The Power of the Placebo: Why ‘Just’ a Placebo Is More Real Than You Think

“Is it real, or JUST a placebo effect?” It might surprise you to learn that this question makes no logical sense.

Like any changes health or performance, placebo responses do not simply arise from thin air, or the scientific equivalent of chance. Placebo responses are caused by the functioning of specific mechanisms in our brains, and we are beginning to understand them quite well. They are therefore just as REAL as any other response. 

In the research world, we can contrive ways to separate placebo responses from those directly attributable to treatments, interventions, training programs, supplements, etc. Out here in the wild, however, both types of effects are inseparably intertwined.

Even in the case of common FDA-approved drugs, the proportion of our response that is due to placebo often equals or exceeds that of the pharmaceutical itself. To illustrate, a large meta-analysis of the most common antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs) revealed that the placebo response accounted for fully 60% of the total reduction in depressive symptoms. This does not mean that the drugs are ineffective. It does mean that their effects are heavily shaped by our expectations and beliefs about their efficacy. The same can be said for how we respond to all manner of interventions and experiences aimed at improving our health or performance in real life; something to bear in mind as you are seeking ways to improve.

“Is it real, or JUST a placebo effect?” It’s BOTH, and now you know why. 

The deeper question is how we can leverage this to our advantage in life.