The Meaning Response

In "Why Settle for Placebos," we hinted at the connection between meaning and the placebo effect. I just read Hippocrates' Shadow, a new book by Dr. David H. Newman that discusses this link directly. On page 154, the author discusses a "meaning response" as described by anthropologist Daniel Moerman: the

"response to placebos and to sham surgeries and to nurturing occur because the brain ascribes meaning to ingesting pills or undergoing surgery or being nurtured. This meaning often translates to biochemical and immune system changes that result in healing." 

A little later, Newman says, "We can understand and acknowledge the meaning response, and we can separate it from the placebo effect. Placebos deceive, insidiously eroding our bond and quietly diminishing real medicine. Meaning, on the other hand, can heal wounds, cure disease, and save lives."

It sounds like circular reasoning, but it is a truism: When healing is possible, healing is possible. Having a healthcare team that believes in the possibility of healing helps patients heal.

And here's the sentence that helps me keep this in perspective. It's the key to making my life the best it can be and accepting what is: I can affect the outcome, not control the outcome.

This goes for everything, not just my lymphoma. Knowing and accepting the limits of what I can control frees me from burdensome self-blame and helps me focus all my energies on measures that help me get good care and live as fully as possible.

Comments

[Kate]

Wendy,
This resonates with me; great quote that we can affect but not control outcomes.

Best to you.
Keep writing!

[Wendy S. Harpham, MD]

Dear Kate,
Always good to hear what works and doesn't work for other people.

With so many people expousing the healing power of a positive attitude or telling me they are "sure I'll do fine" because I pursue health-promoting measures such as regular exercise, this saying has been one of the most liberating mantras for me throughout my survivorship.

With hope, Wendy