Some of you may enjoy the new acronym/phrase I submitted to the online Urban Dictionary today…
PEP is the acronym for Psychological Empowerment Process. I intend it to replace the word “placebo,” which, while perhaps originally neutral, now has the connotation that there are people (patients) so dumb that they show physiological responses to a fake drug that the superior doctor knows does nothing. With PEP the skillful doctor’s positive attitude empowers inherent healing processes in the patient, so the skillful doctor gives the patient PEP which is good for them, and characterizes both doctor and patient in a positive way.