Most users of virtual reality tools do so for entertainment, but Texas Health has put them to use as part of its alcohol addiction recovery program in Mansfield.

Dr. Ken Jones, a behavioral clinical officer for Texas Health Resources Behavioral Health, explained to KERA’s Sam Baker how the V-R tool helps patients resist their addictions.

Dr Jones: It allows us to provide an immersive experience for patients in a realistic high-risk environment such as a party or a social gathering where they're able to practice some of their refusal skills and some of the things that they've learned in treatment in the safety of a controlled environment.

It utilizes exposure therapy, which has actually been around for many years. But exposure therapy previously used to be in vivo. A therapist would act

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