Virtual Iraq: An Abstract

Claim: Virtual Iraq and other virtual reality programs are a promising therapy for soldiers suffering from PTSD.

Statement of Claim: The idea [of Virtual Iraq] is to disconnect the memory from the reactions to the memory, so that although the memory of the traumatic event remains, the everyday things that can trigger fear and panic, such as trash blowing across the interstate or a car backfiring—what psychologists refer to as cues—are restored to insignificance. The trauma thus becomes a discrete event, not a constant, self-replicating, encompassing condition."

Subclaims: PTSD, which has no known common cure, plagues many soldiers after they have served in combat or generally stressful situations. The symptoms affect them on a day-to-day basis.

A new approach, a virtual reality, looks to be a more promising therapy for soldiers than merely sitting down and talking with a third party.

Support: "He couldn’t sleep. His mind raced. He was edgy, guilt-racked, depressed. He could barely do his job"

“'Most P.T.S.D. therapies that we’ve seen don’t seem to be working, so what’s the harm in dedicating some money to R. & D. that might prove valuable?' Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said last November"

"Like Virtual Vietnam, Virtual Iraq is a tool for doing what’s known as prolonged-exposure therapy, which is sometimes called immersion therapy. It is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy, derived from Pavlov’s classic work with dogs."

Warrant: Sue Halpern's article is aimed towards people that have a general knowledge of the wars of the US, and how they have affected the lives of soldiers. The people Halpern is writing to have a general idea of what is going on in Iraq, but they are not experts. They also are familiar with virtual reality programs, probably just by being generally technologically savvy.