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  • Brain Energy

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

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Brain Energy

Written 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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This has changed my life!

With a cogent thesis someone together with evidence and hope.

Dr. Palmer is a savior, and I’m not surprised that he got so many awards in med school because he is blessed with a complex and dense intelligence

All I can say is that I’m so grateful to have this knowledge that the mitochondria is my master. I’ve change so many aspects of my life and I quit being a drug addict because of it. Thank you to the Huberman podcast for shining light and pointing me to this corner that soon will be on everybody’s plan of attack to tackle these problems.

Thank you Dr. Palmer wherever you are 🙏🌸.

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Love me some deductive reasoning!!

How refreshing for a person immersed in western medicine to put two and two together and come up with something that makes perfect sense AND supports the ideas and beliefs of so many holistic practitioners.
I really dig it when conventional docs can see beyond just what they were taught in school and really expand their minds and hearts.
I hope this book catches on like wildfire during a lightning storm on a balmy Canadian summer afternoon. 🔥

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The book I’ve been waiting for.

Dr. Chris Palmer, thank you for writing this book. As someone who’s struggled with mental health my whole life, this book has given me a new outlook and theory to test out for my own well being.
I also love that Dr.Palmer himself narrated his own book. An added bonus.
Fabulous work. Fabulous psychiatrist.

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Exceptional read and ideology (as a physician)

Key read that integrates a wide range of areas of medicine that are often very challenging to treat and seldom resolve. This should be part of curriculum. Ideas will take many years to become more accepted. It will change my management of patients moving forward - both with common concerns and the seemingly treatment resistant ones.

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The reader

I recommend Dr Palmer to pass the reading to a professional reader for a next version. The content is very good and I decided to read the book instead of listen the book. My first language is French.

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Life changing, logical, fascinating

A thorough examination of metabolism, mitochondrial function, and the connection to mental health. Dr Palmer's results with treatment-resistant mental and neurological disorders is jaw-dropping. Reading this book yields a sense of hope in spite of the frustration that interventions like the ketogenic diet are not being widely recommended to sufferers.

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Mighty Mitochondria

I Loved this book. On my second time listening! Insightful informative and inspiring ! Read it

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Must read!!

Everyone should be interested in learning about how we as humans function mentally and what we all can do to elicit change in the world and ourselves for the better!

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Very good!!!

This was a very interesting book on brain energy. I am not a doctor so to say I completely get it would not be the case. I have family and friends with mental health issues. I definitely have and will continue to recommend this book to others. Important development for brain energy. The narrator/author did a great job with this audible not all authors do with their own books.

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Simply amazing

I will share this with everyone I know. So painful but very promising as well.

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  • Maya H Saric
  • 2023-03-10

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
  • 2022-12-18

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
  • 2022-11-27

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
  • 2022-12-18

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
  • 2022-12-18

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
  • 2023-01-18

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
  • 2022-12-16

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
  • 2022-12-18

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.
  • 2022-12-22

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
  • 2022-12-18

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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