Virtual Reality Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder

You put on a headset and are instantly transported to a tranquil forest or the opposite, a triggering environment — all designed to help you resist the urge to drink. This isn’t a scene from a sci-fi movie. It’s the groundbreaking approach of using virtual reality (VR) therapy to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

VR therapy harnesses the power of immersive technology to provide a training ground for strategies and techniques to overcome alcohol dependence and addiction. Let’s explore how VR therapy works to offer a new avenue of hope and healing.

What Is Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy?

VR therapy combines virtual reality, which is the technology that simulates certain situations or experiences, with additional therapeutic techniques. The technology provides a 360 view of a virtual environment and allows us to interact verbally and “physically” with it. The aim of VR is to provide a realistic experience, which is beneficial for practicing and implementing positive habits.

This differs from online or virtual treatment, which includes virtual drug rehab or other virtual substance abuse treatment options. Virtual treatment helps us access care from anywhere through the convenience of technology. In contrast, VR therapy exposes us to different controlled environments and situations to help us build positive skills in a safe space. 

VR therapy has already been used for mental health conditions such as anxiety or phobias, and was more recently proposed as a potential treatment option for substance abuse. Let’s understand how it works and why it could be beneficial in substance abuse recovery.

VR Therapy for Substance Abuse Treatment

This novel approach combines technology with more traditional therapeutic techniques: 

• Exposure therapy. This approach involves exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli to reduce fear and develop resilience to face and overcome these triggers. The safe and controlled environment that VR creates allows us to face our triggers and assess our cravings safely, and provides us with opportunities to practice different coping mechanisms. For example, if peer pressure is a trigger, VR can simulate a realistic situation where we can practice refusing drinks at a bar.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is another common treatment in substance misuse recovery, as it helps us identify negative patterns of thinking and behavior and develop more positive ones. VR therapy can help us recognize the negative consequences of drugs or alcohol by simulating the negative effects of consuming them or being around them. This can encourage us to develop positive coping strategies, which we can also practice in the real world.
• Motivational interviewing (MI). MI is a treatment approach that’s beneficial for those of us who may not be ready to commit to treatment. In a traditional setting, a therapist can guide us in exploring our motivations and goals to help us identify and overcome ambivalence. VR allows us to do that in a more interactive, yet safe way. For example, simulating the negative consequences of drinking can motivate us to quit.
• Holistic therapy. This treatment approach is commonly used in conjunction with other approaches for a more extensive method to treat every aspect of our health including physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. When combined with VR, holistic therapy can include exposure to calming virtual environments that promote mindfulness practices and sensory experiences that can benefit our recovery.

There are many reasons why VR therapy has been proposed as a supporting treatment method for substance misuse recovery, but how effective is it really?

Does Virtual Reality Therapy Work?

While VR therapy may not replace other treatment methods for substance misuse, it can be an effective supporting treatment. VR creates immersive and realistic environments that assist us in developing the necessary skills to manage our triggers and cravings. 

A systematic review on VR for addictive disorders evaluated its effects across different substance use disorders and behavior addictions such as alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, opioids, gambling, and more. The study found that VR is beneficial for addictive disorders, as it helps restructure the conditioned stimulus response.

While VR therapy is a newer approach, there are multiple studies that have reviewed the effectiveness of the approach specifically for alcohol use disorder. A 2023 study on VR exposure therapy found that it’s an effective supporting treatment to help reduce the rate of relapse during recovery from AUD. 

Similarly, another study focused on VR and cue exposure (which is designed to change our conditioned responses to certain stimuli). The study found that VR therapy, specifically cue exposures, proved more effective in reducing alcohol cravings than conventional therapeutic methods. This demonstrates VR’s promising effects in supporting AUD treatment.

While it may not completely replace traditional treatment methods for AUD, research shows that VR therapy is effective. With that in mind, let’s understand the specific benefits it brings for those of us recovering from AUD.

Benefits of Virtual Reality Therapy for AUD

VR creates true-to-life simulations that can surpass or augment conventional treatment methods. It enables learning in a realistic, yet protected setting that we can generalize to real-life situations. This training arena that VR creates provides a range of benefits when recovering from AUD:

• Increases safety. Since VR is a simulation, it creates a realistic environment without putting us in any real danger. We’re able to explore hypothetical consequences of our actions and exposure to triggers when we’re in a fully supported environment, while remaining physically safe.
• Explores hypothetical situations. The technology of VR allows us to explore situations that we may not be able to manipulate in real life. For example, if we’re trying to increase our motivation to recover, we can use VR to simulate the physical, mental, and social consequences of drinking which we wouldn’t be able to get in real life until it actually occurs (and by then we might be caught off-guard).
• Provides a place to practice. Unlearning unwanted habits and replacing them with positive ones takes time and practice. VR gives us a chance to practice overcoming alcohol cravings and even if we do have a setback, we won’t experience any physical harm. 
• Decreases alcohol cravings. VR therapy helps decrease alcohol cravings by increasing our resilience and strategies to overcome them. We can also learn mindfulness techniques and engage in other activities that help shift our focus away from alcohol. 
• Reduces risk of relapse. Since VR therapy helps reduce alcohol cravings and triggers that contribute to relapse, it reduces the risk.
• Provides greater awareness and understanding. We can learn more about alcohol and its effects as well as develop strategies to practice more mindful drinking. 

As we can see, there are many positive aspects of VR therapy. However, it doesn’t replace other treatment options. Instead, it works in conjunction with other approaches to boost our success. Let’s see what other treatment options VR therapy can be used with to help us overcome AUD.

Other Treatment Options for AUD

Different treatment options may work better than others. It’s important to find a treatment method that works for our individual needs. Let’s take a quick look at various treatment options for AUD:

• Rehab programs. This option often includes assisted detox and other therapies to provide a structured method to quit alcohol. 
• Psychological therapy. Talk therapy helps us address underlying issues that may be causing our drinking habits.
• Behavioral therapies. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) help us identify negative behavioral patterns and develop skills to change them. 
• Medication-assisted treatment. Alcohol can cause neurological dependence and many other health issues. Medication to reduce alcohol cravings and treat alcohol-related health issues is commonly used with other treatment approaches. 
• Virtual alcohol reduction programs. Digital tools and programs are a newer option that has increased access to support and treatment. Attend a virtual drug rehab program from the comfort of your own home or join an alcohol reduction app like Reframe to have an extensive toolkit right from your mobile device. 

AUD often requires extensive treatment and management, but recovery is definitely possible! With more novel approaches, such as VR therapy, we have even more tools at our disposal.

Future Forward

By providing immersive, controlled environments, VR therapy allows us to confront and manage our triggers in a safe and effective manner. The promising results from studies on the effectiveness of VR therapy underline its potential as a powerful tool to overcome AUD and other substance use disorders. Embracing this cutting-edge therapy, we move closer to a future where overcoming AUD is not only a possibility but a tangible reality, bringing renewed hope and healing. Say hello to a new reality of sobriety and success with VR therapy!