Page 256 - Total War on PTSD

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 Pod. I entered the pod with an open mind and was determined to try to tolerate going into complete isolation. The novelty of the experience made me focus my attention of how much I couldn’t see, hear, or feel. I thought I could see some colors, perhaps some light source from outside the pod, but something as simple as waving my hand in front of my face proved to yield zero visibility (while making sure salt water did not fall in my eyes). So these colors I thought I was seeing were just a figment of my imagination. A few minutes went by and as I lay very still I realized I couldn't feel the water. Right then and there, the notion of being in a confined space had totally disintegrated. I started to feel as if the pod was huge...so huge that it was almost as if
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