There is a growing interest in metabolic psychiatry
– Hannah Warren once believed she would forever miss the electrifying highs of bipolar hypomania and mania. In a personal essay for Metabolic Mind, she describes nights of racing thoughts, vivid colors and powerful inspiration that felt like magic. But those highs, she admits, came with devastating crashes—hospitalizations, broken relationships and deep depression.
Warren credits Dr. Christopher Palmer’s book Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness for reshaping her understanding of bipolar disorder. The book argues that many psychiatric conditions may stem from metabolic dysfunction in the brain. His work gave her a scientific framework for understanding what she lived through, she said, adding that it inspired her to try metabolic therapies instead of relying only on traditional medication.
She says that while mood stabilizers and antipsychotics can control mania and hypomania, their side effects—weight gain, fatigue and emotional flatness can leave one feeling disconnected from creative spark.
Over the past three years, she says she has maintained remission through a medically supervised ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, exercise, meditation and sleep regulation. The approach, informed by Brain Energy, allows her to tap into creativity without risking a manic spiral. This energy is gentler and more sustainable, Warren says.
Her reflections touch on a common dilemma for people with bipolar disorder: balancing symptom control with preserving identity and passion. Hypomania’s bursts of productivity and joy are seductive, but Warren now believes stability offers something better—consistency and safety. Does she miss mania? Not anymore, she says.
Metabolic psychiatry remains experimental, and experts caution that more clinical trials are needed. Still, Warren’s account highlights a growing interest in exploring nutrition and metabolism as part of mental health care. For her, the trade-off is clear: the steadiness she once feared would feel dull has become the foundation of a meaningful life.
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Editor’s note: I am very interested in this personal account of mania and the metabolic treatment she suggests. I am currently under a psychiatrist’s care and taking 300mg of Lamotrigine daily each night, as recommended. I have lived a low-carbohydrate diet for over a decade, with periods of ketosis. I found it difficult to eliminate or reduce daily carbs below 20g. I understand the Brain Energy theory and I’d like to try it. In the meanwhile, I will follow my current regime of Lamotrigine until my doctor says it is OK to reduce it.
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