[l2g name=”” id=”901″]The erectile dysfunction commercials are spreading misinformation that may be harming you.

I think most people are familiar with the term placebo. It is a beneficial effect from what the taker believes is a drug but is in reality a sugar pill. The placebo effect represents the mind-body influence from the belief that the pill is a drug and is beneficial.

The mind-body effect can be beneficial (placebo) or adverse (nocebo).

There are documented cases of the mind-body connection causing harm up to and including death. There have been a number of documented cases where someone was diagnosed as terminally ill with a short time to live and after the person died as expected, the autopsy showed the person had been misdiagnosed and did not have any physically determinable cause of death.

When Mom would kiss your boo-boo to make it better, that was a placebo effect.

There are literally books written documenting placebo and nocebo effect as well as research in the literature at many Universities.

I do not watch a lot of television but I do watch Blue Bloods. Tonight they had a commercial for an ED drug at least twice during the show during which they quoted a statistic that I believe is blatantly false and if not blatantly false, relayed in a very misleading way. The commercial states that half of men over age 40 have ED.

That sort of information can have a very negative effect if the man begin expecting problems with ED. There is a lot of research that shows that your expectations about age affect how you age. Individuals who perceive aging in a positive light, using words like experience, wisdom, etc. age better than those who associate words like decline, weakness, etc. with aging.

There are consistent reports in the research of negative expectation causing negative outcome as it relates to both health and aging in general.

I’ve seen other research that has indicated that intimacy in the 40’s, 50’s and beyond is better. Children are getting older (if they aren’t gone) so there is less risk they will interrupt and they are out of the house with greater frequency. Other research has talked about the benefit of no longer worrying about pregnancy at older ages.

I urge you to turn the volume off when these commercials come on. Or, if you happen to hear this message, immediately tell yourself you won’t be one of the ones that needs a little purple pill. If you believe you’ll need it, you probably will. Belief has a powerful influence over mind and body.

There is nothing wrong with help if you need it, but there is no reason to let yourself fall into their attempts to make you believe it is inevitable.

Also, do not allow a single incident convince you that you have a problem. Many factors beyond age can impact function including stress, illness, alcohol, drugs, fatigue, and relationship discord. You will be better served by attributing it to a temporary issue. If your immediate reaction is that your glory days are over you’ll probably need the purple pill.

The absolute best foreplay is appreciating your partner.

This is not the only commercial I’ve heard that plants seeds of weeds in the mind. It is easy to prevent its growth if you do it right away and refute the applicability of their message to you. If you wait until it has developed roots it will be more difficult to convince yourself that it was a temporary problem.

What you believe matters. Do your best to believe what will give you the best possible life.

For techniques on defusing stressful thoughts so you can relax and enjoy life more, try one of my books or programs. Also watch for a book focused on optional aspects of aging and not taking those options. It may be late 2015 or 2016 before that one is out but it will address this issue in more detail.

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I wish for you many blissings. (Blissings = blissful blessings)

About : Jeanine Joy Jeanine Joy is an inspiring and life-changing author, speaker, and scholar. The purpose of her life is to seek out knowledge that increases human thriving, create explanations and processes that provide practical ways for individuals adopt strategies that enhance their lives. Her programs, books, and speeches empower people to fulfill their dreams and enjoy more loving, happy, and successful lives. Her ultimate goal is to help create a better world for everyone on Earth.

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