by Dr. Phyllis Books, DC
The medical and educational establishments love labels. They supposedly allow us to put everyone in a nice little box: dyslexic, ADD, learning challenged. Problem is, we’re all people who don’t always fit in those boxes. Labeling is harmful to our kids, and those effects last through adulthood. Two ways labels hurt kids are through the placebo and nocebo effects. Let’s take a look at those.
Placebo Effect
Placebo comes from Greek and means, “I shall please.” You know placebos as the “sugar pill” given to one group of people in a research study while the other group gets the real pill. Amazingly, one-third of all healing is due to the placebo effect. Because the sugar pill looks just like the real pill, the patient thinks she is being treated with the active medicine.
The placebo effect applies to beliefs too. “Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re absolutely right,” said industrialist Henry Ford. In this case, whether you believe the label will help or hurt, you’re right. Thoughts become things, and your thoughts will come true. This also applies to what you think of your child. He or she will internalize those labels, especially if you buy into them.
Labeling influences your child’s thinking and has a direct affect on his outcomes, self-esteem, and beliefs about self.
Nocebo Effect
Nocebo is the opposite of placebo. Nocebo is also from Greek and means, “I shall harm.” At least 25 percent of the time, people given the placebo complain of feeling worse. As we’ve seen with the placebo, thoughts come true. Positive thoughts generate positive outcomes, and negative thoughts generate negative outcomes.
A label can also function as a nocebo very easily, because many labels are negative to begin with. For example, the prevailing, but outdated and inaccurate, belief system regarding dyslexia is “You’re dyslexic. It’s permanent, and there is nothing you can do about it. We’ll teach you how to compensate. But don’t get your hopes up, and don’t believe it could change.” That prognosis, delivered by an authority figure, is like a nocebo. What are you and your child going to do with this news?
It gets worse. The traditional “authority” figure scares you by saying, “Don’t believe anyone out there who says differently, because they might be quacks.” They may also threaten you with firing you as a patient if you question them or don’t follow their recommended path. (You and your child don’t have to live like this. Dyslexia can be reversed, despite what the “experts” say.)
How will you let labeling affect your child? Will you ignore those labels or let them dictate what you and your child believe?
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
The medical and educational establishments love labels. They supposedly allow us to put everyone in a nice little box: dyslexic, ADD, learning challenged. Problem is, we’re all people who don’t always fit in those boxes. Labeling is harmful to our kids, and those effects last through adulthood. Two ways labels hurt kids are through the placebo and nocebo effects. Let’s take a look at those.
Placebo Effect
Placebo comes from Greek and means, “I shall please.” You know placebos as the “sugar pill” given to one group of people in a research study while the other group gets the real pill. Amazingly, one-third of all healing is due to the placebo effect. Because the sugar pill looks just like the real pill, the patient thinks she is being treated with the active medicine.
The placebo effect applies to beliefs too. “Whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t, you’re absolutely right,” said industrialist Henry Ford. In this case, whether you believe the label will help or hurt, you’re right. Thoughts become things, and your thoughts will come true. This also applies to what you think of your child. He or she will internalize those labels, especially if you buy into them.
Labeling influences your child’s thinking and has a direct affect on his outcomes, self-esteem, and beliefs about self.
Nocebo Effect
Nocebo is the opposite of placebo. Nocebo is also from Greek and means, “I shall harm.” At least 25 percent of the time, people given the placebo complain of feeling worse. As we’ve seen with the placebo, thoughts come true. Positive thoughts generate positive outcomes, and negative thoughts generate negative outcomes.
A label can also function as a nocebo very easily, because many labels are negative to begin with. For example, the prevailing, but outdated and inaccurate, belief system regarding dyslexia is “You’re dyslexic. It’s permanent, and there is nothing you can do about it. We’ll teach you how to compensate. But don’t get your hopes up, and don’t believe it could change.” That prognosis, delivered by an authority figure, is like a nocebo. What are you and your child going to do with this news?
It gets worse. The traditional “authority” figure scares you by saying, “Don’t believe anyone out there who says differently, because they might be quacks.” They may also threaten you with firing you as a patient if you question them or don’t follow their recommended path. (You and your child don’t have to live like this. Dyslexia can be reversed, despite what the “experts” say.)
How will you let labeling affect your child? Will you ignore those labels or let them dictate what you and your child believe?
Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful. Support@ReversingDyslexia.com (512) 560-7888, drphyllisbooks.com and reversingdyslexia.com.
