quackery

Stress Reduction through Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies 20 Selling snake oil Over the centuries there have been many unproven or fraudulent practices that promised to bring relief from a huge variety of ailments. Some could be used to treat just about anything, whereas others were meant for specific ailments. Quacks, a term that comes from the Dutch "quacksalver" which refers to individuals who falsely maintain that they have medical skills or varied potions to eliminate illness, have for centuries shamelessly taken advantage of desperate people. It could be argued that if there's no actual cure for an illness, then some ointment and lotion that itself causes no harm might serve as an excellent placebo to diminish the strain of illness, provided that it doesn't strain the patient's finances. However, there are occasions when these phony remedies are selected instead of conventional remedies that might provide an escape from an illness. With the notion that stressful events can cause psychological and physical illness, the "stress industry" has proliferated markedly, and there's more crud on the market than you'd find in a cow pasture. Showers with high‐pressure nozzles promise to reduce the aches and pains that come with stress, squeezing soft rubber balls has replaced counting religious beads to diminish anxiety. The natural products market has moved in as well, offering herbal products, neutraceuticals, which are certain to give you what you need to combat life's challenges. Neuroscience has also been bandied about to promote products, and you can't get away from ads that emphatically assure us that their product enhances well‐being, including our failing memory through "the science of neuroplasticity." There are also recommendations that we join a gym, drink one tea or another, get a hobby, engage in deep breathing, meditation, different forms of yoga, artistic expression, spa treatments, or somatic training, spend time in nature, listen to relaxing music, and spend quality time with pets or loved ones. Together, they've done an excellent job in attracting a market share from the products of earlier days when nothing could get rid of stress more readily than "a good smoke" or "a double on the rocks." But how effective are these purported remedies to prevent or diminish stress?