When I began writing Brain Energy, some people recommended that I make it a simple self-help book as opposed to a more rigorous science book because simple messages are easier to sell and many publishers aren’t interested in science books. I want to thank my publisher, BenBella, and in particular Leah Wilson and Alexa Stevenson, for believing in me and this book and for recognizing that people are, in fact, interested in science and complexity, especially when it has the potential to transform a field and improve people’s lives.
To my editor, Alexa Stevenson, thank you for your keen insights, honest feedback, and for encouraging me to include more science and evidence, not less. Your initial “healthy skepticism” of the brain energy theory pushed me to write an immensely better book.
To my literary agent, Linda Konner, thank you for your fierce representation of this work. I knew you were tough when I met you, but seeing you in action took it to a whole new level.
To the entire team at BenBella, thank you for your creativity, attention to detail, adherence to timelines, and everything else that goes into producing an amazing book.
To my early reviewers—Karen Weintraub, Anne Rauch, Julianne Torrence, Amy Yuhasz, and my brother, David Palmer—your encouragement and critiques of early drafts gave me the energy and confidence to keep writing.
Finally, to all the patients I’ve worked with over the past 31 years (I’m including medical school in these years), every single one of you helped me write this book, because I learned something about mental illness and the human condition from each of you. Thank you for the honor and privilege of being your psychiatrist. Thanks to the ones who were willing to try my “metabolic treatments,” and especially those willing to share their stories in this book or appear publicly with me in presentations, on television, and on national radio. To the ones who never got better under my care despite trying treatment after treatment, I want to apologize on behalf of myself and my profession. It was you who taught me to question and challenge my own work and the mental health field, and to not accept the unacceptable paradigm. You inspired me to ponder endlessly about neuroscience, physiology, and human existence. You forced me to look for better answers. My greatest hope is that this book might represent the beginning of those answers.