let me have my placebo

everyone's heard of the placebo effect by now, right? in some studies, inert sugar pills were found to be as effective as prescription drugs. some folks have interpreted this research as implying that the power of expectation and belief is quite substantial. they propose that a patient's faith in the doctor and the treatment is more predictive of the outcome than the specific treatment received.

I don't know if we'll ever get all the way down to the bottom of this dynamic. I have a few theories, but it's really not that important to me to figure it out. I don't understand how my car works either, but I still use it to get where I want to go. The placebo effect can also be an efficient way to reach a destination.

why challenge someone's belief in a harmless intervention that is working for them? if you believe that peppermint oil relieves headaches, and every time you put it on your pain goes away, I would not be doing you any favors by showing you an article that proves that peppermint oil is useless. I might think it will educate or inform you ... but it also might just be chipping away at your faith. Which is not gonna help your headaches any.

I resonate with alternative approaches, and rarely engage with the western medical system (I even gave birth at home.) So it was a little surprising to me when my daughter turned out to have a lot of faith and trust in it.

I offered her every home remedy for cramps that has ever worked for me and all of of my friends. Each provided only temporary relief. What finally worked like magic for her: Advil. She started feeling better almost the very instant she swallowed that little green pill. She has faith in allopathic medicine, and it works for her. I don't, and it doesn't work for me. (Please don't get me wrong ... I'm not an extremist. I'll gratefully head over to the ER if I need stitches!)

this is not about right or wrong. I'm as happy for her that she found something she resonates with as I am that I found something that works for me. the details are less important to me than the faith.

so if you want to show me an article that can build my faith in something new, that's cool. but please spare me the debunking stuff. let me have my placebo!