Mental illnesses are on the rise and are now the leading cause of disability on the planet. They impact people, businesses, and industries in countless ways. Although we have many treatments to offer, they fail to work for far too many people. The brain energy theory will change all of this. Decades of clinical, neuroscience, and metabolic research reveal that mental disorders are actually metabolic disorders of the brain. This leads to entirely new ways to understand and treat mental illness and offers the hope of long-term healing as opposed to just symptom reduction. This theory offers numerous opportunities for coaches to play an instrumental role in addressing the mental health crisis and improving people’s lives.
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 held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at Harvard. 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. Most recently, 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.
His groundbreaking book, Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More, reveals that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. This new understanding leads to new treatments, ones that offer the hope of a full recovery as opposed to just symptom reduction. While there are many treatment options available, some are as simple as changing your diet, improving your sleep habits, and managing your stress while avoiding substances that can impair your metabolism.
Pairing cutting-edge science with practical advice and strategies, Palmer reveals:
A new paradigm that provides long-elusive answers to questions that have plagued the mental health field
Why classifying mental disorders as “separate” conditions is misleading
The clear connections between mental illness and disorders linked to metabolism—including diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, pain disorders, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy
Why medications for mental illness are sometimes ineffective
New treatments available today that readers can use to promote long-term healing
How to design a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs
Endorsed by leading psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and other physicians, Dr. Palmer’s analysis will spark a national conversation and transform the mental health field, but will also be fascinating to anyone interested in the connections between mental health and physical health.