The Nocebo Effect

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” – James 3:3-5 Yesterday, we talked about the placebo effect. Interestingly, the opposite is also true, and this is called the nocebo effect. I think that the nocebo effect may be more important than the placebo effect because it speaks to how we often think negatively about our bodies and our health.  Unfortunately, when we do this, we may begin to manifest signs and symptoms of something that we really don’t

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” – James 3:3-5 Yesterday, we talked about the placebo effect and how when we are expecting to feel better because we’re treating an issue or an illness, we often do, even if we’re not receiving anything to actively help it. Interestingly, the opposite is also true, and this is called the nocebo effect (yes, that’s a real term).  I think the nocebo effect may be even more important than the placebo