What is Placebo Effect?
The term placebo is commonly used in pharmaceuticals to denote an inert drug or treatment which is made to resemble an active drug but is made up of inactive chemicals such as starch or sugar. The Placebo drug or treatment is a psychological attempt at tricking your mind into believing the fake treatment as the real - the so called placebo effect.
The placebo effect relies on the self healing power of the brain and is derived from the spiritual aspects of the human mind. The brain is treated as the control system for the body and a powerful healing tool in placebo treatments. Another term synonymous with placebo is the stimulate healing common in yogic healing practices. Experts worldwide believe that placebos may make you feel better, but they will not cure you. They have been shown to be most effective for conditions like pain management, stress related insomnia, and cancer treatment side effects like fatigue and nausea.
The current global pandemic situation arising in the wake of COVID19 virus has brought this term in vogue. The frequent and extended lock down globally has left a huge strand of populace socially bereft and claustrophobic. The consequent stress building is resulting in increasing mental health issues mostly related to social anxiety and depressions. Placebo Effect offers an excellent solution to such problems and could be a life saver in such situations.
Let me ask you a question, Are you constantly seeking social media and spending time chatting, video calling and binge watching during these days of lock down ? If the answer is Yes then your brain is doing what it can to find a way to keep itself busy and active. This seems fine but what if you are an alcoholic and are unable to find any wine shops open? The response from your cortex is that of alarm and fight or flight mode is getting activated now. This results in anxiousness and insomnia. A way out if you ask me is take the placebo effect immediately.
How can you give yourself a placebo besides taking a fake pill? Practicing self help methods is one way. "Engaging in the ritual of healthy living - eating right, exercising, yoga, quality social time, meditating- probably provides some of the key ingredients of a placebo effect."
Placebos are not all about releasing brainpower. You also need the ritual of treatment and depends a lot on entire environment and ritual factor at work. The mind has to be tricked into telling the body what it needs to feel better. Thus building a routine and enforcing a positive environmental setup can go a long way into attaining the desired benefits.
The power of your subconscious mind - a book touching similar topic wherein, we can see wonderful effects if we nurture our subconscious mind well.
ReplyDeleteYes the book by joseph muphy... it is a really interesting read.. thanks for suggesting....This article is also related to the subconscious brain and habit formation.... I wish to give the placebo effect an Indian touch by incorporating our traditional belief of Yoga and meditation.....
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