We spoke to Carolina (30 years old). She studies neuroscience and suffered from a severe anxiety disorder for two years, which required numerous visits to the doctor and strong medication. In the interview, she told us how floating helped her to find her way back to a normal life step by step and what tips she has for anyone who suffers from psychosomatic complaints.
What were your symptoms?
It started with sensitivity to light and noise, accompanied by a dull feeling on the top of the head. Then came severe dizziness and everything I saw moved, so that I could only walk straight with difficulty. At some point I also began to suffer from visual disturbances; my entire field of vision rotated in circles every half second until about eight o'clock, then it started again from the beginning. I was also always accompanied by a queasy feeling in my stomach, so that I couldn't eat or drink anything and even then I would have to vomit.
At first I suddenly started having these symptoms about once or twice a month, then once a week, and eventually it got to the point where the symptoms occurred daily and lasted the entire day. Most of the time I had no choice but to stay in bed.
At first I suddenly had these symptoms about once or twice a month, then once a week, and eventually I got to the point where the symptoms occurred daily and lasted the entire day. Most of the time I had no choice but to stay in bed. I didn't dare leave the house at all. When I had to work, I did my best to somehow get through it, but it was very exhausting and unpleasant.
What measures have you taken in the past?
Too many. From regular visits to the doctor (neurologist, cardiologist, orthopedist, ENT, psychologist) to several fMRIs and therapies, everything was there. The only thing that was prescribed to me last, but I didn't dare do because of the risks, was a lumbar puncture. Before that, I went to various types of physiotherapy and psychotherapy, practiced autogenic training, took high doses of magnesium as prescribed by the doctor (because he suspected vestibular migraines) and changed my diet.
I was prescribed high doses of magnesium, histamine blockers, very strong painkillers and tablets for migraine nausea. This dose was increased continuously and without success.
Since none of this helped even after months, I was prescribed histamine blockers, very strong painkillers (so strong that they are not available over the counter in pharmacies and can only be purchased in packs of three with a prescription) and tablets for migraine nausea. Even after several months of observation, this did not lead to any relief or improvement. In the end, I took more tablets, which mainly have to be taken during chemotherapy. This dose was continually increased without success.
How did you feel before you started floating?
I felt drained, had no energy or enthusiasm. I couldn't and didn't want to do anything except lie in bed and close my eyes so that everything would be a little more bearable. I felt an inner restlessness and I was fed up with all the pill-taking, which wasn't healthy in the long run.
Every night I was afraid that I would wake up the next day with the same symptoms or that they would appear in the middle of the day and I would once again be unable to take part in everyday life. But at the same time I also had a spark of hope that there must be something that could free me from this situation or provide some relief. I hoped that one day I would find something like that that would save me. I hoped that floating would be this unexpected rescue.
How did you get into floating?
Because I work as a service worker at Float Stuttgart, I saw how many stressed customers came out of floating almost as if they were reborn. Many said that floating was a way for them to escape from stress. There are now more and more studies on the medical effects and opportunities that floating offers.
Since I'm studying neuroscience, I already have a pretty good basic understanding of the body. So I read more about the research and understood what the floating environment actually does to the brain: to put it simply, the brain is reset when floating and the pent-up stress is released. The low-stimulus environment is unique for this. If there was one thing I kept hearing from all the doctors, it was that the symptoms were almost certainly stress-induced. So I had nothing to lose and tried it out.
Did you have any doubts or fears before trying floating?
Since nothing the doctors had recommended had worked so far, I was a little suspicious. I had a few doubts: why would floating help me? But I didn't feel any anxiety, since floating has no side effects at all compared to all the other treatments I've had.
How often have you been floating?
About five times. At first once a week. After the fourth time, I waited two weeks because the symptoms improved. When they came back, I went floating again.
How quickly did the first changes occur after floating?
Immediately after floating, the visual disturbances (which I always had when I floated) disappeared, at least for the rest of the evening. After the second time, I was already happy to see a reduction in symptoms: instead of living with them every day, I had about two symptom-free days a week.
Instead of living with it every day, I had about two symptom-free days a week. With the third float, the intervals between symptoms became even longer.
With the third float, the intervals between the symptoms became even longer. Sometimes I was able to leave the house for three days without any visual disturbances, I was able to attend university and even study normally again. After the fourth time, I was free of symptoms for a whole week. Since the last time, the symptoms have not occurred at all. After more than a year of torment, I was finally able to take part in normal everyday life again in just under two months.
After more than a year of suffering, I was finally able to return to normal life in just under two months.
Was there a particular moment when you noticed a significant improvement?
Yes. I think it must have been the fourth time I floated. Usually during that time I would hear the tinnitus that I have in both ears very loudly. But since that day, it suddenly stopped bothering me at all. I started to feel like I was half asleep.
When I came out of floating, I not only felt physically relieved, but I also noticed how my head felt indescribably light inside.
When I came out of the float, I not only felt physically relieved, but I also noticed how indescribably light my head felt. I no longer had that strange oppressive feeling. It was almost as if my head was suddenly wonderfully empty.
Which benefit of floating helped you the most?
I think the feeling of floating, as if you were in the middle of space, is what calmed me down the most while floating. Although I always turned the music off, I never experienced complete silence - be it the tinnitus in my ears or the rapid heartbeat that I heard. However, while I was floating, I was able to consciously perceive both without becoming anxious and I was able to cope with it until the ringing in my ear became quieter and my otherwise rapid pulse also audibly slowed down. This calmness also accompanied me when I got out of the float and gave me the feeling that everything would be fine.
When I notice in everyday life that I am becoming restless, I try to sit down for a few minutes if possible. Then I close my eyes and imagine that I am lying in the pool. This positive feeling is so etched in my memory that just thinking about it often calms me down a little.
When I notice in everyday life that I am becoming restless, I try to sit down for a few minutes if possible. Then I close my eyes and imagine that I am lying in the pool. This positive feeling is so etched in my memory that just thinking about it often calms me down a little.
How are you coping with the symptoms in your everyday life today? At university? How is your concentration?
Since the end of February, about six months now, I have been back to my normal daily routine without any problems. For me, it is a real miracle to be able to live and experience a “normal” life again and I am infinitely grateful for that.
Unfortunately, I have had to put up with a lot at university over the last two years, as I was often unable to walk to class, let alone see anything on the board during lectures, as everything was spinning. A few times I even had to abandon exams because I was so confused that I couldn't do anything. Sometimes I didn't understand things that actually seemed to be easy to understand, no matter how much I immersed myself in the subject matter. I simply had no capacity to think, my brain was completely blocked.
In the last six months I have finally been able to go full throttle again: A lot of things that I didn't really understand before now seem clear and easy to understand. I can remember content much better and, above all, I don't get tired of studying as quickly as I did the year before. But most importantly, I can finally go to university regularly again, give lectures without getting dizzy and eat and talk with my fellow students during lunch breaks instead of going home in fear.
What would you recommend to other people with similar complaints?
Listen to your body and soul and take them seriously. Allow yourself a break, even if you're probably very busy. Complaints can often be warning signs that you've reached your limit. Panic or anxiety disorders can then develop very quickly. You're often completely unaware of the effects. There are many reasons why stress accumulates in the subconscious and ultimately manifests itself physically. Once you understand why you may have developed symptoms, it's easier to counteract them.
Listen to your body and soul and take them seriously. Allow yourself some time out, even if you often have a lot on your plate. Complaints can often be warning signs that you have reached your limit.
Are there any aspects of floating that you didn't expect before but that surprised you?
Yes, absolutely. Floating is a very safe place to retreat to. It not only puts you in a state of calm physically, but also mentally. You relax and deal with the pressures of everyday life in a much more differentiated way. I never expected that this calm would last two days later and that nothing could spoil my good mood.
Apart from that, the salt brine also helped a lot with the psoriasis that I have. Much more effective and, above all, more natural than any cortisone ointment that I used to have to use. For a while, I didn't have any relapses in this regard either.
Do you feel that floating can also have a preventative effect to prevent future problems?
In any case! It's best not to let it get to the point where symptoms appear. We often overestimate how much we can endure. Even if we feel physically fit, our brain may slowly reach its stress limit.
Stress is primarily a subconscious process. That's why everyone should do themselves and their brains - which we so desperately need - a favor every now and then and give them some relief.
Stress is primarily a subconscious process. That's why everyone should do themselves and their brain - which we so desperately need - a favor every now and then and relieve it. Floating is ideal for this, as it can reset the body to its factory settings bit by bit before a system error occurs.
In principle, you can compare the brain to a computer that becomes slower and slower if the memory usage is too high until it crashes. You then have to painstakingly free up this memory again.
In principle, you can compare the brain to a computer that slows down more and more when the memory is too full until it freezes. This memory then has to be laboriously freed up again. Once you have overcome the symptoms thanks to floating, floating weightlessly from time to time helps to ensure that the symptoms do not reappear or remain less severe.
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We thank you for the interview and your openness. Float Stuttgart
