Shortly after the young woman walks into Howard Gurr’s psychology practice, she is taken to a beach and encouraged to relax. She is helped to feel calm and let go of her worries. Dr. Gurr then changes course, bringing his patient to a restaurant or other place that is a source of anxiety. Dr. Gurr doesn’t change offices every day. He’s a therapist who is using virtual-reality scenery to tackle the anxieties and body-image issues of patients with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. ...
Psychologists are using virtual reality ( VR ) to help treat people with eating disorders . The Toolsuite can help patients tackle anxieties and self - image issues associated with disorders such as anorexia and bulimia by slowly introducing them to worry - free environments , such as restaurants , in a controlled setting . Psious offers a range of virtual environments in which they can monitor patients ' anxiety levels and desensitise their anxieties .