USC’s Bravemind gives OC Fair attendees firsthand look at how VR can help with PTSD
Fairgoers can try "Bravemind," the therapeutic virtual reality tool to get an idea what an Iraq veteran's combat experience was like. (Photo/Courtesy of Terry Moore)
Also on display are items donated by Chris Merkle, an Orange County-based Marine who served 14 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the items: helmets, body armor, personal photos and even a flag confiscated from Saddam Hussein’s house.
Firsthand look at using VR to treat PTSD
Merkle used Bravemind for his PTSD. It wasn’t easy at first.
“It took six months for me to say ‘OK,’ ” he said about trying it the first time. “I don’t want to be immersed in my worst nightmare.”
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Merkle, who used to describe himself as an “angry guy” because of his PTSD, is now hoping to help others. He’s halfway through a PhD in clinical psychology. He said he’s kept at it because of the mental health professionals who helped him.
“My hopes are that it reduces the stigma of PTSD,” he said of the exhibit. “There’s the physical wounds of war and the invisible wounds of war. And it’s like an infection. If you don’t treat it, it will get worse.”
See the full story here: https://news.usc.edu/145925/usc-bravemind-oc-fair-attendees-look-at-using-vr-to-treat-ptsde/