Improving Medical Treatment Through The Placebo Effect
Before each and every medication produced by pharmaceutical companies can be offered for sale it has to be thoroughly tested for effectiveness and quality.
Measuring effectiveness of a drug against ‘placebo’ is a popular method. A placebo, in this context, is a medicine, pill or potion that has absolutely no medicinal qualities whatever. In effect it is a ’sugar pill.’
You do not need to understand the workings of a mobile phone to appreciate it is a very effective means of communication. And you do not need to be a top scientist to appreciate that the placebo effect is very real and extremely effective.
It has long been recognised in the pharmaceutical industry that if a patient truly believes that a pharmacologically inactive substance has an ability to cure, then, amazingly, it can, and often does.
History records the power ‘placebo’ has upon the human mind. French pharmacist Emile Coue was able to demonstrate, as far back as the 1920s, that if a patient believed they were going to get better they often did.
Most people accept that our body can be controlled by the mind. When we take a placebo we are not told that it is such; our subconscious mind is convinced by our conscious mind that the medicine is going to help us recover from illness.
Not knowing the substance is inert we believe in a cure. It is the Power of Placebo that cures us. The purveyors of so called quack medicines relied on this to succeed in selling their products, which were often little more than coloured sugar water.
Pharmaceutical companies have products with proven benefits. The years of research and development and the in-depth trials are testament to that.
It is my contention that it is possible to dramatically improve the effectiveness of pharmaceutical products by empowering healthcare professionals with a better understanding of Placebo and how it can be used to best effect.
Most patients are compliant and their subconscious brain will accept advice without question.The subconscious brain can be controlled!
It is our conscious brain that acts as a gate keeper for the subconscious brain. We sample subconscious thoughts when we dream.
If we can find ways to convince the subconscious that certain things are true we will have found a route that opens up enormous possibilities including enhancing the effectiveness of medication.
For 15 years I have collated best practice provided by doctors, nurses and pharmacists. During that time I have discovered that by learning the mechanics of thought in relation to patient behaviour, healthcare professionals can tap into an enormous, often dormant power they did not realise they possessed.
If you are prepared to offer training to those prescribing medication on the art of applying the placebo phenomena during a consultation you are empowering that practitioner with a new tool in the fight against illness and disease.
About the author ~ Motivational speaker at pharmaceutical and medical conferences and meetings, professional speaker John Bell educates whilst entertaining. He is a favourite with doctors, nurses and pharmacists who constantly vote him ‘Best Event Speaker’. Watch videos and read testimonials at John Bell’s Website
- John Bell
