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  • Brain Energy

  • A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health—and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
  • By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
  • Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
  • Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (51 ratings)

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Brain Energy

By: Christopher M. Palmer MD
Narrated by: Christopher M. Palmer MD
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Publisher's Summary

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; and
  • new treatments available today that listeners 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.

©2022 Christopher Palmer (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

What listeners say about Brain Energy

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Excellent

It’s just so wonderful and revolutionary 👏
So beneficial 🌼Wish we all are on the same page , this page on regards to treatments!

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Very insightful

So enjoyed Brain Energy and learned so much about the links between metabolic syndrome, the mitochondria and mental health. Thank you Dr Palmer.

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Brilliant! everyone should listen to this.

This is definitely one to listen to. I would've been so lost trying to say all the medical terms in my head. This was read beautifully, with compassion and life. Dr Chris explained his Brain Energy theory in a very digestible way.

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very insightful

I have an inherited mitochondrial disorder and this book was really helpful, despite my not suffering from a mental illness, but rather complex migraine (among other symptoms). Thank you! I particularly love books that are read by their authors.

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No words as to the importance for so many to read

My son has struggled with bi polar for over 10 years and is currently in an adult Accute ward
He is treatment resistive
Thank you DR Chris Palmer for your work and insight
This will give so many people hope

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Fantastic read

Everyone who has experienced or is experiencing some mental health problems should read this book.
It is narrated by the author which makes it even better in my opinion.
5/5 great job Christopher M Palmer I applaud you, Thankyou!

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great book

very good book on how the mind body connection works with diet and life style

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Enlightening

This book presents a compelling theory of what causes mental health issues and should be read by all

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A must read

A brilliant and very informative book, definitely a must read for anyone living with mental illness and anyone living with someone who has a mental illness

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interesting review of this revolutionary idea

very interesting review of this revolutionary idea and how it translates to contributing factors and diseases

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  • Maya H Saric
  • 10-03-2023

Arguing brain health theory to medical profession

He is presenting a unified theory of brain health as a metabolic function, most specifically mitochondrial dysfunction with plenty of great medical education for laypeople, but no solutions despite starting the book by saying he has used ketogenic diets to manage schizophrenia in his patients.

If you are searching for a way to improve your brain health don't bother with this book. Instead, read books by two amazing female doctors who have taken this knowledge and put them into specific actions to make measurable improvements to brain health

Starting with managing mental health; Australian Professor Felice Jacka is the founding Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University. The centre has conducted human clinical trials that concluded food impacts mood and thus improving food choices will improve mood state.

Dr Wahal worked out that supporting her mitochondria functioning improved her MS symptoms and went on to develop specific food, exercise and sleep protocols that resolved ALL of her MS symptoms. As a clinical doctor, she has conducted controlled human trials of her protocol in autoimmune patients with published results. Her book The Wahls Protocol available on Audible also explains the function of the mitochondria in the intro, but 90% of her book offers procedures to move your health habits into tighter alignment with the needs of your mitochondria.

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  • Timothy J. Schaffer
  • 18-12-2022

Tedious and depressing

I’m sure if I had time the book would unfold and be interesting. Unfortunately the author spends so much time on why mental healthcare is broken with few solutions without signaling his more positive solutions which I’m sure are await me at some point in the book. It’s so tedious and depressing I had to move on after the 4th chapter. Maybe I need to read this back to front.

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  • JP
  • 27-11-2022

Life-changing

Dr. Palmer should win the Nobel Prize for this. And I’m so glad he didn’t re-record the final 3 minutes, during which he becomes quite emotional. This theory is simply huge… for all humans.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 18-12-2022

Excellent Book!! Mental Health Needs this!

I have been a child and family mental health therapist for 32 years. Things are so different now than they were that long ago. People are getting sicker and sicker and this book explains it all. I was waiting for the release of this book and it met or exceeded all of my expectations. I will be sharing this book with everyone! Dr. Palmer explains it extremely well. It is time to get more people on board and involved in making changes in the mental health field. Well Done, Dr Palmer! This is a must read for everyone!

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  • tjvir
  • 18-12-2022

Great book

Very good book and narrated well. Always bonus points when the author reads. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.

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  • Jennifer Lane
  • 18-01-2023

Idea is great, book is so so

A very exciting and plausible theory that could be revolutionary. That alone is reason to read this book. Keto and carnivore diets are healing people left and right, including mental and emotional problems and this book explores ideas on why and how. I thought the first half review of psychiatry was too lengthy and boring. I was waiting and waiting for him to get to the point of the book. That finally happened midway through and the second half was much better. Narration was fine.

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  • Ed From Florida
  • 16-12-2022

Fascinating material...a start of a revolution

It's a dense, chock-full of science and studies book which was actually easy to listen to. While I am not in the medical field, I did find myself engaged in the science and the stories wrapped around the data. The science and data points the author reference added over-the-top credibility to his proposed conclusions on the role metabolism/mitochondria play in mental and physical health. The author also included some specific actions one can take, or at least investigate, to improve brain (and body) energy - although I can see a follow up book that delves even deeper on the actions one can take and why they may help. The narration was excellent and easy listening. I wish the author the best of luck in getting action on this front as society and the many individuals affected can greatly benefit from the breakthrough the author is suggesting.

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  • Spiffy
  • 18-12-2022

Ground breaking framework

Dr Palmer eloquently presents a framework that resonates strongly with someone familiar with the struggle associated with navigating a complex treatment network which in the end only addresses symptoms of many mental health disorders. A strong case is made for why the mental health community should not ignore the fact that current standard of care is not working to address root cause for many diagnosis. It’s time for change. Dr Palmer presents a compelling case for how to use the existing DSM to move patient treatment beyond medication and into sustainable recovery. This is a must read for everyone. Someone you know and love is suffering.

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  • Cece.
  • 22-12-2022

Brilliant

Authoritative, timely and desperately needed in today’s world. A doctor who cares deeply for his patients. Bravo!

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 18-12-2022

Excellent information

The unifying theory presented by Dr. Palmer answers many questions and removes much of the mystery surrounding mental illnes.
I highly recommend this book.

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  • HGJones
  • 31-12-2022

Needs Evidence

The author puts forth major claims about treating severe mental health conditions and challenges the current understanding of disease, and I found myself craving data, evidence, clinical trials to back up these incredible claims. He tells select patient success stories of reversing the most serious mental disorders, but provides no steps of exactly what the patient consumed (it must have been monitored) nor does he include negative outcomes - when did it not work and why? If you want to have a healthcare revolution, you need more data than "the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell" or "the cell is like a car" - I got really weary of listening to car and highway analogies. i found it very frustrating. The author asks us to believe that his one simple solution is available to reverse the most severe of conditions - one metabolic pathway for all disease and cures where everyone else has failed - but then withholds data and actionable protocols. All of which are usually a sign of snake oil. I plan to read his academic works to see if he has any data at all - and the challenges to his theory from other researchers - but this book really should have summarized that body of work for us instead it reads as a list of unsubstantiated claims, car analogies, and very select vague success stories.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 28-11-2022

Nothing new

It was an OK book. Nothing new really. To summarise we need good sleep, exercise, sunlights, keto diet, good relationships and a purpose in life.

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  • Vladimiras Lekecinskas
  • 03-07-2023

Not wrong - neither honest, does no useful predictions

This is not a bad book, but there’s plenty of Bad Science in it along with other bs and a lot of projected confidence, omitted evidence, vapro-medicine that doesn’t actually suggest anything much new.

- Does it sound remotely similar to how scientists that research mitochondria sound? No it does not, just search online videos and see how confident they are, how much they’d say things like “it’s largely a speculation” - that’s way closer to home, that’s how scientists talk. This author has a tone of a preacher.

- Does it address psychiatrists that receive people with first psychosis episodes in the hospitals and tells them, what they should be doing different? Of course not. While being a book on mental illness it keeps a huge distance between itself and psychiatry, trying to push through own territory of “metabolic medicine”, ohh my.

- Does it give you at least a tiniest hint on what you should be doing if you hear voices, have anxiety or depression? Not either. Do some pilates, change your diet, don’t be overweight, veery helpful, keep throwing therapies that sound good to you on the wall and wait for one to stick - almost a literal take from this.

- Does it tell what we should be teaching med students any different than we already do? Nope. Does it really tell an MD anything they don’t know? Na-ah. Does it help do any predictions at all, suggest causal scenarios, treatment plans?

No!

It just tries to explain things, using organelle present in every cell, obviously very important and obviously involved in all and every deregulation and every condition whatsoever, very important part of us. Talks about fish affected by the quality of water. What is useful about this explanation, what’s the practical side of all this? There is no practical side. If you had any interest in being healthy at all you will find zero practical recommendations, just an indulgence - someone to tell you it’s not your fault.

Anecdotal evidence dressed as success stories marketing this particular author and attempting to create a “movement” out of thin air. Those observations aren’t wrong in general, but there is no theory here yet, there is no medical protocol, treatment suggested, no therapeutic model to apply, no changes to make in medical practice and definitely no merit to put someone’s “revolutionary” marketing name on it just to sell their book.

Last two minutes of the last chapter are open kimono and show the nature of material fully and completely, if you are doing all this good work - just publish a peer reviewed study in a good journal, don’t sell it on the street, convince your peers you came up with something worthwhile first?

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  • Karina Souleimanova
  • 02-04-2023

Too much “revolutionary/groundbreaking” PR

I wish it was a bit more nuanced, at least about the side effects of keto diet, why it’s not suitable for everyone. How about presenting at least some cases where it didn’t work… I don’t like “one size fits all” approach.
Nice try to gather together info about metabolic health and mental health, but again it’s very one sided…I wish it was done in a more scientifically rigorous way, by at least acknowledging limitations.
Overall quite disappointed by too much “revolutionary” narrative around this still “theory”.

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  • CLEMENTINE CONTAT
  • 26-03-2023

Eye opening and life changing

One of the best books I’ve read recently. For anyone who has suffered from any mental symptoms, be it anxiety, fatigue, sadness or more serious disorders, anyone who knows someone struggle with those or anyone trying to understand how to stay healthy mentally or physically, this is a ground breaking theory putting all recent research together and explaining why treatments work or don’t work.

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  • J. g
  • 25-02-2023

Amazing

So simple to understand and so good. Life changing book. I would highly recommend it.

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  • EK
  • 05-11-2023

Excellent read

Kudos to Chris Palmer for writing this book and treating mental disorders with a human-friendly diet. I cured my severe eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks with a ketogenic diet, and can now happily live normal life without any medication. I appreciate that Mr. Palmer read this audio book himself, it made it much more personal and you can clearly hear his enthusiasm about the topic.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 31-08-2023

Love it

Great breakdown as to why metabolic health is the root cause to mental health issues. I love the way it’s broken down logically and supported by examples. From a high level perspective it’s common sense - exercise, eat healthy, reduce stress etc but when the quick and easy option is to have a pill this book teaches you why it’s so important to go back to basics - you are what you eat.

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  • Abi C
  • 08-08-2023

Great book; infuriating voice!

I loved the contents of the book, but it was awful to listen to. The narrator’s voice is very sing-songy and so annoying! I kept having to stop. I’d recommend the book but maybe buy a copy and read it!

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  • Tony Gagg
  • 04-08-2023

Need to knowMore…

As a lay person but also one who has had MH issues and feels like I’ve been overly medicated by the NHS providers I feel this book and it’s ideas could be a realistic alternative

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