In what way does the placebo effect work?

The placebo effect is a widespread phenomenon that has fascinated doctors in both the psychological and medical fields. It is an occurrence in which people experience healing after the delivery of an inactive substance or a simulated treatment. For example, doctors give their patients sugar pills—instructing them it’s a real pain-relieving medication—and the results are still the same. I am fascinated by the placebo effect because the topic has been highly debated for decades and it is unfathomable to think approximately every 1 in 3 people has had success with placebos! I pursued my knowledge on the topic by talking with my sister and mom, both of whom majored in psychology in college. I also researched the placebo effect through credible psychological and medical sources, including Harvard Health Publishing and Medicine Net. From my research, I learned that placebos do not cure illnesses or physical impairments, but instead improve symptoms the brain has tricked the body into experiencing, including pain, stress, insomnia, and nausea (Health.harvard.edu). To think that our minds may be the culprit for the discomfort our bodies often experience astonishes me. I would love to continue to research the placebo effect in the future because I think it is one of the most compelling psychological and medical phenomenons ever to exist.