If the placebo effect works by tricking the brain, why does it need to be tricked if it’s apparently able to solve the issue on its own?

Question

If the placebo effect works by tricking the brain, why does it need to be tricked if it’s apparently able to solve the issue on its own?

In: 6662

Answer 1

The placebo effect is strongest for disorders that exist in the brain – depression, anxiety, chronic pain, etc. There’s zero placebo effect in advanced cancer.

When you do a clinical trial of a new drug for depression, you generally have a nurse tell all trial patients that they should exercise and get therapy. Those two things are pretty effective, even for the placebo group.