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Crash course in gaming to overcome driving fears


Trauma psychiatrists at St. Stephen’s Hospital in Ireland have begun using video games to help accident victims overcome their "accident phobia." Before you go calling your insurance company to see if they'll cover a new 360 and PGR3 for that fender bender last year, the doctors insist it's not all fun and... well, uh games:

"It’s a structured programme – patients don’t just play video games. It’s cognitive behavioural therapy and it involves gradually exposing people to different types of frightening scenes, starting off in a very easy way and working up gradually.”

If they're working up gradually, I bet Burnout is the last step. Start with Mario Kart, a little 18 Wheeler in there somewhere, and finish with an 8 hour Burnout marathon... crash mode only. If you can run that gamut, you can drive anything.

[Via Way I Play]

Tags: Burnout, Ireland

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