Float Therapy: Antidote to Anxiety

Present day political, social and public health crises have overstimulated a societal culture of fear that is unraveling at lightning speed and taking many of us hostage with mental health crises. The 2020 pandemic has disrupted work, education, healthcare, the economy and relationships. We are all struggling in some way to cope with reality. This emotional toll has consequences in the way we carry tension and the way we express our actions and reactions. It is anxiety producing. Nobody likes or thrives on anxiety.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting a significant portion of the population.* According to the CDC, 2 in 5 people report symptoms of anxiety and mental health disorders. The rate is much higher in the 12-23 age group according to the National Institute of Mental Illness as well as recent college surveys, such as Boston University. The World Health Organization has been well aware of this healthcare trend, having updated their catalog of medical diagnosis codes some years ago, with a specific diagnosis code for stress and occupational burnout. Unfortunately, this has also led to a record number of prescription anti-anxiety and stress management medications that come with addictive risks and other hidden negative consequences.  Finding effective, safe and non-pharmaceutical ways to manage stress and anxiety are key. Float therapy is one of those ways.

There are some tried and true ways to combat anxiety, such as yoga and meditation. However, yoga is not for everyone, plus it involves movement and following cues. Maybe pain even prohibits certain movements or the class is geared more towards a fast flow and not a gentle holding of poses. Meditation often takes years of practice and the results can be contingent upon comfortable seated positions for a long period and often it is hard to be devoid of distraction. However, float therapy, also known as floatation, floating, sensory deprivation or REST ( restricted environmental stimulus therapy) is quite a different approach, by basically taking the body off the mind and entering a contemplative and deeply relaxing state by doing nothing. There is nobody touching you, talking to you and there are no instructions to follow - it is just you floating effortlessly in 10” of a super saturated salt water solution set at skin temperature, doing nothing but being. You can sometimes hear your breathing, your heartbeat, your digestive noises, but there is no concern with sights and sounds and reactions to events. It is in drastic contrast to our constant stimulation, movement and hectic lifestyle. Detaching for an hour with minimal to no external stimuli (including gravity) is good for the brain, the body and the resultant state of mind. It allows for a potent reset very much like the benefits of a deep and restful sleep, with lingering positive anti-anxiety and calming benefits lasting days to weeks.

There have been numerous studies over the past decades, demonstrating the value of float therapy across a range of different stress-and pain-related conditions. More recently, there have been studies focused on individuals with clinical anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and depression. The evidence published thus far, such as the 2018 landmark study on floating and anxiety conducted at the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, suggests that Floatation-REST is a safe and effective technique.**  Further, there have been studies that have observed reductions in anxiety, as well as blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels.  Dr. David Berv, the chief experience officer at The Float Zone in Richmond, Virginia has conducted over a dozen clinical case studies on floating and various health conditions. Anxiety, Depression, Sleep and Pain parameters were tracked in every clinical study, with consistently encouraging and lasting results.***

The float experience offers a safe, comfortable environment that transforms the floater from a conscious, active brainwave state into one that mimics the stage in between sleep and wakefulness - a very creative, introspective, calming state, where external sensory input to the nervous system including vision, hearing, smell, taste, temperature, gravity, general bodily sensation and sense of place in space, known as proprioception are greatly minimized. Options do exist to customize the float environment to one’s comfort with light and ambient music, or one can be in complete darkness and silence. Within minutes of entering the float tank, the mind becomes free from the concerns of the body and all the controls related to it. Parts of the brain responsible for constantly interpreting our surroundings and signals of fear, pain and anxiety get a huge dose of calm that has far reaching effects on the mind, to the point that you could say floating is an antidote to anxiety. 

Float therapy testimonials on how floating helps anxiety

Author Dr. David Berv can be reached at david@myfloatzone.com

1. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America

2.  Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh H, et al. Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of floatation-REST. PloS One. 2018;13(2):e0190292.

3. https://www.myfloatzone.com/casestudy