Brain Energy

"[A] revolutionary road map for people suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disease . . . almost any brain disorder." —Mark Hyman, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Young Forever Discover the surprising link between your metabolism and mental health in this cutting-edge guide with practical advice for treatment and care We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? In Brain Energy, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. The root cause of mental illness isn't merely genetics or a chemical imbalance, but rather the energy available for your brain. Palmer explains this new understanding of mental illness in detail, from symptoms and risk factors to what is happening in brain cells, and sheds light on the new treatment pathways this theory opens up for all mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, alcoholism, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, autism, and even schizophrenia. This groundbreaking book reveals: - Why classifying mental disorders as "separate" conditions is misleading - The clear connections between mental illness and common health disorders linked to metabolism, including diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, pain disorders, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy - The link between metabolism and every factor known to play a role in mental health, including genetics, inflammation, hormones, neurotransmitters, sleep, stress, and trauma - The evidence that current mental health treatments, including medications and therapies, really work by affecting metabolism - New treatments available today that readers can use to promote long-term healing Brain Energy pairs cutting-edge science with practical advice and strategies to help people reclaim their mental health.

Dr. Christopher M. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For over 25 years, he has worked with people who have treatment-resistant mental illness using standard treatments. He has been pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders—conducting research in this area, treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this topic. More broadly, he is interested in the roles of metabolism and metabolic interventions on brain health. He has developed the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating existing theories and research into one unifying theory—the brain energy theory of mental illness.