We all know there is a powerful mind-body connection. There are many examples of how our will seems to influence behavior. From personal research, related to my PhD dissertation titled “The Effect of Locus of Control, Student Expectancy and Teacher Feedback on School Performance”, to my mother losing her will to live after surgery at age 93. In my research, the major findings were that the belief or expectancy held by the students was the most powerful predictor of school performance on an arithmetic test.
As far as the medical profession goes, we marvel at the clinical trials when the use of a placebo is used as one of the “medications”. Earlier studies were done, in which the patient did not know whether or not he or she was receiving a sugar pill as far as the treatment was concerned. The results demonstrated that the sugar pill seemed to work. Of course the explanation was that the person believed they were actually receiving a real medication and that belief, translated in symptom removal.
Currently, the patients are told that they are receiving a placebo. Okay, what is your guess as to the results when a patient is actually told they were getting a sugar pill with no active ingredients? If you answered, yes it works even when you are told. You might ask or wonder under what conditions would the sugar pill work? What if I was the subject, would it work for me?
According to an article in the British Medical Journal, a survey of nearly 700 internists and rheumatologist said they prescribe placebos on a regular basis. They said the most popular placebos used were over-the-counter painkillers and vitamins. A few of them admitted that they have used sugar pills or saline injections. Did you ever get a placebo from your physician?
Some current findings include the following: 1.Hotel room attendants were told that their jobs provided a good workout-guess what; they showed significant reductions in weight, blood pressure and body fat. 2. Patients with your irritable bowel syndrome were given inert pills and told the pills would work via a mind-body process-these patients reported feelings of relief, reduction in symptoms and improved quality of life.3. Women experiencing hot flashes and menopause were treated with acupuncture, but the needles were place in non accepted therapeutic positions-seven weeks after treatment, fewer women reported hot flashes, compared with subjects who got real acupuncture. 4. Patients were told that milkshake they were about to drink had 620 calories and it was indulgent.-the gut peptide called ghrelin (which is involved in the feeling of satisfaction after eating) levels fell more than when the patients were told that the milkshake had 120 calories and was sensible. Consult the January 3, 2012 edition of the Wall Street Journal for more information.
Okay, more findings are to be presented at a later time. Are you now convinced of the importance of the mind-body connection, and how easily our mind, belief, and expectancy dictate and impact our body and our physical health? Are you compromising yourself because of your negative thinking? Are you employing too many defense mechanisms like denial or rationalization to justify your behavior? Are you making yourself sick? Maybe you need to see a good psychologist to get your thinking straight. More to follow.
"Believe that you can do it, under any circumstances. Because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for the answers, then pretty soon you get it."– Wally "Famous" Amos
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