Promising effects of treatment with floation-REST (restricted environmental stimulation technique)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
GAD is a particularly common condition that creates states of constant worry and anxiety, leading to symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, poor sleep, and muscle tension. This anxious state can be debilitating for many that suffer from GAD, often leading to an accompaniment of severe depression and other comorbidities due to the considerable suffering and functional impairment.
About the study
Pharmacological treatment can sometimes be effective in treating the symptoms of GAD, but many people do not want to go down that route into drug dependency. The demand for an alternative treatment for GAD-- that is safe and effective without the use of prescription drugs-- led to this study, which utilized a protocol of floatation-REST therapy in a sensory deprivation tank and ended up producing promising results.
Over the course of 12 sessions in a float tank, GAD symptoms decreased significantly, and additional improvements were shown in depression, sleep, emotional regulation, and mindfulness. These results were sustained even in the 6-month follow-up, and it was concluded that REST (restricted/reduced environmental stimulation therapy) in an isolation tank has impressive potential for treating GAD.
