|
Over the years, a number of practitioners have reached out, sometimes with specific questions, but more often to ask how they can learn more about root cause psychiatry. The amount of information can feel overwhelming:
Most people will have more than one root at play. After thinking about what would have been a helpful starting place for me, I put together one page of what I see as the most common roots, each with a few of its more prominent symptoms and traits. Simply a place to start. Though this was written for practitioners, anyone is welcome to download it. When you download it, you'll join a separate email list for practitioners, where I'll share resources meant for clinical work, including an upcoming free 4-week course (described below). If you're not a practitioner but are interested in a potential course for individuals and families, you can share your interest here. Coming soon for practitioners On Monday, October 26, I'm starting a free 4-week pilot course for practitioners and those in training. We'll go deeper into recognizing these roots and how they're evaluated. You'll find the invitation right after you download the checklist. Until next time, Courtney Courtney Snyder MD is a holistic, functional, and environmental psychiatrist for children and adults. Medical Disclaimer This post 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.
0 Comments
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. 
In this episode of the Holistic Psychiatry podcast, I discuss panic attacks, exploring their physiological, neurological, and emotional underpinnings. I discuss the heightened sensitivity of the brain’s alarm system, the role of neurotransmitters, hormonal influences, and the impact of inflammation and biotoxins. I’ll emphasize the importance of being curious about the nature of panic attacks..
Takeaways
Chapters 00:00 Understanding Panic Attacks 03:07 Physiological Factors Behind Panic Attacks 06:00 Neurotransmitters and Panic Disorder 08:52 The Role of Hormones in Panic Attacks 12:07 Inflammation and Panic Attacks 14:53 Mast Cells and Panic Responses 18:06 Biotoxins and Their Impact on Panic 21:00 Limbic System Dysfunction and Panic 24:11 The Autonomic Nervous System’s Role 26:45 Emotional Stressors and Panic Attacks As always, I welcome your thoughts and questions. Until next time, Courtney 
How Symptoms Such as Tantrums, Shyness, Oppositional Behavior, Severe Carb Craving, Perfectionism, Tics, Compulsions and Drunken Like Behavior Can Point to Specific Biochemical Imbalances
This newsletter was originally shared with paid subscribers in May 2024. In previous newsletters, I’ve explored the common underlying factors—or “roots”—that contribute to brain-related symptoms. Each root comes with its own set of symptoms and characteristics. Because children’s brains and bodies are still developing, and they lack the same degree of hormonal influences as adults, their symptoms and related psychiatric diagnoses often differ. For instance, inattention, hyperactivity, and an ADHD diagnosis can arise from various underlying imbalances. While I’ll address these common imbalances individually, it’s important to note that multiple factors can coexist. Below, I outline the most frequent imbalances I encounter in my work. It’s worth mentioning that teenagers’ symptoms tend to align more closely with those seen in adults. Each of these topics is linked to a more in-depth description if needed.
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. 
By Courtney Snyder, MD
The Zinc Link, Skin Symptoms of Common "Roots" of Brain Symptoms, Acne Treatment & Thinking Holistically. Skin conditions are frequently observed in individuals with brain-related disorders. Most discussions about this connection suggest that one condition might cause the other. For example, it is commonly believed that the stress of dealing with a skin condition can lead to depression and anxiety — a logical conclusion. Conversely, the stress of a mental health condition may elevate stress hormones or cause inflammation, resulting in skin symptoms, which also makes sense. In this podcast, I will explore the idea that skin and brain symptoms often share common underlying causes — with one key root in particular. By "brain symptoms," I mean conditions like depression, anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), brain fog, inattention, hyperactivity, mood swings, psychosis, and cognitive decline.
I will cover:
This episode aims to shed light on how these interrelated factors contribute to both skin and brain symptoms, helping you better understand the importance of identifying and addressing the common roots. 
The sun making an “i” with the lake during my afternoon walk.
By Courtney Snyder, MD
How Viewing Schizophrenia as a Single Condition Limits the Development and Recognition of Effective Treatments. “If things are not so good, you maybe want to imagine something better." John Forbes Nash, Jr. Many know John Nash, Jr. as the brilliant mathematician portrayed by Russell Crowe in the movie "A Beautiful Mind." While the film doesn’t stay true to Nash’s real story, it does effectively depict his descent into psychosis and severe chronic mental illness.
Schizophrenia affects 1 in 300 people, or about 24 million people worldwide (2.6 million in the U.S.), and remains the most treatment-resistant psychiatric condition.
In this newsletter, using Nash's story as a reference, I will discuss:
Most people with schizophrenia are not brilliant mathematicians or Nobel Laureates; many are homeless. I reference Nash's story because it is widely known and because he likely had the most common form of schizophrenia--undermethylation (shared by 70% of those with this condition). Here are my 10 insights on schizophrenia. Lunch with Dr. William Walsh - His Story, Discoveries & the Future of Nutrient-Based Psychiatry7/1/2016 
Courtney Snyder, MD
I first met Dr. Walsh in the fall of 2014, at his second physician training course here in the US. At the time, I was uncertain how useful nutrients would be in my psychiatric practice. What I learned seemed too good to be true. Upon returning home, I gradually began evaluating and treating specific nutrient imbalances in adults and children with depression, ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism and other conditions. To my repeated surprise, most patients - children and adults alike improved… significantly - some dramatically, including those whose symptoms had failed to respond to other treatments. |
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
All
Archives
October 2026
|
RSS Feed