Post-traumatic Stress disorder also known as PTSD in an anxiety disorder that can occur after a person has experienced a traumatic event in their life. Events such as (but not limited to) a natural disaster, sexual or physical assault, being involved in a car crash, combat during war, or even witnessing a harmful or dangerous event. It is basically anything that involves a person experiencing a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. It is a natural human response to feel afraid when in danger. The fear triggers split-second changes in the body to prepare against the danger or to avoid it (flight or fight). However, when someone is experiencing PTSD this reaction is damaged and most people may feel stressed, anxious or scared even when they are no longer in danger.

Generally, somebody who has PTSD will experience symptoms such as; reliving the traumatic event over and over again in their mind; they experience high levels of anxiety when doing so and its common for people with PTSD to try to block out or avoid thinking about the event in the hope that it will just go away.
Other common symptoms of PTSD can be things such as recurrent nightmares, having ‘flash backs’ of the ordeal, feeling irritable or having anger outbursts, having issues falling asleep and staying asleep, losing interest in activities that were once pleasant or pleasurable, being physically responsive such as sweating or having an increased heart rate at the thought or conversation around the traumatic event, having difficulties with positivity and feelings such as happiness or love.
 
Not everybody who experiences a traumatic event has PTSD, however when a person becomes immobilised with stress, overwhelmed at the thoughts surrounding the ordeal or finds themselves “stuck” in the same circle of negative thoughts over and over again even when the immediate danger has passed and they are unable to return to a pre-stress state of balance.

Being inside the floatation tank, where everything is totally silent, dark and completely effortless gives the mind time to slow down and process thoughts in a calmer and more profoundly relaxed manner. The lack of external stimuli is extremely rare in modern society, however in the floatation environment, it allows the mind to enter into the theta state, which is the dreamy like state right before falling asleep at night or when first waking in the morning. The sensory deprivation or the floatation tank environment has been shown to heighten senses such as creativity and clarity post-float and for days after the float. It also allows the brain to enter into a naturally calm-down period, which helps those who have trouble with insomnia or other sleep disorders. Floating also offers a natural increase in dopamine (a neurotransmitter that helps control the brains reward and pleasure centres and also helps regulate movement and emotional responses). This helps to create feelings of euphoria and aids mental relaxation, which benefits our overall health and wellbeing. Many common mental issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other psychological issues are found to be alleviated whist in the floatation tank and for days after due to the shift in brain chemistry. There are also great benefits to anyone with stress related diseases such as hypertension, ulcers, heart disease and many others as the floatation tank offers a mental solution to the physical symptom by targeting the problem at the source being stress, which is at the root of these issues.
 
Floatation therapy offers a safe, alternative way to combat many issues naturally without having to depend on pills that may have side effects and could be potentially dangerous on your body in the long term.
 

Lately, floatation therapy has been rising in popularity. More and more centres are opening in Melbourne, spreading the effects of floating to a wider audience. With the increase in happy floaters, buzz has been generated within the entire industry.

On Monday October 5th, 2015, the Herald Sun created a feature article about floatation therapy in Melbourne, entitled Float to Better Health it outlines some of the effects and benefits of floating.

Click here to read the article

Did you know that Floatation Therapy has been featured world famous Vogue magazine, which is exciting as it's expanding audience awareness about floating.

Recently Nathan Heller, Vogue.com's contributing editor, film and TV critic, floated in a sensory deprivation tank in New York City.  To read more, click here.