Faith can move mountains. This is indeed no mere phrase, but can become a reality. Because this is exactly what the so-called placebo effect works with.
What is the placebo effect?
A placebo is primarily a drug that is used solely for appearances and has no pharmacological effect. A placebo is primarily referred to as a drug that is solely for appearance and has no pharmacological effect. In their appearance, placebos are usually confusingly similar to medications such as capsules or tablets, but they do not contain any active ingredients against complaints or diseases. In this context, the so-called placebo effect refers to the supportive effect of a drug, which results solely from the patient’s belief. The placebo effect usually refers to positive changes in the patient’s condition. It does not have to be only a sham treatment that triggers such an effect. Placebo effects can occur with almost any medical treatment, including surgery, for example. Medically astonishing are often the results after a sham treatment. Thus, the effects can correspond to those of a real therapeutic treatment. The mode of action of placebos has not been clearly clarified to date. Recent studies from 2005 found psychosomatic effects. Accordingly, experts assume an endorphin release, which has a positive effect on health. However, the placebo effect does not work equally well for everyone. Thus, the extent of its benefit depends on the activity of the endorphin system, as well as on the self-healing powers of the respective body and the patient’s confidence in a successful treatment.
Function and task
The placebo effect can have great therapeutic significance. For example, placebos are used in psychosomatic illnesses to relieve symptoms without the use of potentially harmful drugs. In addition, they are equally used for diseases for which conventional medicine has no other treatment options to show. Nevertheless, the possible damage to the basis of trust between doctor and patient is considered questionable. Many physicians refrain from placebo treatments in order not to abuse this trust. In addition, the placebo effect has no effect on patients who know they are taking placebos. Here, too, the high effectiveness of faith applies. The effect has special function by the expectation (suggestion) of the patient. Besides placebo therapy, placebo is also used in research. By double testing, the effect of the drugs to be tested (verum) can be studied in volunteers. If a difference is found in favor of the verum in both test runs – once with placebos and once with real drugs – its effectiveness is shown. These test runs provide an important prerequisite for deciding whether or not a drug is approved by authorities. The influence on the results is achieved by double-blinding the test person and the physician. Neither the physician nor the patient knows which drug administered is the verum. In addition, the studies are randomized. Thus, patients are randomly assigned to prevent additional confounding. Overall, placebo therapy always plays a greater or lesser role in all therapeutic interventions because the patient’s mind plays a major role in determining the cure.
Diseases and ailments
However, there is on the subject of placebo effect also one or the other disillusionment. For example, only about one-third of all sick people respond to placebos. How great the effect is depends on the patient’s overall condition and, in particular, his or her psychological state. Conversely, the effect of medications can be just as limited if the patient does not believe in their efficacy. If he or she believes that he or she will not get better or that he or she is taking the wrong medication, the reverse can therefore also be the case for reduced effectiveness. In contrast to the placebo effect, the term nocebo effect has also emerged. The term comes from the Latin “nocere” and means as much as “harm” or “I have harmed” (Latin nocebo). The term thus refers to a negative illusory effect of a drug. It thus refers – analogously to the placebo effect – to preparations that appear to have a negative effect on health.This effect can be achieved, for example, if the patient has already heard negative things about the drug in question and is subsequently forced to take it himself. These side effects do not have to be listed in the package insert. The belief in the negative properties is derived from the experience of others. If these people are close to the patient or have a special credibility for some reason, the nocebo effect becomes all the more likely. Thus, as with the placebo effect, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, the nocebo effect can also occur precisely when people react sensitively to listed side effects in the package insert. Under certain circumstances, the person reading the leaflet may experience symptoms that he or she would never have noticed if the leaflet had not been read. Aside from this, the type of medication prescribed can have a lasting effect on a patient’s mood. For example, if people with mild mental upset are prescribed a strong antidepressant, they may think they are sicker than they are. This sometimes leads to an intensification of the psychological distress and thus also of the symptomatology. Since the head plays a decisive role in the placebo effect, the effect can rarely be generalized. It must always be differentiated from patient to patient.
