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An old woman in wheelchair enters the hospital and complain about many problems in her body. Even her family mentions that she could not walk in a few days.
Doctors check everything and could not make any diagnosis about her. There was nothing wrong in his body. That is why, they call psychiatrist in the hospital explain the situation.
Psychiatrist found one solution about her problem and describe what to do. An internist doctor took vitamin C bulb and put the injector and said them:
- Allright everyone, we check old woman’s test and found the solution. We have a new medicine and now I am going to inject this. After 30 minutes all complains will finish and she will be great.
After 30 minutes all was gone, and she was walking and smiling. Everything is solved and she left happily from hospital.
There are many real story happened in hospitals and still they apply this method in some situations. Many patients come with complains and after taking salted water into their vessels, they leave without problem or take a sugar pill instead of real medicine.
This great method is called placebo effect. Amazing power of the brain.
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Story of Placebo in History
In 14. Century Placebo was the person crying in funeral ceremony for the family. The purpose is satisfying the God for the dead person. These Placebo people are paid and work for the funeral ceremonies. These people are called “Placebo Domino in regione vivorum” meaning that “I will satisfy the God in this world”. Later on other people called these people as “placebo”.
How Does Placebo Effect Work?
Although there is no certain explanation about how it is happening, most of the scientist explain it with belief and expectation. Brain believes that you are getting right treatment and you will be better gradually. No matter you are taking a sugar pill, you are getting medicine in your mind and that makes you better.
When you think you are not okey, an anxiety starts in body and bad chemical response cause some problems. With placebo effect, anxiety level decreases and positive chemical response makes you feel better.
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Which Criteria Change Place Effect Power
There are different tries until today still scientists are researching about it and results depend on many factors.
Number of pills, color of pill, way of taking into body, shape of the pill, date of production, and many more factors are affecting result. Some people are caring one factor and some others needs two to four criteria in order to have good result.
Number of Pill and Color Factor
Placebo effect is changing for some people about the color and number. In one experiment, pink colors made better result instead of blue one. The reason of pink effect is actually pink color increase concentrate.
Also, two pills instead on one pill make better result for some people. They think that is more strong effect.
Date of Production and Packaging
Some people believe new pills are more effective than the old ones. Because they think that medicines are developing and new one has a strong effect.
Another factor is packaging. People believe capsule pills are stronger than normal pill. In addition to that, boxing colors and other shapes affect the power of placebo effect.
Some medicine companies make this point as a leverage and put same pill to new package and sell expensive price. The thing about it even doctors believe this and write prescription with these new medicines.
Price and Way of Taking to Body
There is this belief even some other things buying expensive provides a quality. This concept is valid for also placebo effect. People think expensive drugs are more reliable and effective.
Some people are obsessed about way of taking the pill. For instance, some of them think that pills are not helping them, and they need injection. That is way it affects their thought the format of the method.
Moreover, some people need pain in order to believe they had a good treatment. For them doctors ogle one part of their body and sew it up again. Then they are able to believe they are getting a good treatment.
(https://pixabay.com/en/skull-and-crossbones-danger-death-24039/)
Nocebo a Deadly Lie
Nocebo is reverse of the placebo and this could go to dead for some cases. One story tells about it as:
Doctors offered a proposal to convict in jail sentenced to dead about becoming a part of the experiment and painless dead as a result.
Convict accepted offer and they take him into the surgery room. They told him that execution will be about bleeding. And they make sure that he will feel no pain and dead will come easy.
The day comes, and they chain convict and close his eyes bandage. They make small cut into his body. They placed water bags into cuts and leave water slowly into the cuts. Convict thinks he is bleeding and blood is leaving his body. Doctors started speaking in low volume.
The experiment is succeeded, and last sound convict heard is blood sound.