Page 215 - Total War on PTSD
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join our PTSD program. Some have floated only once or twice; some have floated more than 50 times. We are finding folks under the program who tell us about how they're weaning off their anti-anxiety medication and their pain medication. So, it's not only me telling you, it's actually proving itself through these folks.”
"We are utilizing the PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 criteria self-assessment questionnaire) to apply pre and post-float effectiveness measures for our Veterans with PTSD. This allows us to measure the effectiveness of the float sessions. Similar data is also being collected in more controlled medical studies being performed by the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa, OK.” Jamie: "Let me share a little bit about how floatation therapy has helped me deal with PTSD. I was finishing a CrossFit workout when I first heard of Float Brothers, and to be honest I thought it sounded cool, but I don’t think I’d be able to do it.
The idea of being in a capsule for 60-90 minutes seemed like way too much time in my own head. After all I’ve been actively avoiding specific thoughts and memories from my past. So after a few minutes of talking about the claimed benefits of floating I figured that, if I was uncomfortable, I could just get out and at least I would get the relief of soaking in Epsom salt. When I finally mustered the courage to go to the spa I decided I would go there with an open mind. Sensory deprivation meant the pod would be completely dark which also meant there would be no visual distraction. The water temperature would be approximately 94 degrees, the same temperature of the skin's surface, which means no tactile distraction. Earplugs would minimize noise so and, as long as I didn’t swallow any water by accident, my five basic senses would not be a distraction. I was able to alleviate a lot of my anxiety by knowing that, at any time, things such as LED light and ambient music were at my fingertips from right inside the
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