VR Is a Great Anxiety and Pain Reliever
Say what you want about virtual reality but playing VR games might be just what the doctor ordered for some people struggling with anxiety and stress. A presentation at the American Pain Society’s annual meeting in 2010 suggested that VR gaming could be used as a way to help reduce pain and anxiety associated with chronic illnesses or major medical procedures. The research presented here gave scientific validity to a claim that most gamers have made since they first fell in love with playing video games—becoming immersed in a new, interactive world helps you deal with the stress, anxiety, and pain that exists in the real one.
VR gaming allows the brain to dedicate more of its focus, and therefore more of your senses, on something other than the real world around you. For medical patients dealing with long-term illnesses or prolonged recovery periods, VR gaming could possibly make quite the impact to keep them happy while they heal.