Virtual Reality Is Being Used to Treat Heroin Addiction

By Jordan Pearson

Sometimes the only way to beat your demons is to face them, even if it’s in a simulated reality.

To help people overcome drug addiction, researchers at the University of Houston’s Graduate School of Social Work are building hyper-realistic virtual worlds to recreate situations that trigger cravings for nicotine, alcohol, weed, and now, hard drugs like heroin.

Traditional relapse therapy usually involves roleplaying: Therapists often pretend to be a friend or some other familiar person and offer the patient their drug of choice in order to teach them avoidance strategies. 

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