Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Furious_D on 04/12/2003 03:08:54
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This is just one of those things I got thinking about in the middle of math class (It's my thinking class, just not about math.) Do you think that if you were to convince an individual that a placebo (Under a different name, of course.) would prevent disease and whatnot that the person's mentality would actually benefit the person's health?
I figure, if a person thinks they're healthy, they're normally happy and active. If a person feels vulnerable or sick, they act gloomy and inactive.
Just wondering, if I'm wrong I'm wrong, but I know when I think I'm sick, I'm sick, and when I don't, I'm not.
Anyone agree? Disagree?
Thanks to anyone who attempts to satisfy my curiosity [:D]
"And then I took the melon baller and scooped out all the Einsteinium."
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Welcome Furious_D,
I think that about 90 - 95% of illness has psychological origin. But what that origin is in each case can be complex. Positive thoughts are always beneficial but I would expect to see a wide range of results. To my mind, illness is a symptom and you have to address the cause to effect a cure. So if you tested your theory on someone who was ill simply because of a belief that they were ill, then you should have 100% success.
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Dee!!!!!!!!!!! You made it!!
Am I dead? Am I alive? I'm both!
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Nothing kills like depression. Weakens your immune system leaving you open to catch diseases. I also think it actually weakens your body in other ways, which causes it to break down sooner.
Had a severe asthma patient once in the ER. We tried everything we knew to get him breathing better. On his best days, he always had some wheezing. We were getting ready to admit him, and I broke open a capsule of something or other, and filled it with sugar. Went to him and gave him a big speech about how this was a new a powerful medication for asthma, that could only be used on the worst cases, and after I gave it to him he'd have to remain in his chair (we had recliner chairs they sat in) and not get up without assistance, cause it was a strong medication. I gave him the pill, and monitored his vital signs every five minutes for half an hour to keep up the charade. Do you know the guy not only got better, but cleared completely without any wheezes at all? He was so cute too. He sang gospel music in church and sang us a song before we discharged him.
The down side of that is that when he came back again, he wanted that special pill that the nurse gave him and no one knew what he was talking about. Had to explain my "witch" medicine to the charge resident next time we both worked together. But I wonder if a negative mind set doesn't actually block medications from being effective. I don't think he would have cleared with just a placebo, but I do think somehow he was rendering his medications less effective by his belief that they wouldn't work.
Bezoar
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I've been wondering along these same lines recently. I know that clinical studies of medications use placebos and go to great lengths to measure the placebo effects and the drug effects. Has anyone studied the placebo effects from the clinical trials? Would this be an indicator to the answer to D's quesiton?
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John
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Hehe...clinical trials studying placebo effects. What would you give the control group?
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I don't know. Maybe cannibis? LOL
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John
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I'd like to participate in that one.
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