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Do you ever exercise? Or maybe more pertinently, do you have any anxiety problems? I do on both counts, and what you're saying is laughable. It would be like t
by einsteinx2 13y ago
Do you ever exercise? Or maybe more pertinently, do you have any anxiety problems?
I do on both counts, and what you're saying is laughable. It would be like telling me that all the self reports that alcohol causes drunkenness are just placebo.
It's such an obvious effect, both immediately following a workout, as well as over time (months that I work out vs. months that I don't) that it could never be confused with a placebo effect. Hence studies like this that attempt to determine /why/ it happens, vs /that/ it happens.
- mtdewcmu 13y agoHow would you tell the difference whether exercise reduced your anxiety, or the fact that you were exercising was a sign that your mental health was better? I definitely feel more like exercising when I'm not anxious or depressed. Almost nobody is going to bother with exercise if they feel hopeless. Besides, anxiety is not like cancer, where the tumor is either there or not. There are probably biological inputs, but psychology is obviously important. If you can get someone to believe they are not anxious, then they're not anxious. So, arguably, a placebo effect is the only known cure.