Case Studies on Fibromyalgia and Burn-out Depression Using Psychotherapy in Combination with Flotation-Rest: Personality Development and Increased Well-Being

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine whether and how the combination of therapy and flotation tank could be used to treat patients with severe stress problems. Two women on long-term sick-leave, aged 55 and 58, participated in the study, which was carried out over a period of one year. One of these women was diagnosed as suffering from burn out depression and the other from fibromyalgia. The therapy program had several components: flotation-REST, group therapy, conversational therapy, and picture production. The clients kept journals and were the participants of deep interviews on two occasions. “The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological Method” (Karlsson, 1995) was used in the analysis, which generated four overarching themes: a) the therapeutic work model; b) transformation of feelings; c) self-insight; and d) meaning. These together constituted a “therapeutic circle” which after a while transformed into a “therapeutic spiral” of increased meaning and enhanced well-being.