Holistic Psychiatry Podcast

I recently joined Annika Taylor on The Wellness Rebel Podcast to talk about mold toxicity, and how it can cause not only physical symptoms, but also brain symptoms such as anxiety, depression, OCD, brain fog, mood swings, and in more severe cases, psychosis. Watch the full conversation above. Below is a recap of our conversation, along with the resources we discussed along the way. Chapters:0:00 I...

As a holistic and functional psychiatrist, I see many people who are highly sensitive. Most are deep divers into information and able to connect a lot of dots. Many are gifted. Many struggle with overwhelm and low stress tolerance. Some struggled with anxiety, inner tension, or feeling “too much” for as long as they can remember. Some feel different - that they don’t fit in. As a holistic and func...

In this episode, Dr. Courtney Snyder, a Holistic Child and Adult Psychiatrist discusses: - The research into Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) and health outcomes (at a population level) - How early adversity can impact our physiology, biochemistry and thus neurotransmitter functioning - Why ACEs scores are less meaningful at an individual level - The role of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) on...

It is increasingly understood that our brain health is dependent on our having healthy nutrient levels. But how do nutrients actually impact our neurotransmitters. We might assume that certain nutrient levels would cause certain symptoms or conditions. Instead, what we find are biotypes - one condition is often associated with a small handful of imbalances. For example, the biotypes of depression...

In light of the recent lawsuit against Meta and YouTube/Google, I want to share an overview of some of the research into the impacts of screen media on the development and mental health of children and teens. But more, I want to provide support and resources for parents. In this episode, I discuss: * The recent and expected deluge of lawsuits against social media platforms * Research into: * Infan...

In this short episode, I discuss the relationship between accelerated aging “oxidative stress.” Oxidative stress is what accelerates aging, promotes chronic illness, including brain related conditions, and depletes our energy, focus and quality of life. Our left brain would like to control our bodies and the natural order of things, while our right brain would have us paying more attention to our...

In this episode, I discuss panic attacks and underlying vulnerabilities that can increase the sensitivity of our alarm system. * What is a panic attack and what does it feel like? * What neurotransmitters are involved? * What is panic disorder? * What nutritional, genetic, and hormonal factors can be at play? * What types of inflammation and toxicity can lead to panic attacks? * How do the immune,...

In this episode, I discuss: * Mold related illness, with a focus on mold toxicity and mold colonization * The wide range of brain symptoms (and other symptoms associated with mold toxicity * How we can become exposed to toxic mold even when we don’t see mold growth * Why not everyone with the same exposure doesn’t become toxic * How mold toxicity is diagnosed * How we can test our environment for...

In this episode, I explore compulsive caregiving from an attachment perspective. This is a more subtle form of insecure attachment that nonetheless affects one’s ability to thrive and enjoy healthy relationships. Related terms include over-functioning , codependency , and Nice Guy / Good Girl Syndrome. This is the fourth of a four-part series on how our experiences with caregivers in the first thr...

I am happy to share a recent conversation I had with Dr. William Walsh about his new book, “ The Essence of Bipolar Disorder ,” where he lays out his discovery into the cause of Bipolar Disorder, a condition with fluctuating high and low mood states that has baffled researchers and psychiatrists. Dr. Walsh , the president of the non-profit Walsh Research Institute , is an internationally recognize...

In this episode, I discuss the anxious (ambivalent–preoccupied) attachment style — a pattern marked by intensity, dependence, and a longing for reassurance. I address how this attachment pattern develops, how it can appear in adulthood, and what kinds of therapeutic and holistic supports can help someone move toward a more secure attachment style. Specifically, I discuss: * How inconsistency in ea...

What do the TV and film characters Don Draper (Mad Men), James Bond, Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada), and Rick Blaine (Casablanca) have in common? Each is a fairly good illustration of the Avoidant-Dismissive Attachment Style portrayed in film. In the last episode , I discussed how our experiences with caregivers during our first three years of life may continue to impact our ability to r...

OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a debilitating condition that involves intrusive thoughts and time-consuming, repetitive behaviors. It impacts 80 million worldwide, 2-4% of the US population or 1 in 100 people here in the US. It can be difficult to overstate the suffering caused by OCD, not only for those with this condition but also for their family members. In addition to the distress...

This past week, I had the pleasure of attending the Advanced Course for Walsh-Trained Practitioners. To date, 1,200 practitioners from 75 countries have been trained using the Walsh approach. For those unfamiliar, the  Walsh Research Institute , founded by  Dr. William Walsh , has looked at the nutrient levels of over 30,000 people with brain-related symptoms and found a surprisingly small number...

Recently I saw a humorous reel of a man going through his day. As he does, you hear his inner dialogue. He’s trying to prepare a healthy snack, but at every turn, he’s stopped by his voice pointing out exposure to toxins - in the packaging, the water, the skin of the fruit. Eventually, he sits down and opens a bag of chips. Can we lower our exposure to toxins (and support detoxification) and not l...

There is a wealth of information about sleep. In this podcast, I'll highlight aspects I find especially interesting and significant.   * The Pineal Gland * The Seat of the Soul * Flouride * Melatonin * Creating Melatonin * Cortisol * Brain waves * Falling Asleep & Waking Up * REM (rapid eye movement) versus non-REM sleep * Sleep cycles In a future episode, I will delve into tools and techniques fo...

After sharing my favorite books for engaging the right brain last year, I thought I’d now share some for stimulating the left brain.  Anyone familiar with functional medicine knows the vast landscape of information—some empowering, some daunting, some helpful, and some even alarming. Yet, feeling inundated or fearful isn’t conducive to healing and well-being. Just as pairing protein with carbs hel...

In previous podcasts, I’ve discussed many root causes of brain symptoms, none of which exist independently from our hormones.  In this podcast, I’ll address the impact our sex hormones - estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone - have on our neurotransmitters.   I’ll also discuss how changes in our hormones can impact our personalities and mental health over our lifetime.   While there is a great...

Our limbic system (commonly called the lizard brain ) plays an important role in our safety. If it’s over-functioning, however, we can feel chronically unsafe. Previously, I discussed how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) puts us into fight, flight, or shut down when we feel threatened. The ANS operates largely outside our brain; however, it communicates with our limbic system, which is in the br...

“Addiction”  - a compulsive, chronic, physiological, or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence.”  Like other health conditions, addiction is multifactorial. It is the result of an ali...

“Exterior building maintenance is crucial for preventing mold from growing inside a building” - Jerry Parker, CEIC, CMR Twenty-five percent of people appear to be susceptible to mold toxicity - a surprisingly common cause of brain symptoms, including brain fog, fatigue, depression, anxiety, mood swings, OCD, panic, and psychosis. Mold toxicity can also be an underlying factor in pyrrole disorder ,...

Skin conditions are common in those with brain-related conditions. Most of what you’ll find about this relationship is the suggestion that one is causing the other. It is believed, for example, that the stress of having a skin condition can cause depression and anxiety, which makes sense… ..or that the stress of the mental health condition is causing an increase in stress hormones or inflammation...

Eric Windheim , BA, BBEC, EMRS, RFSO is a Certified Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist and Certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant. He is the founder of  Windheim Solutions,  which provides inspection, testing, and remediation of problematic EMFs. In this episode, we discuss  smart meters,  which are  digital devices that measure electricity usage in real-time, and wirelessly send th...

I recently had the pleasure of being on the Nourished By Nature: Mind Body Wellness Podcast with Annika Taylor , a holistic health practitioner. After sharing with Annika how I became a holistic psychiatrist and how I define holistic psychiatry, we discuss: * The Walsh Research Institute’s data on nutrient levels of 30,000 people with brain-related symptoms, and what were found to be the most comm...

Because Alzheimer’s starts before the onset of symptoms and because having almost any psychiatric condition appears to raise our vulnerability, many of the tools mentioned here relate to other brain symptoms and conditions as well. “What we call Alzheimer's disease is actually a protective response to a wide variety of insults to the brain: inflammation, insulin resistance, toxins, infections, and...