Dr. Christopher M. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program and Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education, both 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 proposed a comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, arguing that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain.

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.