Float Therapy for Mental Health: How Floating Supports Anxiety, PTSD, and Overall Wellness

An ever-increasing rate of teen and adult suicide and depression proves our bodies are not biologically well-adapted for the modern world we live in today. Currently, Utah has the 5th highest suicide rate in the nation. At Summit Spa & Float, our main reason for adding float tanks into our locations was to increase public knowledge and awareness of floating. Float therapy  can be a tool to combat mental health issues and those experiencing PTSD. We want people to recognize that floating is an additional resource for those who may be struggling.

Scientific Research:

Can float tanks help with anxiety and PTSD? Certainly. The float environment garners both a physiological and psychological response from the body as was shown from a group of clinically depressed and anxious individuals after just one float. Reduced anxiousness, blood pressure, and muscle tension remained on average for 24-26 hours post float. 

The fight-or-flight response, triggered by our sympathetic nervous system, is often overstimulated because we live in a world in which our minds are being triggered constantly.  

Consequently, it has become our new “normal,” and can be exhausting, leading to damage, dependency and addiction, especially in teens. The graph pictured shows the increased depression rate over the last 15 years in both male and female teens with a significantly higher amount in females. Sensory deprivation can be an alternative for relief or at the very least an additional tool to aid in other therapies. The weightlessness of floating puts your body in a gentle state of traction, relieving pressure on your spinal cord and joints, and soothing aches and pains within the bones and muscles. 

Depressive Symptoms in Teens  

Floating seems more than just a fad, and the scientific studies keep coming, basically saying floating is here to stay. Some folks will ask: is float therapy dangerous? 

 It’s the opposite, the research around floating has helped it earn wide acceptance as an efficient medical approach in several European countries, for instance Sweden and Germany where clinicians commonly recommend floats when people are dealing with stress. More recent studies on floating keep confirming that it has an odd sort of versatility and strong effectiveness, not only as a wellness tool, but also as something that helps balance your internal chemistry, both neurologically and physiologically.   
 

Benefits of Float Therapy for Certain Conditions 

• Chronic Pain 

When you get into a float tank, that almost weightless feeling really helps take the load off your joints and muscles. It can encourage a deep, slow kind of relaxation, and in turn it may reduce how strongly pain registers for you. Some research suggests float therapy has real potential for chronic pain situations, like fibromyalgia, back pain, and headaches. 

A lot of clients also sort of blend floating with massage therapy, because the combo can support muscle recovery, and also just help people feel more settled. 

• Insomnia 

That calm, sensory deprivation style setup in a float tank may improve your sleep quality in a noticeable way. When stress hormones drop, and the mind settles, floating can make it easier to drift off sooner, plus get those deeper, more restorative sleep cycles.   

• Migraines   

There’s  thing about stress calming, muscle easing, and general pain relief that seems like they all play nice together, Float therapy may help reduce how often migraines show up, and lower the overall intensity, especially since it goes after the stress side of things and supports general wellness too.   

If you’re living with ongoing tightness, or mental strain, you could also consider extra health and wellness services. They can offer more support for getting better and staying on track, after everything feels a bit “stuck”.   

• Addiction Recovery   

A float session can give deep relaxation, but it’s more than that it can create a focused, steady quiet. For addiction recovery, having that safe stillness can make it easier to meet cravings, and work on mindfulness, without all the usual distractions around you. Over time, floating might help someone going through addiction to handle withdrawal in a more manageable way and learn newer coping patterns that hold up.

The Science, Behind Floating: Unplugging Your Nervous System 

Our brains are always hit with sensory data, you know. In a float tank we pull away those outside inputs so the nervous system can basically switch modes and kind of slow down, shift gears more gently. 

If you want a better feel for what flotation really does, you have to see it in real life, not just in theory. check out What Is Floating Therapy and How Does It Heal the Mind? 

1000 lbs. of Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt): 

Through absorption, floating can help to safely replenish your levels of magnesium—the “master mineral,” magnesium is an important co-factor which regulates over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. 

At Summit Spa & Float we’ve chosen to make floating a part of each of our locations specifically because of the benefits people with mental health and PTSD can experience. Every second Thursday of each month First Responders and Active-Duty Military members can come into any of our locations and float for free  Summit Spa & Float has locations in Park City and Spanish Fork, Utah. 

If you’re curious about the advantages of flotation therapy, you can also take a look at What is a Float Spa & Why Should You Try Float Therapy?. It gives a pretty clear idea of what a float spa is, and why people tend to enjoy it.  

FAQ’s:

1. Can float therapy help with anxiety?   

Some research suggests that float therapy may help ease anxiety, mostly because it encourages deep relaxation and also cuts down on sensory stimulation, which can feel calming. 

2. Is float therapy beneficial for PTSD?   

A lot of people use float therapy as a complementary wellness approach, in order to help manage stress, and PTSD-related signs too. 

3. How often should you use a float tank?   

It really depends on your personal goals though, but many individuals report the strongest effects after sticking to regular float sessions for a while. 

4. Does float therapy help with sleep?   

Float therapy might improve sleep quality by lowering stress levels and guiding your mind toward relaxation, as it makes it easier to drift off. 

5. What are the mental health benefits of floating?   

Floating, also known as sensory deprivation therapy, may help reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve mindfulness. The calm, low-stimulation environment can support emotional well-being, enhance focus, and provide a peaceful space to recharge and restore balance.