Holistic Psychiatry Podcast

Recently, I was having a conversation with my daughter - who’s 19 - about the mental changes in a family member with memory loss. I commented that it can feel like a long goodbye, as they seem less like themself. Even as I said that, it didn’t ring true. She quickly responded, “When are we ever ourselves? It seems like we’re always changing.'“

Her comment, which did ring true, got me thinking a lot this week about the elusive “self.”

Who Am I? Who are You?

My genes and early life experiences have shaped me. The arrival of hormonal changes around puberty changed me. My friendships changed me. After puberty, hormonal cycles played a role in changing my personality throughout the month. My education changed me. Love, marriage, and motherhood changed me. My work changed the way I make sense of things. For example, I’m sure optimizing my zinc level changed me into someone more comfortable around people. Addressing mold toxicity increased my energy, so everything wasn’t so hard. Addressing methylation lifted an apathy that came with toxicity. When I was in the throes of mast cell activation and inflammation, I was different. For 3 days at a time, feelings of “doom” and head and neck pain colored my world. When the flare passed, “I” was back.

Sickness changed me into a more compassionate person. Despite this, I was determined to return to who I was before chronic illness. No one tells you that’s not possible. We may heal, but we don’t going back to a former self. Sickness forced me to let go of certainty and let go of identity so I could approach life with greater ease.

Menopause lessened my intensity, possibly because less estrogen would have increased the ability of COMT and MOA-A to better clear catecholamines (which increase tension and, for some, hyperfocus). The need to go - go - go softened.

I miss how much I could once do. I don’t miss believing that everything mattered more than the present moment.

Even on a given day, our “selves” change. “Morning Me” is calm, has plans, and sticks with a routine. The “3-4:30 pm Me” is slower and less sharp. I’ve come to design my schedule to take care of both. “Me on Too Many Carbs” is self-conscious and judgmental and looks for things to complain about, while “Me on Less Carbs” is more at peace with what is.

The challenge, of course, is to accept whatever perceived “self” shows up at a given time of day and not banish the moment with judgments about who we think we are. When we can do this, we can extend that grace to others.

Who Is This Person?

If you are a parent or have a partner or spouse, you’ve likely noticed the changing personalities of those you love. When my daughter was three, she was struggling with episodic cognitive and mood changes, as well as some developmental regression. Though not apparent to most people, in my mind, she was “herself” only about one out of four days. This was evident in her clear thinking, playfulness, humorous comments, and ability to draw a stick figure. This was who I perceived “her” to be. I felt connected to her.

But for three of the four days (for a good part of the year), she was forgetful and didn’t engage in imaginative play. She was irritable and anxious. Her speech was slurred, and she couldn’t draw a circle. It was as if I had repeatedly lost her to an imposter with whom I found connecting more challenging.

Ideally, I would have been more present and better connected to all her “selves.” But that’s not often who shows up when we’re in survival mode. I am grateful to my analytical, driven, and detail-oriented left brain, which ultimately found the help and answers that allowed her to return to her developmental path. I did, however, have to let that part of me go (in our relationship), for her and my well-being.

There is No Fixed Self

With these recent thoughts of the elusive “self” came a need to rekindle my relationship with one of my favorite mystics - Leonard Cohen. Though I’ve heard the interview (quoted below) several times, I was surprised at how different it resonates at this stage in my life.

After commenting on how he no longer struggles with chronic depression, he explains why that is.

“We don’t determine what we are going to see next, or hear next, or taste next, or think next, or feel next. Yet we have the sense that we’re running the show. So if anything has relaxed in my mind, it’s the sense of control, or the quest for meaning. My sense is there is not a fixed self. There is not one whom I can locate as the real me. And, dissolving the search for the real me is relaxation, is the content of peace....But these recognitions are temporary and fleeting, and, you know, .......we go back to thinking we know who we are.”

The Right &...

In the last podcast, I discussed sources of toxins and how they can impact the brain and development.

In this podcast, I’ll focus on ways to reduce exposure. I say reduce because there is no way to completely eliminate our exposure to toxins. This reality can be liberating for those who struggle with perfectionism.

If you’re new at this, feel good about starting. Avoid feeling bad about what you haven’t done yet. (Negative thoughts aren’t great for detoxification;)

For me, lowering exposures has been a stepwise process. When I began, I had to avoid overwhelm and resist trying to do everything at once.

Though I’ve familiarized myself with the most researched toxins and their specific health impacts, I try to focus more on what I can do to avoid them so I can get on with life and not think about them.

Some of the most researched toxins (last I checked) include mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, PBDEs, organophosphates, glycerophosphate, BPA, BHA, BHT, PCBs, sodium benzoate, butane, tartrazine dye, potassium bromate, ADA, BVO, yellow food dye number’s 5 and 6, red dye number 40, bovine growth hormone, synthetic hormones, ractopamine, phthalates, parabens, phenylenediamine, oxybenzone, acrylic, DEA, triclosan, PFAS including PFOS, benzene, chlorine, chloramine, ochratoxin, trichothecenes, aflatoxin, chaetoglobosin, gliotoxin, and zearalenone.

Electromagnetic fields, though not “toxins,” are considered toxicants, which have similar impacts on our bodies and brains. I’ve previously shared how we can start to assess and lower those.

To learn more about the root causes of brain symptoms and the consultations that I offer, visit courtneysnydermd.com

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for yourself or others, including but not limited to patients you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

In previous podcasts, I’ve discussed the more common underlying factors that can drive brain-related symptoms. These factors, or “roots,” each have their constellation of symptoms and traits.

Because children’s brains and bodies are still developing and because they don’t have the same degree of hormonal influences, some of their symptoms and associated psychiatric diagnoses will differ from adults with the same imbalances. As you’ll see, inattention and hyperactivity and the diagnosis of ADHD can be the manifestation of a number of these root causes.

Though I’ll discuss these common imbalances separately, more than one can be present. Below are the most common imbalances I see in my work. Teenagers’ symptoms tend to resemble those of adults.

Each of these topics is linked to a more in-depth description if needed.

Undermethylation

High Copper

High Pyrroles

Mast Cell Activation

Candida

Mold Toxicity

Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

Overmethylation

Food sensitivities can be present and result in a range of symptoms; however, one or more imbalances are also usually present and underlying the food sensitivities.

To learn more about the root causes of brain symptoms and the consultations that I offer, visit courtneysnydermd.com

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for yourself or others, including but not limited to patients you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

Our gut microbiome forms a dynamic ecosystem of trillions of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, archaea, and fungi, in thousands of species—many of which have existed long before humans.

While research into the microbiome has gained traction only in the past twenty years, our ancestors recognized the connection between digestion and emotions, mood, and behavior. Historical practices like fecal transplants date back to Ancient Greece and 4th century China.

By the 18th century, the concept of the gut-brain axis was already recognized, and in the 19th century, physicians acknowledged the influence of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract on mental well-being. However, the 20th century saw a regression in this understanding, with scientists asserting that it was the mind affecting the gut instead.

It wasn't until the 21st century that we reconciled these views, acknowledging that both can be true. The brain impacts the gut through the autonomic nervous system, while the gut influences the brain through its microbial inhabitants.

So, how exactly does the gut microbiome affect the brain beyond its role in nutrient absorption? This influence is largely through three primary mechanisms.

To learn more about the root causes of brain symptoms and the consultations that I offer, visit courtneysnydermd.com

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for yourself or others, including but not limited to patients you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

In this newsletter and podcast episode, I share the simple yet powerful tool of intermittent fasting. Here, I discuss:

The types of intermittent fasting with a focus on “time restricted eating,” in which fasting is extended to 12-16hours a day (from the more typical 8-10 hours).

Why it makes good sense from an evolutionary standpoint.

What it has to teach us about our metabolism and our brain’s use of energy.

The health conditions it is has been shown to be beneficial for.

The many mechanism by which is impacts the brain.

My experience with intermittent fasting.

When fasting can become problematic.

If you have experience with intermittent fasting (or questions), please consider adding to the discussion.

Have a great week,

Courtney

P.S. For paid subscribers watch out for a midweek post on other ways we can work with our body’s metabolism and rhythms to improve blood glucose regulation, which is particularly important when it comes to brain health.

Additional Resources:

The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Brain and Cognitive Function

Intermittent Fasting as a Potential Therapeutic Instrument for Major Depression Disorder: A Systematic Review of Clinical and Preclinical Studies

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Exercise & the Brain - 10 Ways Exercise Improves Our Mood, Lowers Anxiety & Protects Our Brain.

Medical Disclaimer:

This newsletter is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.