Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

The relaxation scene includes four beautiful landscapes, and patients can choose any of these four, as perceived to be the most comfortable landscape. The visual stimulation of high-risk scene is designed as any combination of four different scenes (street barbecue stands, restaurant, bar and home) and four kinds of alcoholic beverages (Chinese liquor, beer, grape wine and cocktail), which are customized according to the patient's personal preference. At the same time, the odor of the alcoholic beverage of the patient's choice will be provided as an olfactory stimulation. The aversive situation will be the visual and auditory stimulation provided by a video of an alcoholic vomiting, while olfactory stimulation will be provided by cotton balls soaked in fermented dairy products.

The initial session began with case formulation. Subsequent sessions involved learning on acceptance and acknowledgement of unpleasant thoughts and feelings associated with alcohol craving and clinical features of alcohol use disorder, cognitive defusion on how to dissociate self avoidance of unpleasant thoughts and feelings, learning and practicing mindfulness exercise (such as mindfulness breathing) to make self aware of the many things that occurred presently which can be enjoyed and focus on rather than focusing on unpleasant thoughts and feelings, and learning to be aware of the safe self which is separated from the unpleasant thoughts and feelings and identifying values in life and strategies to achieve these values (therapeutic processes in hexaflex).