Introduction

Pills have become a daily ritual for millions, with many turning to vitamins, supplements, and prescription drugs to feel better, perform better, or simply stay healthy. Current statistics paint a striking picture: over 50% of U.S. adults take supplements.¹ But what if this reliance on pills is doing more harm than good? While the habit of popping a pill is easy to form, the benefits of many supplements are inconclusive, and prescription drugs often come with unintended side effects. At Stoica, we believe there’s a better way to thrive—through the safe and effective power of placebos and the placebo effect.² In this post, we’ll discuss the pill problem, reflect on why it falls short, and introduce how Stoica’s GRIT, SHIFT, and FLOW can help you thrive without the risks.

The Downside of the Pill Habit

Why are so many people reliant on pills, and what’s the downside? Statistics show a heavy dependence on both supplements and prescription drugs. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 52% of U.S. adults took dietary supplements from 2011-2012 with this percentage remaining stable from year to year since 1999.¹ Meanwhile, NHANES data from 2015-2016 indicates that 45.8% of the U.S. population used prescription drugs over the previous month.³ This reliance often stems from the habit-forming nature of pills: taking a capsule daily becomes a ritual, a quick fix we associate with health and well-being.

But this habit comes with problems. The benefits of many supplements are inconclusive—studies like those in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2019) found that few supplements have any quantifiable benefit and those that do are often harmful.⁴ Supplements can cause side effects: high doses of vitamins can lead to hypervitaminosis, liver damage, or kidney issues, and interactions with drugs like warfarin can increase risks of bleeding.⁵ Prescription drugs, while often necessary, also carry risks—antidepressants, for example, can cause nausea, weight gain, or dependency, and combining them with supplements like St. John’s wort can reduce their effectiveness.⁵ This heavy reliance on pills, driven by habit, overlooks these risks and the inconclusive nature of many benefits, leaving people searching for solutions that may not deliver.

At Stoica, we offer a different approach. Unlike supplements or drugs, our products focus on building rituals that empower you without the risks. How could a safer approach help you thrive?

Thriving Beyond the Pill

The heavy reliance on supplements and prescription drugs highlights a deeper issue: we’ve been conditioned to believe that a pill can solve everything. The habit of taking a daily vitamin or medication creates a psychological dependency, where the act of swallowing a pill signals to our brain that we’re taking care of ourselves. But as we’ve seen, the benefits of many supplements are inconclusive, and the side effects of both supplements and drugs can be significant. For example, the FDA warns that combining supplements like ginkgo biloba with blood thinners can increase the risk of internal bleeding, while prescription drugs like benzodiazepines can lead to dependency and withdrawal issues.⁶ This reliance can trap us in a cycle of hoping for benefits while risking unintended consequences.

Stoica’s mission is to break this cycle by helping you thrive through the safe and effective power of placebos. Research shows the placebo effect can be powerful: a 2018 Time article noted that placebos can reduce pain by up to 30% by triggering endorphins, simply because you believe in the treatment.⁷ Our products—GRIT, SHIFT, and FLOW—are designed to harness this effect through daily rituals. Unlike supplements or drugs, our products have no harmful side effects—they’re a safe way to build habits that help you thrive.

Call-to-Action

Ready to thrive with Stoicism?  Try GRIT, SHIFT, FLOW—$39.99 each or $99 Thrive Stack ($89/month sub). Start a ritual: 2 capsules, set an intention, own your response.

Works Cited

1. 1. Kantor, Elizabeth D et al. “Trends in Dietary Supplement Use Among US Adults From 1999-2012.” JAMA vol. 316,14 (2016): 1464-1474. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.14403

   2. Finniss, Damien G et al. “Biological, clinical, and ethical advances of placebo effects.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 375,9715 (2010): 686-95. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61706-2

   3. Martin, Crescent B., et al. “Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015-2016.” PubMed, no. 334, National Institutes of Health, May 2019, pp. 1–8.

   4. Guallar, Eliseo et al. “Enough is enough: Stop wasting money on vitamin and mineral supplements.” Annals of internal medicine vol. 159,12 (2013): 850-1. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-159-12-201312170-00011

   5. National Institutes of Health. “Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets.” Office of Dietary Supplements, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/. Accessed 22 June 2025.

   6. “Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/mixing-medications-and-dietary-supplements-can-endanger-your-health. Accessed 29 June 2025. 

   7. Ducharme, Jamie. “The Placebo Effect Is Real, and Scientists May Be Able to Predict Who Responds.” Time, 12 Sept. 2018, time.com/5392687/placebo-effect-pain/.