Nocebo

You’ve certainly heard of placebo which translates from Latin as “I shall please.”  Placebo effects come from a feeling that whatever treatment being offered will have positive outcomes.  An upbeat promise in the default mode network (1) translates chemically into a positive mood through release of brain-produced uplifting chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin.

Nocebo, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of placebo, also comes from Latin translated as “I shall harm.”  Fear, anxiety, or exaggerated negative expectations as in ‘I will have a horrible reaction to this shot’ facilitate release of ‘fight or flight’ hormones such as cortisol which amplify unpleasant side effects. While thinking in a placebo/nocebo sort of way won’t heal broken bones or cause disease, there are ample research findings verifying that placebos improve while nocebos block satisfying clinical outcomes.

If you are still uncomfortable with these novel vaccines funded by Operation Warp Speed and approved by the FDA in a mere fraction of the time generally allotted for new vaccines, check out the links (2) and (3) below for feel-good placebo thoughts.

1. Remember that?  It’s the part of our brain that easily wanders and obsesses over things negative or positive in the past, present, or possible future.

2. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770681?guestAccessKey=febb71d3-678b-46bb-a1bc-a10453343a3a&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf&utm_term=021521

3. https://.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2776658?guestAccessKey=7f512986-192e-4b8e-b900-b6733a3dc298&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf&utm_term=021521