Have you ever heard of “file drawer studies?”
They are the studies that are quietly filed away, never to be submitted to the FDA or any medical journal because they failed to show helpful effects of the drug being tested.
It doesn’t come as a surprise then, that Prozac, for example, underwent 10 clinical trials to achieve 4 trials that showed a marginally better cure rate than the placebo.
Drug companies can conduct many trials to show that their drug is marginally more effective than a placebo.
Why do I keep saying marginally?
Zoloft is an excellent example for this… In one trial, 24% of depressed patients taking St. John’s wort improved…
In that same trail, of the ones taking Zoloft, 25% of the patients improved. That is marginally better.
The real kicker is that the placebo in this study was the real star! 32% of the placebo group improved! http://antidepressantsfacts.com/2002-05-07-washpst-placebo-vs-SSRIs.htm
Back in 2006, two large-scale studies were released by the U.S. federal government showing that the tests “failed to show that the drugs were safer or more effective than a placebo.” https://ahrp.org/nimh-funded-antidepression-drug-efficacy-safety-studies_what-do-they-prove-2/
As it turns out, “about three-quarters of the entire effect of antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft is due to the placebo effect.” (link here)
The rest of the effect is under debate, whether it was actually the drug itself, or side effects making participants believe they are taking the real drug, thus furthering the placebo effect…
And let’s not get into the side effect lists now. Personally, as soon as I see the side effects of death or increased risk of suicide, I take a step back.
Bear in mind, the placebo effect is the power of your brain healing you.
How incredible is it that your brain can make things happen simply because you believe them.
It’s also important to keep in mind that all of these drugs are merely trying to imitate what your body will naturally do.
As always, drugs are out of my scope. I’m not telling you what to do about drugs.
What I can tell you is that meditation and prayer have repeatedly been shown so effective, that if they were drugs, it would be considered medical malpractice for a physician to not prescribe them.
So here are some of the benefits of meditation:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve resting heart rate
- reduce incidence of strokes, heart disease, cancer
- Diminish chronic pain
- Supports immune function
- Creates healthier and more peaceful emotional baseline
- Reduce anxiety and depression
- Improves effects of stress
- Drop cortisol levels and raise DHEA levels
- Ameliorate many other diseases
I also want to take this moment to remind you:
If something seems to be going wrong in your body, it isn’t your body fighting you.
Any symptom, all symptoms, are your body telling you something is wrong. Should you cover that symptom up? Or should we dive in and find what’s the matter?
This is your body, your health, your life. The most powerful step you can ever take is the one where you take control of your health. Whatever that may look like for you.
