PR for People Monthly DECEMBER 2016 | Page 26

It has been well documented that we can change our biology simply by what we believe to be true. The placebo effect is defined as the measurable, observable or felt improvement in health or behavior not attributed to medication or invasive treatment. This suggests that we can treat various ailments as well as highly disruptive mood swings by using the mind to heal.

A placebo is a fake treatment, an inactive substance like sugar, distilled water or a saline solution that can sometimes improve a patient’s condition simply because the person has the expectation that it will be helpful. Expectation plays a potent role in the placebo effect. The more a person believes they are going to benefit from a treatment or the relaxation of a holiday period, the more likely it is that it will come to be.

Is there any reason why the word “play” and “placebo” begin in the same place? They both relate to the place of play as well as the activity itself. We all know play means play as in playful and also its noun form referring to the written description of a dramatic piece and/or its theatrical production. Broken down, the placebo effect has two distinct parts: its compelling story rendition and those theatrical trappings that serve as the “backdrop” to set the right tone and mood for the ensuing magic to happen. Placebo is Latin for “I shall please.”

Placebo and Play

By David L Laing