Holistic Psychiatry Podcast

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease, meaning it involves the death of brain cells and the eventual loss of brain tissue. The brain changes leading to Alzheimer’s dementia begin twenty years before the onset of symptoms. This is important because the emerging research and clinical experience in functional medicine suggest that most contributing factors can be impacted. In this newsletter and...

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 brai...

My purpose in this video is to remind us to protect our mental health, our physical health and our relationships this election season. We have a natural impulse to pay attention to danger. News networks and social media take advantage and profit from this instinct. Here in the US, we are facing five months of what can be highly stressful. Some will have an increase in anxiety, depression, anger an...

In this video and podcast episode, I discuss pyrrole disorder - one of the most common nutrient imbalances in brain-related conditions affecting adults and children. Elevated Hydroxyhemopyrrolin-2-one (HPL) in the urine , often referred to as “pyrroles,” has been associated with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, ADHD, learning disorders, substance use disorders , and vi...

In this video newsletter, I discuss why zinc is so important for the brain. I’ll address: * Psychiatric conditions linked to low zinc. * Three ways that zinc impacts neurotransmitter functioning. * Zinc’s role as an antioxidant and its relationship to metallothioneins. * The importance of zinc for immune regulation. * The many ways zinc impacts the digestive tract. * How we measure zinc (along wit...

Candida is the most common fungi in the microbiome. Several factors, including antibiotic exposure, can lead to its overgrowth and colonization in the gastrointestinal tract. Brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, carbohydrate cravings, and gastrointestinal symptoms (especially constipation) are common symptoms. Children with candida overgrowth are often diagnosed with ADD...

Hypermobility - having one or more joints that bend further than normal -is a surprisingly common trait in those with brain symptoms.  Using RCCX theory , I’ll attempt to explain why this may be. RCCX is a gene module (cluster of genes) that appears to be at the foundation of many psychiatric conditions and complex chronic health conditions, such as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), chronic fa...

What is Functional Medicine? “An integrative, biology-based approach that promotes healing and wellness by focusing on the bio-chemically unique aspects of each patient , and then using individually tailored interventions to restore balance . This approach focuses on understanding the fundamental physiological processes, the environmental inputs and the genetic predispositions that influence healt...

In this episode, I’ll address: * Common obstacles to starting a meditation practice * The uniting thread of all forms of meditation * The types of meditation and how to pick one for you * The gifts of meditation including and beyond the mental and physical health benefits * How to begin “We don’t sit in meditation to become good mediators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll be more awake in our li...

I look forward to the day when lowering exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) will be right up there with other basic health recommendations, such as getting adequate sleep and exercise, managing stress and limiting or avoiding sugar. In the meantime, I’ll try, in this episode, to convince you of why lowering exposure is a good idea.  I’ll discuss: * Symptoms associated with EMF exposure. * How...

As with toxins, EMF (a “toxicant”) can impact the brain in a number of ways. It contributes to inflammation, oxidative stress, disruption of the micro-biome, and interferes with our innate electricity. Anything we do to decrease it will benefit our health. EMF exists on a spectrum , which includes UV light, the visible spectrum, and infrared among other types. Most of the interventions discussed w...

Whether it’s an older child with frequent tantrums, or an adult who easily loses their temper, I think of angry outbursts as a symptom with underlying root causes.   While there may be triggers, someone’s inability to regulate their emotions, in my experience, suggests a biochemical and/or inflammatory driver.  In this episode, I’ll discuss: * An important difference between angry outbursts and ot...

Schizophrenia affects 1 in 300 people or 24 million people worldwide (2.6 million in the U.S.) It remains the most treatment resistant psychiatric condition.  In this newsletter, using the story of John Nash (Beautiful Mind) as a reference point, I’ll discuss: * Theories attempting to explain schizophrenia. * How the belief that all people with schizophrenia have the same biochemical disorder has...

If you don’t identify with one of the labels in the title, you likely know someone who does. As with all labels, however, they don’t completely define us. Those of us who have these patterns are not the same, nor struggle to the same extent.  Still, this psychological construct has been repeatedly recognized in the mental health field. Perhaps because it is so common, you won’t find it included as...

Misalignment of the upper part of the spine is an often overlooked problem for those with brain symptoms, chronic complex illness and/or mysterious health issues.  In these modern times with cell phones and laptops, we look down A LOT.  This raises our likelihood of having problems that originate in our neck.  A previous neck injury and/or a tendency to be flexible can make us even more vulnerable...

In the last episode, I addressed the causes, symptoms and conditions associated with high copper. In this episode I address: * Testing and why if copper overload is so prevalent, is it not being identified in conventional or allopathic medicine and how those of us trained by the Walsh Research Institute evaluate for copper overload. * 10 treatment considerations including lowering exposure, optimi...

In this podcast episode, I review how high copper affects dopamine and norepinephrine, how copper can become elevated and the conditions or situations in which I suspect copper is causing or contributing to brain symptoms. High copper should be considered in anyone with worsening of brain symptoms after starting birth control pills or a cooper IUD. In the next podcast I will discuss testing and tr...

Mold toxicity is a surprisingly common and important player when it comes to brain related symptoms. You won’t find it mentioned in the research into psychiatric conditions, but those of us who treat mold toxicity will tell you it is a very common root cause of ADHD, anxiety, panic, OCD, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia It’s not the only cause, but it tends to cause and in...

In this episode, I discuss: * What I mean by creativity and art. * The many lessons we can learn from the creative process * Why I believe this shift in mindset is essential to healing essential and thriving To learn more about the root causes of brain related symptoms - https://www.courtneysnydermd.com Facebook -   ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/courtneysnydermd/⁠⁠ Instagram -   ⁠⁠https://www.instagr...

In this episode, I answer: * What is MTHFR and more specifically undermethylation (UM)? * What is the incidence of (UM) in various brain disorders, including depression? * How is it diagnosed? * How common are MTHFR variants? * Does having an MTHFR variant mean you have UM? * Is folate good for everyone? Who is it not good for? * Where do we get folate? * What are the concerns about high folate th...

In this episode, I have a conversation with Lynn (name changed), about her quest to find answers. Lynn has been given various diagnoses and has obtained her own genetic variant reports. She is unsure how her potential root causes fit together and how to move forward from a functional and holistic perspective. Lynn is not a patient and thus I am not treating her. She generously reached out to volun...

Too much neurotransmitter activity can cause nervousness, irritability, insomnia and in some cases mania and psychosis.  This can also contribute to pain symptoms, headaches, and increased blood pressure and heart rate.   One root cause is an inability to effectively break down neurotransmitters. Two genes involved in this process are the COMT and MAO genes.  COMT is also involved in the metabolis...

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in the brain that allow brain cells to communicate with one another.  Too much neurotransmission can cause nervousness, irritability, insomnia and in some cases mania and psychosis.  After briefly discussing a simplified version of how neurotransmitters work, I'll comment on serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and what symptoms they are associated with.  I'll...

In this episode, I discuss the many body and brain symptoms that can occur as a result of mast cell activation, and what can be done to address these symptoms. Included in this episode: 01:33 Quote by Darwin, who seems to have had Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. 04:56 Triggers and symptoms of mast cell activation can vary from person to person and episode to episode. 11:52 Symptoms can be psycholog...

Inflammation is a contributing factor in most brain-related symptoms. In this episode I'll talk about how inflammation occurs, what causes this and what symptoms can look like in both the body and the brain. I'll discuss Charles Darwin, who appeared to have both physical ailments and brain-related symptoms. Included in this episode: 01:15  Definitions 05:15  Case example: Charles Darwin 14:47  Inf...