Float tanks are fast becoming a way to get away from the noise and stress of the day and just block it all all. Many float tanks can be used with a cover, so it's a sensory deprivation experience of no sound, no light and a way for the brain to just unwind. A study at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Tulsa OK will be published soon that shows the benefits of float therapy for patients who suffer from extreme anxiety. Fifty patients took part in the study that had them spending time in float tanks that were about a foot deep and contained roughly 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts. This made the tanks more buoyant than the Dead Sea. While a foot doesn't seem deep enough to float, it actually makes the water like a mattress, which surrounds the patient. In the study, every participant said they felt at peace and free some anxiety symptoms for hours after their float and these feelings continued into the next day.
Float shops are opening up around the country that offer users the ability to spend an hour two in a pod filled with salted water. With the results of this study being so positive, more doctors and therapists will likely hear about float therapy and perhaps recommend it for their patients. Treating anxiety can be hit or miss with medications (some of which can be addictive) and time-consuming talk therapy. Float tanks might be a way to calm the brain and let patients feel better.