Power of Mind Over Body

We often hear the virtues and benefits that positive thinking can bring. The "mind over matter and body" claim actually has scientific belief backing it. Medical science has widely accepted that the mind can often fix problems with the body using pure thought. Not everyone believes in the power of mind over body. Some think the belief in the power of the mind is itself a myth or just wishful thinking. source ehow.com



Identification: The power of mind over body actually has a scientific name--the "placebo effect". The placebo effect is an observed phenomenon where people often find relief from pain and disease due to the belief in the mind that treatments, real or not, work, according to Scientific American. Doctors have accepted the existence of the placebo effect since Henry K. Beecher's 1955 "The Powerful Placebo" in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Significance: The power of mind over body is not just a sporadic phenomenon. The existence of the placebo effect is so strong that drug researchers often test drugs to make sure the medication works better than a placebo. According to Beecher's study, simply believing in the medicine may work in as many as 33 percent of all cases. If doctors could harness positive beliefs, it would be a great boon to medical counseling.

Theories/Speculation: Recent studies have shown that support for the placebo effect is not ubiquitous among researchers. Peter Gotzsche and Asbjorn Hrobjartsson of the University of Copenhagen in a report for the New England Journal of Medicine, believe previous placebo research shows that the mind over body effect is not statistically significant compared to no treatment at all.

Potential: Scanning for the effects of placebos on the brain may offer future medical science a way to harness these thoughts, according to an MSNBC article on placebos by Linda Carroll. A Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA study on depression showed that people who responded well to antidepressants all showed similar changes in brain chemistry when given a placebo. This could make screening for some medication very cheap by testing for these effects.

Criticism: Some people, such as Roger S. Kirby in "Textbook of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia", believe that using the power of the mind over the body in placebos might be an ethical violation. The international agreement "Declaration of Helsinki" states that all participants in medical studies should receive the best possible care. Knowingly giving a placebo to someone with an illness could be seen as a violation of this pact.

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Overcome Alcohol Addiction

Alcoholism is one of the worlds most common addictions around the world. Becoming addicted to alcohol can not only do harm to your physical, mental, and emotional health; It also can damage emotionally the ones who love you most. If you are an alcoholic you have completely lost all control of being a responsible drinker.source:ehow.com



Instructions

Clear your mind. Start off with a clear clean mind. Forgive yourself for your past mistakes and ask higher power for forgiveness and to help you through your new journey.

Set the date. Set a clear date to where you will completely stop drinking. Try to make it within a month. (For example: I will quit drinking on June 1st because that is the start of my summer break.) Make sure to write it down somewhere and keep with that date. Gradually try to drink less and less each day as it comes closer for it will save you from the more severe withdrawal symptoms.

Spread the word. Tell all of your loved ones about your goal and your date. Ask them for there full support to quit drinking and tell them your reasons why. Most likely they will be surprised and excited about your choices. Be prepared for some family or friends not to take you completely serious but let that be something to prove to them and yourself.

Take it easy. As the date comes closer start to really take it easy on the drinking the last few days try to drink as less impossible. Having a big binge drinking fest the last night is a big no no because it will most likely lead to a nasty hangover in the morning. The hangover could encourage you to drink more which is what you DO NOT want to do. So remember this step!

Be ready for that day. Congratulations! Today is the big day. Celebrate this day for it is going to be your new sobriety date. Invite some close family over, go out to eat, play a round of golf. Remember your now free of the addiction. Keep you mind off alcohol. Do whatever it takes and stay busy for the day. Remember that your celebrating your sobriety date so dont confuse the word celebrate with drinking (celebrate sober!)

Celebrate your new future and sobriety. So you have made it finally. You have to remember that the battle is not over yet. You will still have urges to drink and you have to keep in mind all the reasons you quit. Think about you family,job,health, and overall well being. Alcohol has never helped you in any way and will not ever. There is no reason to drink again besides satisfying your addiction. For the next week or so withdrawal symptoms will be common including nausea,vomiting,stomach pains, and headaches. Give your body time to get used to your new sober self. Remember life is great but its also short so enjoy it! I wish all alcoholics great luck out there on there road to getting sober!!!

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