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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality
#23565675 - 08/22/16 11:22 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Had a great new idea for a practical use of VR just now. Surely you've seen shick shadel commercials, these places help people quit alcohol/drugs by using "Aversive counter conditioning designed to make the sight, smell, taste and thought of alcoholic beverages (and/or drugs) unpalatable." Looking through their studies, they have high rates of success (70-80% abstained totally for a year, for alcohol, usually around 50% for any other drug)
Their current model for illegal substances is less effective, likely because they have to manufacture a fake version of cocaine, meth etc, which is likely not a perfect mimic of the real thing. (they admit at least one property there fake meth is missing, but I'd like to hear from the subjects) So I thought to myself, just model these illegal substances in VR. Oh right, smell/taste/texture aren't a part of VR yet...well, someday. Gloves that let you feel virtual reality are already a thing, it might be closer than we think, especially when this shit gets combined with computer/brain interfaces. You could use these virtual environments to condition them against other triggers, like other people using, certain places like bars, even certain friends/people could be modeled.
But imagine, you snort some virtual cocaine and it smells/tastes/feels(texture wise) exactly like the real thing, except some sort of bad stimuli is triggered by it. (VR motion sickness may be incredibly easy to trigger on demand in VR, so this may be a match made in heaven)
Or I was also thinking this aversion therapy seems like it wouldn't be hard to recreate at home in real life, might need a buddy to control the shocks/whatever stimuli you can come up with. Then you could also potentially actually use the real drugs, which might yield more effective conditioning.
their papers if anyone cared to read
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badchad
Mad Scientist

Registered: 03/02/05
Posts: 13,372
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23565715 - 08/22/16 11:36 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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VR has been used a decent amount for related research examining conditioned cues, etc. You can use VR to model environments to see how people react to drugs etc. Sounds plausible.
-------------------- ...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge. It is an indellible experience; it is forever known. I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did. Smith, P. Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27. ...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely. Osmond, H. Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436
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abltsandwich
JFK = Jelly Donut




Registered: 06/16/09
Posts: 11,537
Loc: Dildoville
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23565731 - 08/22/16 11:42 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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I've never heard of Shick Shadels or whatever. I guess it's because I haven't seen a TV commercial in FOREVER. But I'm sure as ffffffffuuuuuuuuuccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk not putting some synthetic mystery compound up my nose, in my veins, etc. knowing it's going to make me sick. Like, what in the actual fuck???
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: abltsandwich]
#23565757 - 08/22/16 11:48 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
abltsandwich said: I've never heard of Shick Shadels or whatever. I guess it's because I haven't seen a TV commercial in FOREVER. But I'm sure as ffffffffuuuuuuuuuccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk not putting some synthetic mystery compound up my nose, in my veins, etc. knowing it's going to make me sick. Like, what in the actual fuck???
its right there in the papers, I didn't research it too much since I figured there are tons of alternatives. Main one I remember is emetine for inducing nausea.
No cocaine is actually utilized in the treatment, but instead a substitute is used that is similar in appearance and smell and has a numbing effect. In our experience, 2% tetracaine and 1 % quinine in mannitol is an effective substitute for cocaine that is to be snorted. The freebase substitute utilized at the time of the study was either a type of white candy or a white soap which when burned created smoke. For intravenous simulation, a white powder was dissolved by the patient (as part of their standard ritual) and then taken up into a syringe through the needle. No cocaine substitute is actually injected. Instead, the liquid made from dissolving a white powder (D-xylose works best) is pushed out of the syringe just above the forearm where an injection would normally occur. A cocaine scent (Psychem (R), Old Factory, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia) is also applied to the fingers at the time of treatment in order to achieve the odor of “street cocaine” and enhance the association with their cocaine use experience. A methamphetamine substitute was developed using 1% quinine in mannitol. (This does not burn the nose as much as real crystal methamphetamine does, but we have not yet found a better substitute).
So yeah, a virtual alternative would probly be preferable.
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ModestMouse
IM WALKIN ON SUNSHINE


Registered: 05/06/13
Posts: 19,227
Loc: Upstate
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23565763 - 08/22/16 11:50 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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We're living in virtual reality man open your eyes Obama is a black man
-------------------- Anyone got a lowpass filter in this biiiiash?
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: badchad]
#23565776 - 08/22/16 11:52 AM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
badchad said: VR has been used a decent amount for related research examining conditioned cues, etc. You can use VR to model environments to see how people react to drugs etc. Sounds plausible.
oh yeah? Any you remember off hand? Haven't seen much of this myself.
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badchad
Mad Scientist

Registered: 03/02/05
Posts: 13,372
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: Psilosopherr]
#23565911 - 08/22/16 12:41 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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If you search pubmed for "addiction and virtual reality" you'll pull up a solid number of results. Lots of the work is within the context of cue-induced craving. Much of the research is fairly preliminary and straightforward where the findings are along the lines of: "Showing people drugs in virtual reality makes them crave drugs similarly to real life."
-------------------- ...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge. It is an indellible experience; it is forever known. I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did. Smith, P. Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27. ...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely. Osmond, H. Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436
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Vriska Serket
Mindfang



Registered: 10/02/13
Posts: 1,468
Last seen: 2 years, 10 months
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: badchad]
#23565953 - 08/22/16 12:58 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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fucked up if true
-------------------- the queen of shitposting
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bloodsheen
ChemChaplin



Registered: 09/24/08
Posts: 7,659
Last seen: 4 years, 14 days
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: Vriska Serket]
#23566804 - 08/22/16 05:56 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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I think everyone that has a favorite subject thinks this, but idk how you could NOT find the human brain to be the most facinating thing in the world. We are breaking down the way the human mind operates bit by bit through trial and error and amazing scanning techniques. Reprogramming people's minds with essentially behavioral therapy is just fucking amazing. People have been doing it for millenia without really knowing how it worked (i.e. punishment/reward). Now that we are beginning to grasp the 'whys' as well as the 'hows', we're poised to transcend our animal nature.
Its a shame I believe we will destroy the world as we know it today before we ever get anywhere near a magical level with it. My own beliefs are defying each other!
--------------------
A cautious young fellow named Lodge / Had seat belts installed in his Dodge. / When his date was strapped in / He committed a sin / Without even leaving the garage. That's clever, isn't it?-A boy and his dog
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Psilosopherr
A psilly goose



Registered: 02/15/12
Posts: 12,278
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: Enhancing shick shadels drug aversion therapy with virtual reality [Re: bloodsheen]
#23567651 - 08/22/16 10:29 PM (7 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
bloodsheen said: Now that we are beginning to grasp the 'whys' as well as the 'hows', we're poised to transcend our animal nature.
An interesting notion for sure. Like perhaps conditioning against intense anger. Anger is pretty useless.
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