Patrick Bordnick, associate professor at the University of Houston and recent TEDx speaker, has begun a unique study on addiction recovery involving the University’s Virtual Reality Clinical Lab. Computer-generated VR (virtual reality) simulates a ‘near-reality’ experience in which a user interacts in a seemingly real or physical way by use of special electronic equipment, such as a VR headset. Virtual reality for recovery has the potential to be a life-saving development in the field of addiction recovery.
How Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy Works
The university’s lab features a series of “virtual drug caves,” in which people in recovery navigate different life-like scenarios. While in VR, they learn to identify and resist different triggers. These immersive environments can replicate high-risk situations—such as parties where substances are present, stressful social encounters, or locations associated with past substance use—in a controlled, therapeutic setting.
This approach addresses a significant limitation in traditional addiction treatment: the difficulty of preparing patients for real-world challenges while they’re in the safety of a treatment facility. By the time many individuals encounter their actual triggers in daily life, they may feel unprepared or overwhelmed, increasing relapse risk.
The Science Behind VR Intervention
Bordnick believes that the VR learning experience will transfer to reality, reasoning that taking people with substance use disorders out of the traditional “therapist office” and putting them into a VR environment will help them get a clearer picture and improve interventions. He hopes to show that decreasing one’s cravings in the VR lab will lead to a similar decrease in the real world.
The technology allows therapists to gradually expose patients to triggering situations while monitoring their physiological responses and teaching coping strategies in real-time. This controlled exposure helps build resilience and confidence, similar to how VR has been successfully used to treat PTSD and phobias.
The Future of Evidence-Based Treatment
As VR technology becomes more accessible and affordable, it may become a standard component of comprehensive addiction treatment programs, offering personalized, repeatable practice scenarios that traditional therapy cannot provide.