How strong is the placebo effect? Very! (Personal experience)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

So I have a terrible allergic cough, I go to the doctor, she prescribes some medicine and a weekly vaccine for the allergenics I'm vulnerable to. I find by phone call that the vaccine is available at the clinic's other office in the city, so I won't have to wait ten days until it arrives. I'm taking the first shot tomorrow morning. Also, pills and nasal spray.

The thing is, on my way from the clinic to the pharmacy to buy the pills and spray, I felt better already! Just by being aware that I was going to be treated! And knowing full well nothing, precisely nothing had been done at that moment that could in any way imaginable influence my condition.

This has, in fact, happened to me more than once over the years, with very different ailments. This time, I guess I just wanted to share.

[aquart]

1. Placebo effect is when you think you got the drug and it's working.

But they gave you sugar pills instead.

[Spike89]

2. Actually, the "placebo effect" is a combination of the factors

The actual placebo is at the center of course, but by definition, it isn't a factor in itself. No one really knows what causes the effect, but hope, the attention of a doctor/caregiver, and pure self-reporting error are all likely cauuses of the placebo effect.

[qazplm]

5. I've always thought

at the end of the day, the placebo effect is simply the very limited but present ability of the mind to consciously heal oneself slightly faster/better than ordinary absent any actual treatment because of a positive mental state.

Nothing woo-woo about it, nothing you can ordinarily use to beat say pancreatic cancer, but maybe something you can use to make a cold a little better, or make a malady clear up a little quicker, or make pain a bit less.

Maybe it's the right cocktail of hormones, or maybe it's transferring energy from stress/strain of worry to actual healing.

[JuniperLea]

3. The mind is an amazing instrument...

If only we could harness and channel the powers therein!

I overcame post-partum depression through meditation and visualization... doctors kept wanting to give me drugs. Bah... the mind power doesn't have a deductible or copay! I'm not saying that everyone can do this... wait, no... yes, everyone can do this! Not everyone has the wherewithal to allow their mind to do this, I guess that's what I'm saying. If they did, Big Pharma would be an old timey story from grandpa.

[LiberalLoner]

4. I've had the same exact experience. Sure wish I could harness that power of my mind, so

that I would never actually need medicine. It would be great if I could teach my body to heal itself.

[drokhole]

6. "The potent neurochemical of hope," as I once heard it so poetically described. nt