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Christopher M. Palmer MD

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More Hardcover – November 15, 2022

by Christopher M. Palmer MD (Author)

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This is the book that will forever change the way we understand and treat mental health.

If you or someone you love is affected by mental illness, it might change your life.

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? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain.

Brain Energy explains this new understanding of mental illness in detail, from symptoms and risk factors to what is happening in brain cells. Palmer also sheds light on the new treatment pathways this theory opens up—which apply to all mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, alcoholism, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, autism, and even schizophrenia. Brain Energy pairs cutting-edge science with practical advice and strategies to help people reclaim their mental health.

This groundbreaking book reveals:

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
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 both medications and therapies, likely work by affecting metabolism
New treatments available today that readers can use to promote long-term healing

Palmer puts together the pieces of the mental illness puzzle to provide answers and offer hope. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

BenBella Books
Publication date

November 15, 2022
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.19 x 9.31 inches
ISBN-10

1637741588
ISBN-13

978-1637741580
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High levels of cortisol have been found to inhibit autophagy, slowing down or stopping this maintenance process.
Highlighted by 336 Kindle readers
Psychiatric diagnoses are all based on the concept of syndromes. A syndrome is a cluster of signs and symptoms that commonly occur together, with a cause that is not yet known.
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I had developed a unifying theory for the cause of all mental illnesses. I call it the theory of brain energy.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brain Energy is a dramatic breakthrough in understanding mental illness by a leading Harvard psychiatrist who provides a revolutionary road map for people suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, in fact, almost any brain disorder."
—Mark Hyman, MD, senior advisor at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and 14-time New York Times bestselling author

"Brain Energy provides a long-awaited unifying mechanism underlying a vast spectrum of mental illness conditions. And this new paradigm will undoubtedly usher in potent therapeutic interventions for pervasive psychiatric conditions for which standard pharmaceutical approaches have proven minimally effective."
—David Perlmutter, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain

"Dr. Palmer takes a provocative and insightful look into the origins of mental disorders, which have profound implications for how we treat the disease . . . and for our diet."
—Jason Fung, MD, nephrologist and New York Times bestselling author of Live Life in the Fasting Lane

"Not since the foundational theories of psychodynamics (Sigmund Freud) and behaviorism (John Watson) has a bold and potentially transformative new proposition emerged to explain the mounting epidemic of mental illness throughout the world and across the age-span. Dr. Palmer’s ground-breaking theory is that abnormalities in brain energy metabolism are likely root causes of psychiatric conditions and that dietary and metabolic approaches can be exploited to benefit patients, and even the general population at large."
—Jong M. Rho, MD, professor of neurosciences and pediatrics at the University of California San Diego

"Brain Energy calls for a much-needed revolution in how we think about and treat mental illnesses. This book integrates decades of science in mitochondrial biology with clinical experience to provide a rational theory for the origin of common psychiatric conditions, carving a path towards better mental health."
—Martin Picard, PhD, associate professor of behavioral medicine (in psychiatry and neurology) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center

"After a bipolar episode at age 19, our son was seen by more than forty mental health practitioners and prescribed twenty-nine different medications. But it was not until he started on a ketogenic metabolic therapy under the guidance of Dr. Chris Palmer that he got his mind and his life back. Dr. Palmer’s metabolic approach has the potential to radically impact the world's mental health epidemic."
—David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox and cofounder of the Baszucki Group & Jan Ellison Baszucki, author of A Small Indiscretion and cofounder of the Baszucki Group

"Psychiatry will never be the same . . . Christopher Palmer poses the hypothesis, supports it with data, and in my humble opinion nails the treatment—feed the brain what it needs."
—Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL, emeritus professor of pediatrics at UCSF and author of Metabolical

"If you have ever been dissatisfied with the rather hard-to-defend explanations of mental illness, this groundbreaking book is for you . . . An exhilarating intellectual journey to reveal the new beginnings of psychiatry."
—Zoltán Sarnyai, MD, PhD, professor and head of the Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, James Cook University, Australia

"Dr. Christopher Palmer has written a must-read primer for anyone considering understanding and treating mental health. The book will guide you to understand why metabolism and mitochondria are fundamental to keep your brain healthy . . . a call to action to transform mental health treatment."
—Ana C. Andreazza, PhD, professor of pharmacology and psychiatry, University of Toronto and founder and scientific director, Mitochondrial Innovation Initiative

"Dr. Palmer is uncanny in his synthesizing extant literature and providing a prescient thesis on the pathoetiologic and potentially therapeutic role of metabolics of neuropsychiatric conditions. The thesis and framework proffered by Dr. Palmer provides for many prevention and therapeutic opportunities in psychiatry and take us one step closer to disease-modifying possibilities."
—Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto, Canada

"Brain Energy is a book that cannot be read and incorporated into policy soon enough: mental disorders are an accelerating crisis, especially among children. This is not rocket science, it’s neuroscience."
—Susan A. Masino, PhD, professor of applied science and neuroscientist at Trinity College

"Kudos to Dr. Chris Palmer for penning a thought-provoking and superb book on the revolutionary breakthroughs occurring in psychiatry, a discipline in medicine that has suffered far too long and from too much stigma."
—Sanjiv Chopra, MBBS, MACP, FRCP, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and bestselling author

"It is clear to me from clinical practice that what we eat and drink affects our brain function and mental health but I never understood why. Dr. Palmer brilliantly connects the dots to explain why this is true."
—Eric C. Westman, MD MHS, director of the Duke Keto Medicine Clinic

"Brain Energy is a book all psychiatric professionals should read as a useful criticism of our field's major deficits. It is a book all people should read to understand how much they can do (and not do) for the sake of their mental health. Basic health is self-evident but takes courage to commit to taking exquisite care of your body and by extension your brain."
—Lois W. Choi-Kain, MD, MEd, director of the Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

"Dr. Palmer’s Brain Energy seemed to take me by the hand and gently walk me through the most complex of medical journeys—arriving at the most fascinating yet incredibly logical conclusions. Though not a scientist, I was able to follow and actually become riveted during every step of the journey."
—Jim Abrahams, director of The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies

"Brain Energy, by Dr Chris Palmer, is THE much-needed new perspective on mental health that could revolutionize the way we think about, research, and treat mental health conditions . . . Filled with brilliant analogies, jaw-dropping statistics, fascinating scientific details, and moving patient stories, this book is an absolute must-read."
—Nicholas Norwitz, PhD in neurometabolism (University of Oxford) and student at Harvard Medical School

About the Author

Dr. Christopher M. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental 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.
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 conducted neuroscience research and 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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ BenBella Books (November 15, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1637741588
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1637741580
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.23 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.19 x 9.31 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Medical Neuropsychology
- #4 in Popular Neuropsychology
- #16 in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Customer Reviews:
354 ratings

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Christopher M. Palmer MD

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Christopher M. Palmer, MD, 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 more than two decades, he has held leadership roles in psychiatric education at Harvard, McLean Hospital, and nationally. He spent more than fifteen years conducting neuroscience research in the areas of substance use and sleep disorders. On top of these academic pursuits, he has continued to practice psychiatry, working with people who have treatment-resistant mental disorders using a variety of 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, publishing academic articles, and speaking globally on this topic. Most recently, he has developed the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating biological, psychological, and social research into one unifying theory—the brain energy theory of mental illness.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

354 global ratings

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Avid Reader

Energizing!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 2, 2023

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I’ve endured 15 years of misery due to treatment resistant depression and am thankfully in a high quality remission since 2018 thanks to a progressive psychiatrist with nutrition as a component of her practice. This book has been relatively easy to follow for a non-medical person. Individualizing the contributing causes for each of us is an unrealistic expectation (which I think has been part of the negative reviews). I find it informative to consider all the factors that, put together, can be vital for patients like me. I am energized by this book, motivated to make small changes along the way that are realistic, and will last.

The overarching and direct connection between mental health and metabolic health disorders laid out in this book makes a strong case for the multiple interventions. In my case, I’m motivated to upgrade my exercise routine, further reduce added sugars, and nurture my social relationships. Other interventions can be added over time, as the author suggests.

I’ve often disliked the term “mental illness”, which seems to separate the mind from the body. We know this can’t be possible, and this book is the first time I’ve read anything that finally unifies the brain with the rest of body through a common, yet foundational, pathway: metabolism. Many thanks, Dr. Palmer!

7 people found this helpful

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Stephen

promising theory, disappointing book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 26, 2023

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While the Brain Energy theory (mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain) is likely true and worthy of further research, this book is remarkably short on knowledge that can be applied, erring on the side of a broad overview, touching on everything but failing to go into sufficient detail about anything. It's more of a drive-by of what we already believe to be healthy with a view on mitochondria. The author relies heavily on studies from rats, mice, and flies, and a valid criticism of this book could be that it's an exercise in confirmation bias.

The most significant thing about this book isn't that it challenges our collective understanding and standards of care with a novel theory about what causes mental disorders, but that such a book comes from a harvard professor of psychiatry. It's worth asking how this book came to be published, and my only conclusion is that there's a critical mass of people that realize what we're doing isn't working.

Palmer contradicts himself by telling miraculous stories of patients whose medications were making them worse, talking about medication tapers, admitting that current treatments fail most of the time, while simultaneously claiming that if/when they do work, they work according to his theory. He pulls a similar trick throughout the book in that any evidence regardless of quality can be used as support.

The other weakness of this book is it's drive-by nature of current solutions. Take diet, for example. Drs. Georgia Ede, Ken Berry, Paul Saladino, and Shawn Baker have all strongly argued in favor of a ketogenic or carnivore diet for mental health reasons, and done so in great detail. One might expect a proper chapter detailing the differences in brain function in ketosis versus a blood sugar roller coaster, a section about common problems such as keto flu and cramps, or at least references to other books and websites for more information to help someone make this transition successfully. There are none.

Instead, there's a non-sensical warning about all hell breaking loose if you cheat on a ketogenic diet, as well as saying that anyone with a medical or mental disorder should only do this diet with medical supervision. In both cases, this advice is almost laughable. People on medication for diabetes might need help monitoring themselves and adjusting medication, but otherwise putting these warnings in front of a ketogenic diet doesn't make any sense. You don't need to talk to your doctor about not eating junk.

He also makes a major error conflating a semi-starvation study forced on conscientious objectors with fasting. Fasting and calorie restriction are not the same, and have obviously different effects on metabolism. "One man cut off three fingers" notes Palmer. The man cut off three fingers *to get out of the study*.

The other major errors come in Chapter 19, "Why Do Current Treatments Work?" While throughout the book Palmer admits that psych drugs often don't work and can exacerbate people's conditions as well as have profoundly negative effects on metabolism, Chapter 19 notably omits any discussion of psychopharmacology whatsoever. Does it work? Earlier chapters suggest a resounding "sometimes." Then why leave it out?

Furthermore, Palmer has the audacity to casually discuss electroconvulsive therapy as delivering "energy directly to the brain." He fails to mention that ECT deliberately induces a seizure, causing measurable brain damage with each and every treatment. There's also a drive-by on psychedelics for no apparent reason, since he doesn't mention their effects on metabolism or mitochondria, or how they fit his theory in any way.

This book may be useful for shifting the way we think about mental disorders, but if you need real justification or guidance in making any one of the changes he mentions, this book falls short.

32 people found this helpful

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Cee

A heartening breakthrough for those who suffer

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2022

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From the touching dedication and motivation for his lifelong study, to the in-depth information that Dr. Palmer gives his readers and his fortunate patients, I am truly moved by this heartening book. I appreciate Dr. Palmer’s research and his thorough explanations for the lay person without peppering the book with a analogies that muddy the waters or insult the intelligence of his readers, the latter alone, is a triumph.

As a person struggling with lifelong depression and anxiety, and the curiosity to solve this riddle for myself and others, I am looking forward to applying Dr. Palmer’s findings and working to experiment with and hopefully improve my own metabolic and mental health.

Lastly, I want to thank Dr. Palmer for his candor about his own struggles and above all his honesty about how far along and also how stalled mental health science is. There are a hundred self help books that claim cures, and prey on people who just need answers. Dr. Palmer tells us the truth, like a map for a very long trek it dares to say “YOU ARE HERE.” That place can look very far from where we want to be. But that place does not make me feel terrible or hopeless. It makes me want to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

Highly recommended book!

Thank you Dr. Palmer.

52 people found this helpful

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coldfact

A Must Read for Physicians (and everyone)!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 1, 2023

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Incredible information, connects mental health to metabolic health and mitochondria. We can and need to do better treating mental health in this country. Treatment goes way beyond medications and understanding how lifestyle change can impact mental/physical health is so important to advancing the field.

3 people found this helpful

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Lubos Tomicek

Most important book on health

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is the most important book on health (both mental and physical) you can read
Issues are explained clearly and in simple relatable terms
Highly recommended

5 people found this helpful

jon bradley

Text layout issues...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 27, 2022

Verified Purchase

Not a comment on the content, am only just getting going, but there are random line breaks on almost every page that makes it hard to get into a proper flow... This is happening on both Kindle hardware and iOS app.. very frustrating..

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

it’s revolutionary

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 3, 2023

Verified Purchase

Incredible book! There is indeed a need for a movement to introduce this book to the world to make the world a better place.

2 people found this helpful

Disco Infiltrator

Fantastic book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

Great book

JB

Simply the best

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on January 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

A book like no other to give hope to those who suffer from schizophrenia and other mental health problems. The big impact for me was the incredible care that Dr Palmer has for people, wanting to see them well and integrating back into society. This has driven him to seek an underlying explanation for a variety mental disorders, in order to achieve a more unified approach to treatment. Let's face it, the pills might help a bit, but the side effects are a disaster. Our experience has been, in implementing Dr Palmer's ideas with the help of our Doctors - medication has been reduced 75% after only 4 months. Voices have gone. Blood tests are normal. Weight is being lost and staying off. It has provided a new freedom. Thankyou Dr Palmer!

One person found this helpful

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