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Common PC Video Games Used To Treat Phobias
NoData writes "Treating phobias with exposure therapy--gradually putting patients in fear-inducing situations, is a well-established method, even using virtual means, like VR simulators. However, now CNN is reporting on research that shows off-the-shelf PC video games can effectively treat phobias as well. Games like "Half-Life" were used to treat arachnophobia, and "Unreal Tournament" to treat acrophobia and claustrophobia."
What are they talking about? Half-life GAVE me arachnophobia. Now whenever I go through a dark narrow space, I start imagining huge spiders jumping up at me and gnawing at my head.
-- Dr. Eldarion --
I find UT is the cure for my frequent attacks of workophobia. An application at lunch and at quitting time seems to correct the condition.
HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
Slashdot helped me overcome my fear of shiny objects and obscure technologies. Thank you /.!
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Crudely Drawn Games
Japanese Dating Sims have been helping adolescent men combat their fear of approaching the opposite sex for years now!
what phobia does Tomb Raider treat, and why do so many geeks suffer from it?
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Grand Theft Auto cured me of my phobia of going to prison for running over pedestrians...
Quake 2 cured my herpes!
Well, ok, it PREVENTED me from getting herpes. Or any other sexually transmitted disease and most airborne diseases.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.