Zoophobia

Abstract: In the world there are millions of people who suffer from some type of phobia. Specifically, more than 20 million American adults suffer from some type of phobia, an irrational fear of a particular entity or event. Among the most common of phobias lies the fear of heights, to animals, normally called Zoophobia. Usually, when a person with phobias to heights or Zoophobia is exposed to or even things about the elevator or animal dreaded, they will go through physical and emotional symptoms of extreme anxiety reaction, like: excessive sweating, trouble controlling muscles, dizziness, fainting, elevated heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, etc. Some patients refuse to leave their homes in fear of encountering said animal or enter a tall building forcing them to become secluded. Unfortunately, many individuals do not seek treatment for their phobias, and only 20% of people who get professional help, recover completely. Therefore, the objective of this project is to provide a reasonable alternative for treating various types of phobias, using virtual reality. To achieve said objective, a virtual world is developed using Unity, and Sweet Home 3D, and is implemented into an Oculus Rift virtual reality glasses. Patients will be transported to a house-like or building environment with the Oculus Rift, and gradually exposed to the animals or to heights, while progressively approaching them with no real risk or further traumatization. This will be made to feel as realistic as possible to help the patient feel more at home, while helping them adjust to their fears in places where these phobias are more likely to be found.