Vets Face Stress

Treatment drags soldiers back to moments of crisis

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted May 18, 2008 5:14 AM CDT

(Newser) – Therapists are plunging US war veterans back into the horrors of battle—as therapy. A virtual reality treatment is helping them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder by returning them to scarring events until their shock value wanes. "When the ground starts vibrating and you smell smoke and hear the AK-47 firing, it becomes very real," said one veteran. "When it was over, I’d go home and cry.”

The "Virtual Vietnam" experiment pioneered the treatment in the '90s, dragging veterans back to the jungle to unlock buried memories. Virtual Iraq is still in its early stages, but has already helped some vets back to normal lives. “You never really get rid of PTSD, but you learn to live with it," said the veteran. "Most of the intrusive thoughts have gone away."

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

This computer-screen photo of an experimental virtual-reality computer simulation shows a first-person view of a simulated attack on a military convoy in Iraq. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

US Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Ebert demonstrates an experimental virtual-reality computer simulation at Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Ebert is viewed through the ventilation holes of a computer cabinet as he wears a virtual-reality headset and holds a video-game-type controller. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Staff Sgt. Jeff Ebert wears a virtual-reality headset and holds a controller as he demonstrates an experimental virtual-reality computer simulation at Madigan Army Medical Center. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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'Virtual Iraq' Helps Vets Face Stress