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Virtual Rehab? US Scientists Use Second Life To Cure Alcoholics



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US scientists are successfully using Second Life to cure alcoholics and are about to publish first research results. Patients at the Accelerated Recovery Centers are treated not only in Atlanta, but also on Identity Island, which exists only in Second Life. Here, they can participate in group conversations or have individual conversations with their therapists. Furthermore, they receive special training that supports them in their decision to resist alcohol and to remain sober. During the test phase, which has been running for the past nine months, roughly 100 alcoholics have made use of the innovative idea and according to the first research results, virtual rehab really seems to work!
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7 responses // Virtual Rehab? US Scientists Use Second Life To Cure Alcoholics

  • This is crazy! Do you think it can work?
    dadapapa
  • maybe like placebos.. if u believe in it... it will work
    kewal91
  • I think it can work, mainly because people might have less inhibitions when talking to their therapist or other patients in a more anonymous setting such as the one offered by Second Life.
    JanaPokana
  • I'm not totally convinced Second Life is life's little panacea. We're talking about highly stressed individuals who have probably hit devastating emotional lows and have been physically addicted to a substance at a dangerous limit..
    Second Life may be a *nice* way for people to meet with others who share similar problems and find some support, but ultimately, the success of AA stems from personal contact and tangible support.
    I really won't believe it until I see the proof. But success with abstaining from addictive products takes years to fully develop and is always ALWAYS a work in progress.
    PaintingM
  • Also, from the article,
    "...US scientists are successfully curing alcoholics in the online world of Second Life. "
    Even AA cannot "cure" alcoholism. It is a life-long illness that must always be battled. There is no cure and there is always chance for relapse--no matter how it is treated, in reality or in Second Life.
    PaintingM
  • This will never be a substitute for the success of Alcoholics Anonymous.
    Colonial_Zombie
    1 response to this

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