Calming Fears -- Virtually!

Reported July 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Nearly 40 million people over the age of 18 suffer from an anxiety disorder, which includes everything from panic disorders to phobias. Now, help may be just a mouse click away.

For many years, Jennifer Fagundo's car was more than just a way to get around town … it was her only means of travel. That's because Fagundo was grounded by a fear of flying.

"Nothing was really working," Fagundo told Ivanhoe. "I mean, no matter how many books I read. I even bought a book on how to help you get over fear of flight. It just wasn't helping."

But all that changed when she heard about a treatment involving a computer. With the help of a computer program and a head-mounted display, patients can experience their fears … virtually.

Psychologist Deborah Beidel, Ph.D., uses the program at her clinic at the University of Central Florida in Orlando and says the computer program allows therapists to produce scenarios that are often difficult to replicate in real life.

"We cannot at this point just go onto a plane somewhere and sit on it for an hour," Dr. Beidel explained. "We cannot sometimes have enough of an audience for people who are public speaking to approach their fear of public speaking."

The therapy is intensive. Clients see the therapist two to four times a week over the course of about four months. Since she completed the program, Fagundo has taken one trip on a plane and she's eagerly planning her next trip

"I want to go to New York, and I know I can get there by driving, but I'm choosing to go by plane, which is really exciting,“ Fagundo said.

Once they complete the program, Dr. Beidel says about 70 percent of clients say they are completely over their fear. The other 30 percent say they're much better.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Dr. Deborah Beidel
Psychology
University of Central Florida
(407) 823-3908
dbeidel@mail.ucf.edu

Lois Smith
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(310) 394-1811
http://www.hfes.org
lois@hfes.org

Without warning, flash floods kill more than 100 people each year. Now a new way to predict potentially fatal flooding before it even rains

A tiny tick bite could cause more than Lyme disease -- it could spark a serious allergic reaction that could last a lifetime.

A zap of electricity helps make food bacteria-free and safe to eat.

Two years after a deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, science is spotting structural problems years before they turn into tragedies.

Alzheimer’s strikes one in eight Americans. While there is no cure, doctors found a way to detect the disease earlier than ever before.

325,000 people die each year from cardiac arrest. Now, doctors are freezing hearts back to health and saving lives.

Doctors are using high tech tools to bring hearts back into the right beat.

There could be a hidden danger on your next airline flight. You can’t hear it, see it or feel it, but it could cause cancer or kill your unborn baby.

For people suffering from anxiety or a phobia … help could be as close as your computer

A new look at the red planet! We’ll show you why scientists believe the rocks on mars can actually move.

Girls like reading … boys like math, right? Wrong! Breaking down gender barriers in math and science.

Engineering students from all over the world gather for a down and dirty off-road race. We’ll show you who survived the tough terrain.