Virtual reality exposure therapy offers progressive treatment for addiction to smoked substances, by confronting the patient with their consumption situations in a controlled setting.
C2Care supports practitioners in this process.
Exposure to situations associated with the consumption of smoked substances may be relevant in supporting withdrawal. However, reproducing these situations in consultation is not always simple.
Some depend on a specific context, such as a terrace, a tobacconist or an evening with friends, and the presence of other consumers. Their repetition and progression remain difficult to master in a traditional setting.
Virtual reality makes it possible to recreate these consumption contexts directly in the office, in a controlled and reproducible environment.
The C2Care environments allow you to recreate situations associated with the desire to consume and gradually integrate them during the sessions.
At home, the patient may be faced with isolation conducive to craving. On a terrace, in front of a tobacconist or in the evening, he can observe other consumers or face social requests which reinforce the desire to smoke.
The practitioner adjusts the intensity and progression of these exposures in order to work with the patient on craving, as well as thoughts, emotions and automatisms linked to consumption.
VRET
The practitioner seats the patient on a swivel chair and fits them with the virtual reality headset
Using the control interface, the practitioner selects the environment suited to the session's goals and starts the exposure.
During immersion, the practitioner supports the patient using a visual feed and can adjust the exposure scene in real time
Environments
Each environment recreates a consumption situation linked to addiction to smoked substances, for progressive and controlled exposure.
Crack use is depicted in an apartment.
Squat allows you to vary the location and stimuli associated with consumption.
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Solène Montègue
Neuropsychiatrist
The developments C2Care is currently integrating into the interface are very promising and meet the established therapeutic objectives [...]: offering tailored exercises that can be adapted to levels of dependency, cognitive disorders, and patients' real-time responses.
Samia Lahya
Psychiatrist
With the acquisition of new equipment [...] and updates to the C2Care programs, its use has expanded even further: OCD, phobias, addictions, anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD. Ten years later, it is no longer merely a curiosity, but a genuine therapeutic tool that is stimulating, innovative, and effective.
Sabrina Gineau
Psychologist
I incorporate this technology into brief therapies lasting two to four months, with one session per week. I begin with relaxation techniques and, when patients are ready, we proceed. It makes it much easier to expose people to these situations.
Noël Schepers
Psychologist
Virtual reality can enrich and personalize treatment, facilitate patient-therapist collaboration in developing the treatment plan, and add a playful dimension. The possibilities for development and application are immense and extend to every area of psychology and psychotherapy.
MĂ©lanie Boucherot
Psychologist
The value of this technology [C2Care] lies in offering new possibilities for therapeutic support and expanding the range of tools available to healthcare professionals.
François Maltese
Psychologist
For several months, we have been using virtual reality in habituation therapies. Before the procedure, patients are progressively and immersively exposed to their future medical environment and psychologically prepared to accept it.
Dre Marie-Claude Roberge
Doctor of Psychology
Since 2022, we have been using virtual reality therapy with the C2Care platform to simulate exposure to aversive stimuli and triggers that cause anxiety. Exposure therapy is used to treat specific phobias, including fear of heights, enclosed spaces, flying, dogs, emetophobia, and many others.
Dr Laure Du Pouget
Urologist
Using a virtual reality headset for self-hypnosis during prostate biopsies creates a calm atmosphere for a procedure that can sometimes be uncomfortable, even with effective local anesthesia...
Delphine Py
Psychologist
Thank you to C2Care for providing innovative virtual reality solutions to support CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)! A major step forward in making exposure exercises easier and helping our patients overcome their phobias.
Samora et al. — Applications of immersive virtual reality for illicit substance disorders
Applications of Immersive Virtual Reality for Illicit Substance Use: A Systematic Review
Vafaie et al. — Association between drug indices, craving and relapse: systematic meta-analysis
Association of Drug Cues and Craving With Drug Use and Relapse: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Keijsers et al. — Use of virtual reality in tobacco craving and cessation interventions
Virtual Reality Technology Use in Cigarette Craving and Smoking Interventions (I "Virtually" Quit): Systematic Review
Wilson et al. — Neuroimaging of craving: the intensity of the craving matters
Neuroimaging craving: urge intensity matters
MallorquĂ-BaguĂ© et al. — Craving in gaming disorder: systematic review
Craving in gambling disorder: A systematic review
Discover more
Depending on your patients' needs, other areas may also be relevant to explore. Discover the different environments available in C2Care.
Create a free account to discover all exposure situations and subscribe directly online
FAQ
Find the answers to the questions most asked by practitioners about this virtual reality support.
The patient is gradually exposed to situations that trigger their desire to smoke, in immersive environments controlled by the practitioner. This graduated exposure helps reduce craving and strengthen one's ability to resist over the course of the sessions.
Patients wishing to reduce or stop their consumption of smoked substances can benefit from the virtual reality exposure, with a course adapted by the practitioner to the situations which maintain their dependence.
C2Care has been testing its virtual reality software in hospitals since 2016. This clinical experience has made it possible to refine the immersive environments, including those dedicated to addiction to smoked substances, and to adapt them to the needs of practitioners and their patients.
A virtual environment is an immersive scene reproducing a consumption situation. The practitioner adjusts his difficulty gradually in order to expose the patient to a controlled, secure setting adapted to his cessation journey.
Virtual reality is not dangerous in itself. It can cause cybersickness in around 10% of people, with temporary nausea or disorientation. Exposure remains graduated and constantly supervised by a practitioner to limit this risk.
Psychologists, psychiatrists and addictologists can integrate virtual reality into their practice. It can be used both in CHU hospitals and clinics and in private practices, depending on the needs of the practitioner and their patients.
The interactive aspect promotes patient engagement and adherence to treatment. Adaptable environments make it possible to precisely adjust each exercise to the person's journey, while maintaining complete control of the exposure in real time.
Yes. Apart from sessions supervised by the practitioner, the patient can repeat the exposure independently, at home, as many times as necessary to consolidate what they have learned and strengthen their ability to manage consumption situations.
Yes, all of C2Care's immersive environments are grouped together in a single application. The practitioner can thus move from one addiction to another and personalize their care without changing tools or platforms.
Our technical service can be reached via live chat directly from your control platform. In the event of a problem with the VR headset, a diagnosis is made and the defective equipment is replaced within 48 hours if necessary, to ensure continuity of care.
