&gt; It is not racism, stereotyping or &quot;the nocebo effect&quot;, but something that is real.<p>The nocebo effect is real, though. Placebo and nocebo effects are well supported by any number of experiments and trials. Please do not take it as an insult when someone suggests that something you are really feeling might be an instance of a nocebo effect; I think that this type of dismissal (of psychogenic phenomena in general) as &quot;not real&quot; may be an aspect of a broader stigma about mental health issues.