Re: Can't see the wood for the trees PLACEBO EFFECT?!

[Guest guest]

> - What you have done, , if I understand the is to craft a very

specific actual protocol of avoidance of exposure to specific

substances to prevent long-term inflammation. You have also fine-

tuned your perception much more than most people have mastered - which

is a truly amazing accomplishment, but not the placebo effect.

>

I was fortunate to have had military training in battlefield

biological warfare training and my micro-meteorological knowledge

garnered from Hang Gliding combined to give me some specific

techniques and insights that have proven to be be extremely useful.

So I guess that I was just lucky to have had this information when I

really needed it!

The " Amazing Power of the Mind " thinkers look at my experience and

twist it to fit their belief systems - and there is simply no stopping

them, but at least the bmj gave me a few good chances!

Here's my response to on in a separate bmj forum:

-

___________________________________________________________________

The Power of Placebo.

Given the fact that Mr. on considers any recovery from CFS likely

to be due to the " placebo effect " or by exploiting what some call

the " Power of the Mind " to create an illusory belief in a placebo, to

induce a suggestible attitude of healing, I'd like to point out that

this would be exploiting the " Weakness of the Mind " since the placebo

effect is predicated upon tricking the mind into the assimilation of

false information. It is not my intent to limit the therapies

available to people, however the practical application of this concept

brings up some further questions and considerations.

Might a physician concerned about the toxic effects of unnecessary

chemotherapy be ethically compelled to substitute inert placebos to

determine the true nature of his patients response to treatment? Of

course, in order to maintain the pretense that creates the effect, the

placebo would have to be just as unpalatable and expensive as the real

treatment lest any suspicions be aroused.

Should impoverished nations that cannot afford modern medicine freely

distribute placebos so that sufferers of various illnesses may at

least have the benefits mentioned by Mr on?

Is the Placebo Effect limited to certain specific illnesses or would

it be a greater public service if Mr. ons emphasis on sharing his

therapy were placed in attending to the diseases of greatest need and

highest mortality?

Does drug testing need to take into account the differential factors

induced by the potential of various " medical sounding " names to

influence the " belief in efficacy " response necessary for the placebo

effect?

Has Mr. on informed proponents of CBT/GET that these therapies

lack a " believable " rationale for patients who have the conviction

that they suffer from a physiological illness and that some

impressively named sugar pill is all that is required to construct the

complete " Placebo Package " ?

Will Mr. on make haste in informing the scientific community that

the entire concept of double blind randomized trials for drug testing

is invalid and unreliable because it is really only testing the

subjects belief of whether he is receiving the placebo or the genuine

therapy?

-

Competing interests: None declared

[Guest guest]

Keep it up , you are singing my song

karen

>

> --- In , Haley Mack <myhaze@y...>

wrote:

> > - What you have done, , if I understand the is to craft a

very

> specific actual protocol of avoidance of exposure to specific

> substances to prevent long-term inflammation. You have also fine-

> tuned your perception much more than most people have mastered -

which

> is a truly amazing accomplishment, but not the placebo effect.

> >

>

> I was fortunate to have had military training in battlefield

> biological warfare training and my micro-meteorological knowledge

> garnered from Hang Gliding combined to give me some specific

> techniques and insights that have proven to be be extremely useful.

> So I guess that I was just lucky to have had this information when

I

> really needed it!

> The " Amazing Power of the Mind " thinkers look at my experience

and

> twist it to fit their belief systems - and there is simply no

stopping

> them, but at least the bmj gave me a few good chances!

> Here's my response to on in a separate bmj forum:

> -

>

> ___________________________________________________________________

>

> The Power of Placebo.

>

> Given the fact that Mr. on considers any recovery from CFS

likely

> to be due to the " placebo effect " or by exploiting what some call

> the " Power of the Mind " to create an illusory belief in a placebo,

to

> induce a suggestible attitude of healing, I'd like to point out

that

> this would be exploiting the " Weakness of the Mind " since the

placebo

> effect is predicated upon tricking the mind into the assimilation

of

> false information. It is not my intent to limit the therapies

> available to people, however the practical application of this

concept

> brings up some further questions and considerations.

>

> Might a physician concerned about the toxic effects of unnecessary

> chemotherapy be ethically compelled to substitute inert placebos

to

> determine the true nature of his patients response to treatment?

Of

> course, in order to maintain the pretense that creates the effect,

the

> placebo would have to be just as unpalatable and expensive as the

real

> treatment lest any suspicions be aroused.

>

> Should impoverished nations that cannot afford modern medicine

freely

> distribute placebos so that sufferers of various illnesses may at

> least have the benefits mentioned by Mr on?

>

> Is the Placebo Effect limited to certain specific illnesses or

would

> it be a greater public service if Mr. ons emphasis on sharing

his

> therapy were placed in attending to the diseases of greatest need

and

> highest mortality?

>

> Does drug testing need to take into account the differential

factors

> induced by the potential of various " medical sounding " names to

> influence the " belief in efficacy " response necessary for the

placebo

> effect?

>

> Has Mr. on informed proponents of CBT/GET that these

therapies

> lack a " believable " rationale for patients who have the conviction

> that they suffer from a physiological illness and that some

> impressively named sugar pill is all that is required to construct

the

> complete " Placebo Package " ?

>

> Will Mr. on make haste in informing the scientific community

that

> the entire concept of double blind randomized trials for drug

testing

> is invalid and unreliable because it is really only testing the

> subjects belief of whether he is receiving the placebo or the

genuine

> therapy?

>

> -

>

> Competing interests: None declared

>