Overview
On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m rejoined by psychiatrist and Harvard professor Dr. Chris Palmer for a conversation that challenges how we’ve been taught to think about mental illness.
For decades, psychiatry has focused on managing symptoms—often without asking what’s actually driving them. We discuss a different way of understanding mental health, one that looks beyond diagnostic labels and considers how whole-body biology influences brain function, resilience, and recovery.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why mental illness is rising alongside obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases
How whole-body biology shapes mood, focus, and emotional resilience
The link between inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and conditions like depression and bipolar disorder
How nutrition, testing, and lifestyle changes can support real recovery
If mental health has ever felt close to home for you or someone you care about, this conversation is meant to offer clarity, compassion, and a place to start.
This episode was recorded live at the Eudēmonia Summit, a conference exploring the future of health, longevity, and well-being. Learn more at eudemonia.net.
Transcript
Automatically generated. Please forgive any typos or errors in the following transcript. It was generated by a third party and has not been subsequently reviewed by our team.
Dr. Chris Palmer
In any given year, approximately one billion people are diagnosed with a mental illness. That represents about thirteen percent of the world’s population. In Western countries, the rates are higher. One in two people will meet criteria for a mental illness at some point during their life. Mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disease burden and disability worldwide.
At the same time that the rates of obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing, chronic diseases are skyrocketing, the rates of mental disorders are also skyrocketing. I point that out as it should not be considered a coincidence and yet most people in our field don’t think about it that way. I think that at the same time that people’s physical health is getting worse, their brains are..
Want to read the full transcript for free?
Enter your name and email to sign up for our newsletter and unlock the transcript