Web conferencing opens communication for military veterans and addiction treatment patients

Addiction treatment companies are catching on to the benefits of video conferencing, using the service to provide outpatient treatment to individuals who may have recently moved far away from their therapy service or who choose to undergo treatment from the comfort of their own home.

One addiction therapy company is launching its services by offering free treatment for U.S. military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who may be facing problems of addiction. The veterans can set up online meetings with one of the available therapists and share their struggles on their living room couch, at their kitchen table or from their own bedroom.

Physical face-to-face communication can be intimidating to some individuals and may force others to revert to their closed-off behavior. Taking away the office environment of an in-person meeting, a video conferencing session might allow an individual to let go of inhibitions and open up to the therapist.

The online meeting service can act as a beneficial form of aftercare for addiction treatment patients, allowing them to continue contact with their therapists and maintain a solid relationship with someone they trust. The web-based platform allows the treated individual to schedule travel plans and still report to the therapist for routine check-ins.