The placebo effect

The placebo effect is defined as a physical or emotional change, occurring after a substance is taken or administered, that is not the result of any special property of the substance. The change may be beneficial, reflecting the expectations of the participant and, often, the expectations of the person giving the substance.
This means, for example that there are doctors that administrate sugar pills, or any other substance with no healing properties, but the patient believes he is taking real medicine, and he experiences improvemnts in his health.
What is your oppinion about it?

I think it's good.

It fascinates me. It'd be interesting to try it, but i'm sure the effects wouldn't work if I actually knew I was taking a placebo. I believe homeopathic methods use a lot of placebos, also.

Yeah, there are a lot of discussions about homeopathy using placebos, and I agree to that, but not completely, because homeopathy is being used sucessfully to treat animals as well.

I agree, the placebo effect is really fascinating. And if it works, it's great.

Fascinating, really.
And I'm kinda sure (that says it all, I ain't .. anyways) our mental is that great. Able to heal us... Just by believing.

Barenaked Stunt.:

I agree, the placebo effect is really fascinating. And if it works, it's great.

I agree too, I think its just amazing.

it's stupid that people would have to pay for that and shit, but most people will convince themselves their better after they take a medicine even if it does nothing. just like people will convince themselves they're high after they sniff a sharpie. you're really not, but you think you are because you think it's suppossed to make you that way.

Spirit Of '77:

it's stupid that people would have to pay for that and shit, but most people will convince themselves their better after they take a medicine even if it does nothing. just like people will convince themselves they're high after they sniff a sharpie. you're really not, but you think you are because you think it's suppossed to make you that way.

That's called a psychosomatic effect, which is what is really being tested with placebos. The reason a placebo is usually used in a clinical trial is to rule out a psychosomatic reaction to the product to make sure it is actually effective biologically rather than chicken soup and a band-aid for the human psyche. The brain is an incredibly powerful machine of sorts. Sometimes the placebo is found to be equally as effective as an actual drug and is used as such depending on the severity of the "ailment." In a world where we go to a doctor over the common cold, a placebo is a good alternative to drugs that we may not need.

Yeah, that's very true. I had to do a project recently on this subject, so I found out a lot of new things. The placebo effect can also be harmfull. That is, if the person taking the placebo medcine, reads about the negative side-effects, he may even experience those.

I guess it would work. People underestimate how powerful the mind is. If you trully wanted, you could heal yourself just by believing it, but you have to believe it completely. Kind of like thinking of a warm summer day in Hawiaii, instead of coming back to reality in the cold winter. It makes you feel warm.

I think it's brilliant.

I Think That It 'Works', Cause My Grandmother Just Takes Her Pills And She's Fine In A Second..

The power of suggestion...a more powerful tool than I imagined when I first read about it.

The old superheroes from the 40s and 50s always seemed to be able to use the "power of suggestion" to convince villains that they were beaten, or that they had some sort of weapon that would make fighting pointless nad they should just give up. I was pretty skeptical about it for a while, but then I found out you can use this in medicine...

Hey, it saves a hell of a lot of money for treatment. If it works, go for it. You won't see me complaining if I can get rid of a malignant foot tumor someday by taking what I think is medicine, but is really sugar and pepper.

its true though. thats the amazing thing about it. you can tell the difference between people. for example, two people have a cold. one person stays at home all day in bed. the other just gets on with their day as usual.

Alot of times, when "fake" medications are given, they're given becuase nothing is truely wrong with the person, they just feel the need to be on medication. It's used alot in Physc fields by doctors, if they think they are getting what they want, it works out alot better for everyone.

oooo

Jesus and the Placebo effect:
The disciples asked him why they could not heal the sick, Jesus responded, "It was your lack of faith"

(not to be quoted)


----check it out!

Many doctors use it on major hypocondriacs, who by wanting to be sick so badly, trick their body into showing certain symptoms. (This can also happen if a woman's urge to be pregnant is so strong she may show some of signs of being so)


I don't believe it could actually work on someone with serious medical issues.

i think so