placebo

A placebo is a fake medicine or treatment. People take placebos when they think they are taking a real medicine or getting a real treatment, but in reality, the placebo isn't real and doesn't actually do anything to help with the problem. Doctors sometimes give people placebos to see if it makes them feel better. So if someone thinks the placebo is going to help them, it might make them feel better even though it isn't actually doing anything.