Mind over Matter

It's a well-known fact among medical practitioners that a positive mental attitude is invaluable in a positive prognosis. A person, about to undergo life-threatening surgery, is far more likely to survive if he/she feels that they will survive and get better. Ask any doctor. The person who can enter the OR trading quips with his surgeon is a prime candidate for a quick recovery.

You know, Andrew, after I had my gall bladder surgery, and was coming out from under, I had a moment of panic and I couldn't breathe. I thought about what my father-in-law had said when he had a heart seizure after diving in a cold swimming pool. "I simply calmed down and talked my self well." I held on to that, relaxed, and I was suddenly wide awake and fine.

I cannot recall the name of the person I'm about to quote, but he is one of the pioneers in modern medicine.

"The doctors only real task is to entertain and amuse the patient while he heals himself."

We're told that the legal drug manufacturers calculate with a 40% placebo effect. A doctor-friend of mine claims that it's mostly placebo.

We had to sedate our dog once, and after a series of injection the drug had no effect. There were enough of them to put a horse to sleep for a full day, but the dog was so alert, since it was brought to a new vet and a new place, that it simply refused to acknowledge the drugs. They had no effect.

Cyracuz, If it weren't for the problems with Celebrex, viox, etc. I would tend to agree with you and your pioneer friend.

Here's an interesting thing that I found on the web:

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=1059&eeid=4464621&_sitecat=1527&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ck=&ch=ne&s=he

That article offers a different approach.

The exact effect of drugs is established subtracting the effect of placebos. Haven't you ever heard of double blind trials? Or control groups given placebos rather than the actual drug?

Modern drugs are more effective than placebos. To say otherwise would counter literally millions of studies, only young earth creationists and conspiracy theorists would be foolish enough to do that.

Placebos are still powerful. As is entertainment (a seperate effect to placebo-induced healing). Combining those two with proper drugs (which is exactly what is done in modern medical treatment) creates a very powerful healing combination.