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Complex Chronic Illness, High Sensitivity, Undermethylation, Safety, Limbic System Retraining & the Vagus Nerve If you've been working very hard to heal and still feel stuck, I made this episode for you. I also made it for practitioners who wonder whether they're overwhelming some patients with too much information, too many protocols, and too many steps. I share my own story of perfectionism during my illness, who tends to be vulnerable to this pattern, how it affects the whole family, and the tools that help the body and mind feel safe enough to heal. Chapters
Full transcript linked below. Resources mentioned:
Until next time, Courtney Dr. Courtney Snyder MD is a holistic and functional psychiatrist for children and adults. Full Transcript...
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The Intersection Between Complex Illness, Brain Symptoms and the “Vagal-Limbic-Mast Cell Trifecta” in Multisystem Conditions Like Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue (ME), CIRS, MCAS, POTS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, EHS, Mold, Lyme, Coinfections & Long COVID In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Neil Nathan about the intersection between brain symptoms and complex illness. Dr. Nathan has practiced medicine for over 50 years. He is one of the leading experts in complex chronic illness and mold toxicity — author of the bestselling Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and Chronic Environmental Illness and The Sensitive Patient's Healing Guide. I am grateful to call Dr. Nathan a mentor and colleague. His pioneering work has been responsible for my healing from chronic illness, as well as that of many patients I've treated. Together, we co-lead a small peer group (within the larger mentoring group he provides with Marie Matheson, ND), supporting practitioners who treat those with complex chronic illness. In this episode we discuss: 03:43 – Dr. Nathan’s path to understanding complex illness 11:20 – Why complex illness is rising and underrecognized 19:30 – Why new medical ideas take decades to reach patients 23:15 – Mold, Lyme, and long-COVID: the “big three” root causes 25:58 – The limbic-vagal-mast cell “trifecta” 30:31 – Are some people born more vulnerable? 44:39 – The risk in “just do limbic retraining” advice 47:35 - Biochemical contributors 49:26 – Structural root: jaw and cervical instability 53:58 – Differentiating Between Mold, Lyme & Long-COVID 58:49 – A message of hope, and where to learn more You can find Dr. Nathan’s books, consultations and mentoring program through his website at neilnathanmd.com. If you’d like to help get this information out into the world, please consider liking, sharing, or commenting. Until next time, Courtney Courtney Snyder MD Dr. Courtney Snyder MD is a holistic and functional child and adult psychiatrist and host of the Holistic Psychiatry Podcast and can be found at courtneysnydermd.com Medical Disclaimer This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your own physician for any medical issues you may be having. For full transcript... In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Andy Mort. I think you will appreciate his wisdom, poetic way with words and sense of humor. Andy is a UK-based songwriter and musician whose work as a creativity coach explores the intersection of high sensitivity, creativity, and the influence of culture. Aside from sharing some of our own experiences with high sensitivity and gentle rebellion, we discuss various ways those of us with high sensitivity (as described by Elaine Aaron) might better align with our nature. We also discuss:
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Until next time, Courtney Dr. Courtney Snyder MD is a holistic and functional psychiatrist for children and adults. Find her at courtneysnydermd.com and on the Holistic Psychiatry Podcast on all major platforms and on YouTube. Medical Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your own physician for any medical issues you may be having.. For Full Transcript.....
With it being back to school season, this topic feels especially timely. In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with family advocate Tracy Spiaggia, founder of Slingshot Health Coaching, about recognizing high sensitivity in children and how to support sensitive children and their parents.
We discuss the core traits of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) trait, Tracy’s great “power strip” analogy for sensory overload, and why the tripping of the power strip (the stress response) can look different in different children (fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown). We talk about challenges that may point to high sensitivity — school behavior problems, breakfast refusal, perfectionism, somatic complaints — and the practical framework Tracy uses with families to sort the “immovables” in their lives from what can actually be changed. We each share our own experience growing up as highly sensitive children, and how we each began our parenting journey largely unaware of this trait. We address the importance of awareness and self-compassion for parents. And, we close with commenting on the value of identifying and addressing pyrrole disorder- a fairly common biochemical imbalance in those with highly sensitive who are struggling with brain and physical symptoms. Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction to high sensitivity and its importance 2:04 Recognizing high sensitivity in children and adults 3:58 Parental support strategies for sensitive children 5:52 Stress response styles and their impact 7:56 The physiology of high sensitivity and overstimulation 9:59 Creating modifiable environments for thriving 12:06 The evolutionary purpose of high sensitivity 14:04 Practical tips for supporting sensitive children in school and home 15:58 The importance of self-awareness and compassion in parenting 18:04 The role of nutrition and physical activity in sensitivity management 20:02 Supporting adult highly sensitive persons 22:11 The power of community and shared experiences 24:04 Overcoming shame and embracing sensitivity as a strength 25:59 Practical steps for creating supportive environments 28:00 The importance of ongoing learning and adaptation 29:53 Closing thoughts and resources for further support Until next time, Courtney Courtney Snyder MD Resources:
Medical Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your own physician for any medical issues you may be having. To read full transcript... Are you someone who has stretches of incredible productivity and focus — and then stretches where you can barely get anything done at all?
Do you procrastinate until you're under real pressure, and only then can you focus? Do you crash after periods of high-intensity work, whether that's physical or mental? Do you dive deeply into an interest, and then find yourself bored and wonder what happened? Do you have a history of serial interests — or even serial relationships? Do you sense that you are a deep-diver, a quick learner, maybe even gifted, but can't seem to reliably harness those abilities? Many people I see in my practice report these patterns, which relate to difficulty with states of arousal — not emotional or sexual arousal, but the neurophysiological kind: the state that determines whether your brain and body are ready to act. This week's episode is about that pattern, why it appears to happen, and what can help. This newsletter and podcast are for educational purposes and aren't a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please talk with your own doctor about any medical or psychiatric concerns. High Sensitivity Through 3 Lenses: The Highly Sensitive Person, Pyrrole Disorder & RCCX Theory6/29/2026 
Courtney Snyder MD is a Holistic and Functional Child and Adult Psychiatrist. She offers non-patient consultations to individuals and practitioners nationally and internationally, in addition to her treatment practice serving FL, IN, KY, and OH. Her educational content — shared through her website, Substack Newsletter, the Holistic Psychiatry Podcast, and her YouTube Channel — reaches readers and listeners in over 160 countries.
In my over thirty years as a psychiatrist, I've worked with with thousands of individuals who identify as highly sensitive. They are often naturally curious, think deeply, and have an exceptional ability to recognize patterns and connect seemingly unrelated ideas. Many are intellectually gifted. At the same time, they frequently struggle with overwhelm, low stress tolerance, anxiety, persistent inner tension, or the lifelong feeling that they are somehow "different" or don't quite fit in. Over the years, I've found three frameworks to be especially valuable in helping explain both the unique strengths and the vulnerabilities commonly seen in highly sensitive individuals. These include Dr. Elaine Aron's work on the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), the nutritional medicine concept of Pyrrole Disorder, and Dr. Sharon Meglathery's RCCX Theory. While each approaches sensitivity from a different perspective—psychological, biochemical, and genetic—they describe many of the same characteristics from complementary viewpoints. Before exploring these models, I'd like to emphasize one important point: high sensitivity is not a psychiatric diagnosis or a disease. It is a naturally occurring trait that has likely served an important evolutionary purpose throughout human history. My goal is not to pathologize sensitivity, but rather to better understand it—and to offer practical tools for individuals whose sensitivity is accompanied by mental health or physical conditions that occur more commonly within this population. As we move through these three frameworks, you'll notice considerable overlap, along with the unique contributions each model provides. What You'll Learn
Chapters 00:00 — Understanding High Sensitivity 02:26 — The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Model 10:23 — Understanding Pyrrole Disorder 18:18 — RCCX Theory Explained 30:11 — Where HSP, Pyrrole Disorder & RCCX Theory Overlap 34:40 — Final Thoughts & Moving Forward
Mental Health Conditions With Strong Associations With Specific Nutrient Imbalances
It is becoming increasingly clear that optimal brain health depends on balanced nutrient levels. But how exactly do nutrients influence neurotransmitter activity? It might seem intuitive to assume that specific nutrient levels would directly lead to specific symptoms or diagnoses. However, what clinical data more often reveals are biotypes—patterns in which a single condition is associated with a small group of nutrient imbalances. For example, depression biotypes identified by the Walsh Research Institute include undermethylation, overmethylation, pyrrole disorder, copper overload, and metal toxicity. Conversely, a single nutrient imbalance can manifest in a wide range of psychiatric symptoms. Copper overload, for instance, may contribute to ADHD in one individual, while in another it may be linked to panic, insomnia, or even rage and behavioral dysregulation. That said, certain mental health conditions do show strong correlations with specific nutrient imbalances. In this article, I will cover:
The data referenced here is based on findings from the Walsh Research Institute. |
Courtney Snyder, MDFor anyone experiencing brain symptoms. This blog (and newsletter) is your guide to demystifying root causes and learning about surprising paths to healing. From a holistic - functional adult and child psychiatrist dedicated to helping people heal and thrive. Categories
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