Why is medication the first line of defense in many situations? Is it because these substances are so much more effective? Let's consider what some of the research states regarding treatment of GAD as an example.
Pharmacological treatment modalities have been shown to be an effective option for treatment. Ryann, Khalid-Khan, Garcia-Espana, Bijan-Etemad & Rickles (2006), found Diazepams to have positive effects on GAD in an acute 8-week trial. Additionally, they discovered that when positive treatment effects were identified early in treatment, by week one or two, these benefits were likely to continue. More interesting though, they found the same type of impacts with placebo treatment. So, individuals on placebo medications occasionally experienced significant improvements similar to those experienced by the medication group.
What reasons would you provide to identify the cause for such successful outcomes for individuals on placebo medications? How is it possible for someone's condition to improve when they are receiving a fake treatment? Does this do anything to support or refute the overall effectiveness of medication as a therapeutic treatment? What, if any, role do the pharmaceutical companies have in these results?