Together, Let’s Float More Veterans
There are few stressors in life like the ones the
men and women of our military face on a daily basis. They are put under immense
pressure during high-intensity situations and the stress they endure while
deployed away from their families can take its toll when they return home.
Often enough, we see more and more soldiers coming back from duty with PTSD,
anxiety, depression, insomnia and addiction. For the people who literally put
their lives on the line for the freedoms we take for granted everyday, I say
enough is enough and that we can do better to support our veterans.
Roughly 20% of veterans struggle with PTSD
everyday and many of these soldiers are finding that flotation therapy can be a
path to their healing. Many of these men and women come home with the feeling
of being unrelatable and out of place. Hyperstimulation during war can cause
people to close off from their family, friends and global communities when they
come back home. Cody Austell, a veteran who
served in Iraq explained, “I was diagnosed with PTSD and
here recently I’ve been diagnosed with chronic PTSD…I would just disappear
for months at a time. My friends used to say I was like a ghost…Did my first
float and it was very amazing to me. I was able to put in line 3 years worth of
stuff that was trapped in my head, in pretty much an hour session” Floating
helps to destimulate the body and mind in a specific way that veterans need it
and it seems to be working.
Flotation therapy has helped veterans treat these
afflictions without the use of medication or other pharmaceutical drugs. In
some cases where veterans had a regular float routine, they stopped taking
their medications altogether because of the lasting effects after a float.
Chris Kitchens, a veteran who served in Iraq was thrown 20 feet during active
duty and said, “The way my pain decreased from float one to float six was more
substantial than any pharmaceuticals that the VA could’ve given me in order to
manage my pain. I like the fact that I’m not taking medication anymore. I found
its the biggest benefit of all.” These benefits have become so staggering and
widespread enough that the Navy SEALS even purchased flotation tanks for
research on their effects on overstimulated soldiers. The more veterans we can
introduce this therapy to, the better it is for all veterans who are out there
in need.
Time magazine wrote that one of the, “…studies
that suggests people with anxiety could gain therapeutic benefits from floating
was published in 2006 in the International Journal of Stress Management. It found
for a group of 70 people with stress-related pain, 12 float sessions reduced
pain, stress, anxiety and depression while improving sleep and optimism. Those
positive effects stuck around four months after treatment stopped.” Could you
imagine having four months of continuous relief after you complete treatment?
This is the future of preventative healthcare for veterans and we couldn’t be
happier to be at the forefront of this technology.
True REST wants to always continue to give back to those who have given
selflessly for our country. On the 11th of each month, to honor our soldiers,
we offer free floats to veterans. To learn more about our veteran program visit
www.truerest.com/veterans.
Floating
might not be recognized as a cure for PTSD (yet) but it definitely is changing
the future for veterans everywhere and we’re glad True REST can be a part of
that.
Sometimes, all you have to do is say YES and keep on floating!
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