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Comments?
1. Before reading the article on prolonged exposure and the treatment of PTSD with virtual reality, I never would have considered that to be a possibility. I am familiar with VR (and have even been interested in purchasing a VR setup) but had held back due to its limitations and costs. I can definitely see the benefits of using VR to treat PTSD through prolonged exposure, as well as other phobias. However I can think of some issues as well. Some people cannot handle VR. While the technology has advanced and become more accessible, some people cannot handle being put in a VR simulation. I know of people getting sick from using VR, simply because the sway and movement in a virtual setting is jarring. You have to think, being put into a really good VR setup means almost disconnecting from reality entirely. Your vision is obscured by the goggles (and whatever they are showing) as is your hearing (which typically has sounds tailored to the simulation or game). In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, VR most likely proved an interesting and amusing outlet for people in lockdown. As this article showed, VR can be used in both the case of PTSD and isolation. Who is to say it cannot be used to treat various psychological disorders and phobias?
2. The late 1800s had a lot of women reformers in mental health, and I was quite happy to see Dorthea Dix and Nellie Bly come back. I really liked the one article that blended together the stories of Dorthea Dix, Elizabeth Peabody, and Catherine Sedgwick. However the thing I find most interesting about this news article is the date: November 17, 1957. Sixty-four years ago, in an age where women already had the right to vote (which was part of the 19th Amendment, with women being able to vote as of 1920), this type of harsh language is not altogether surprising yet is still more than a little infuriating. I can see this article being used to better understand the attitude towards women in the post-war era, which it does by chastising women activists of a bygone era.
As for Nellie Bly, I thought the Drunk History clip was hilarious while providing people unfamiliar with her all the necessary tidbits to understand her importance to the history of mental health. However, this begs the question is exaggerated histories such as this are beneficial or detrimental to our understanding of mental health. What does everyone think about this?
3. Based on what we know from this class and the APA's 2014 article, what improvements are being made as of 2022 to improve conditions for mental institutions? Would you consider this to be a step forward or merely another way of “beating around the bush” where mental health in concerned?
Submitted by Lyndsey Clark. I pledge…
1. Do you think there is a better understanding of PTSD today because of discussions of the military, school shootings, and other trauma, or do you think more needs to be done in terms of understanding?
2. Seeing all the articles and videos discussing mental health is very encouraging and it shows that mental health is a major topic today. However, do you think that the sources are reaching the right amount of people to make a significant impact?
Submitted by Audrey Schroeder. I pledge…