{"id":7186,"date":"2025-07-25T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7186"},"modified":"2025-07-25T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T14:30:00","slug":"virtual-reality-helps-veteran-find-his-happy-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7186","title":{"rendered":"Virtual reality helps Veteran find his happy place"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-07-25T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

Virtual reality<\/a> (VR) is rapidly becoming integral to health care delivery across VA. Clinicians are harnessing these tools to connect Veterans with faster access to high-quality, personalized care.<\/p>\n

One use of VR is guided meditation, or imagery, a technique to help people manage their emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Veterans can work in-person with an instructor, online or through a VR headset.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGuided imagery is awesome,\u201d said Army Veteran Steven Krawczyk. \u201cI\u2019ve done the relax portion. You work on your deep breathing exercises.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding his happy place<\/h2>\n

Krawczyk receives inpatient care through residential rehabilitation and treatment programs and takes advantage of guided meditation sessions using VR headsets offered through recreation therapy.<\/p>\n

VR meditation sessions can help Veterans like Krawczyk find their \u201chappy place\u201d as they work through stress, anger management, anxiety, depression, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and behaviors that isolate themselves from others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has visuals that are relaxing, calming,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter just 10 minutes, there\u2019s a sense of relief. It recenters you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Managing stress and anxiety<\/h2>\n

Recreation Therapist Erik Fernitz works with Veterans who can benefit from VR sessions. He starts and ends each session by assessing how Veterans feel by recording their stress, depression, anxiety, pain and happiness levels. \u201cUsually, what I see is a decrease in stress and anxiety [in a] post-VR session,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Stress can have negative effects on physical and mental health, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression or substance abuse. Guided meditation in VR can help Veterans reduce their stress levels, improve their mood, increase their mindfulness skills and promote their mental health.<\/p>\n

VA has now deployed more than 3,500 virtual reality (VR) headsets across more than 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa\u2014advancing VA\u2019s commitment to connecting Veterans to the soonest and best care. \u00a0<\/p>\n

To enroll in VA\u2019s VR therapy, you should first connect with your VA mental health provider or primary care provider to discuss whether VR therapy is a suitable option for your needs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to apply for the VA health care you\u2019ve earned. If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who has not yet applied for their VA health care benefits, learn how to\u202fget started<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Army Veteran Steven Krawczyk served has used both in-person and virtual reality guided meditation to manage his PTSD and find his happy place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nVirtual reality helps Veteran find his happy place - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Army Veteran Steven Krawczyk served has used both in-person and virtual reality guided meditation to manage his PTSD and find his happy place.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7186\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Virtual reality helps Veteran find his happy place - 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