The Freedom Tower

Researchers at the Medical College at Cornell University say they have used a new technique to successfully treat survivors of the World Trade Center attacks who suffer from Post -traumatic Stress Disorder.
Researchers at the Weill Medical College in Manhattan say use of re-exposure therapy can successfully be used in reducing the symptoms in patents properly treated by experienced therapists. These findings came from a case study using survivors of the WTC attacks.
“Done properly by experienced therapists, re-exposure to memories of traumatic events via imaginal exposure therapy can lead to a reduction of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms,” the study says  “Exposure helps the patient process and habituate to memories and strong emotions associated with the traumatic event: memories and emotions they have been carefully avoiding.
“But many patients are unwilling or unable to self-generate and re-experience painful emotional images. The present case study describes the treatment of a survivor of the World Trade Center (WTC) attack of 9-11-01 who had developed acute PTSD. After she failed to improve with traditional imaginal exposure therapy, we sought to increase emotional engagement and treatment success using virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy,” the researchers said. “Over the course of six 1-h VR exposure therapy sessions, we gradually and systematically exposed the PTSD patient to virtual planes flying over the World Trade Center, jets crashing into the World Trade Center with animated explosions and sound effects, virtual people jumping to their deaths from the burning buildings, towers collapsing, and dust clouds. VR graded exposure therapy was successful for reducing acute PTSD symptoms.”