Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
So just *how* powerful is it? Specifically, what are the limits of the placebo effect?
I've been wondering for a while if it's possible to commit suicide by overdosing on placebos; that is, taking a large number of essentially inactive pills, believing them to contain a powerful drug, and actually dying as a result. Of course, if the pills were slighly active - enough to cause physical symptoms such as stomach cramps or nausea - this would only reinforce the would-be suicide's belief that s/he was about to die.
Has anyone else thought about this, or heard of any relevant real-life events?
I've been wondering for a while if it's possible to commit suicide by overdosing on placebos; that is, taking a large number of essentially inactive pills, believing them to contain a powerful drug, and actually dying as a result. Of course, if the pills were slighly active - enough to cause physical symptoms such as stomach cramps or nausea - this would only reinforce the would-be suicide's belief that s/he was about to die.
Has anyone else thought about this, or heard of any relevant real-life events?