Psychologists at the Maudsley Hospital in South-East London have developed an absolutely fascinating, potential treatment for those who suffer from anorexia.
You can read about it here, but this is the gist.
-You put on a virtual reality headset, and then set off into a virtual kitchen, which is filled with all kinds of food that victims of anorexia would normally avoid.
-The individuals can pick up the food, virtually, they can interact with it, virtually, but of course, they can’t eat it, virtually.
-That makes them feel more comfortable being around the food, and as such represents the Exposure and Response Therapy portion of the program.
-The cool thing is that this can be a transition step to actually coming, literally, face-to-face with the food, because they’re interacting with it in the virtual environment. And while it can be triggering, it’s less threatening than if they were to see it, in person.
Dr. Valentina Cardi, a clinical psychologist who specializes in eating disorders at King’s College, said that, so far, 178 of 180 patients enrolled in the trial say they feel less anxious around those foods.
One patient told The Daily Mail that he was formerly so scared of real-world pasta that he couldn’t even look at it.
But once he started interacting with it virtually, he began, over time, to lose his fear.
One month later, after treatment, he ate an actual plate of pasta.
What a great idea, and let’s pray the trials continue and can offer relief.
Anorexia is the most deadly psychiatric disorder, according to WebMd.
Those with anorexia are 4x more likely to die from their condition than those with major depression.
And those diagnosed in their 20s are 18x more likely to die earlier than healthy people of their age.
Further, 20% of deaths from anorexia are due to suicide.
It is just a deadly, deadly and tragic condition.
The Mayo Clinic has a really important guide on spotting symptoms of anorexia.
You can start the process of finding professional treatment here.
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