The Truth About ADHD in Adults: Harvard’s Dr. Chris Palmer Explains the Research

Have a hard time staying focused?

Do you start projects and never finish them?

Are you frustrated with your hyperactive brain?

Your brain simply needs help, and today you’re going to learn exactly what to do about it, thanks to the expert advice of today’s guest Dr. Chris Palmer.

Dr. Palmer is a psychiatrist who has practiced at Harvard’s McLean Hospital, the #1 psychiatric hospital in the nation, for almost 30 years. He is also the Founder and Director of the recently launched Metabolic & Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital.

In this episode, you’ll also learn:

• What ADHD really is.
• The simple (and sneaky) signs of ADHD.
• What your doctor will be looking for to diagnose your ADHD.
• What ADHD meds actually do in the brain.
• How a person on the autism spectrum could improve their symptoms.
• What to look at before jumping to medication.
• How an elimination diet works and why you should try it.
• The specific types of exercise your brain needs to get you out of a funk.
• What you need to stop doing to make your brain healthier.

To listen to Dr. Palmer's first appearance on The Mel Robbins Podcast, check out the episode right before this one, Reset Your Mental Health: The Diet & Nutrition Protocol from Renowned Harvard MD

For more resources, including links to Dr. Palmer's work, studies, and tips to implement everything you learn, click here for the podcast resources page.

Listen to the episode about Mel’s deeply personal story of her own diagnosis of ADHD: 6 Surprising Signs of Adult ADHD

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In this episode, you'll learn:

• 7:13: The #1 message you need to hear today and every day.
• 8:50: What is ADHD and what are the signs I should look for?
• 12:10: What’s going on in your brain with ADHD?
• 17:30: What does it look like when you go to your doctor for ADHD?
• 21:00: Wait. Food, sleep, and exercise impact ADHD?
• 23:40: What do ADHD meds actually do in the brain?
• 26:30: The parent guilt is real when your kid has ADHD.
• 31:30: Can a person on the autism spectrum see improvements?
• 36:40: How is it possible to improve your ADHD symptoms?
• 37:50: The one question to ask yourself BEFORE you try to change.
• 44:00: What are the research-backed treatments for mental disorders?
• 47:20: Before jumping to medication, consider first-line assessment.
• 50:30 The connection between food and your mental health.
• 53:00: How an elimination diet may be the answer to better focus.
• 55:00: How long do you need to be on an elimination diet?
• 58:15: Why you have to get your butt to the gym for resistance training.
• 59:30: Examples of Zone 2 Cardio to improve your cellular health.
• 1:00:30: Consider eliminating these substances for good.
• 1:01:00: Dr. Palmer’s incredibly hopeful message.
• 1:06:05: The bloopers you love!

Resources and go deeper:

• Listen to the episode Mel refers to: 6 Surprising Signs of Adult ADHD
• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise & The Brain, John Ratey
• Current Diabetes Reports: ADHD and comorbidities
• Eur. Child Adolescent Psychiatry: Gut microbiota in children with ADHD
• Microbiome: Gut microbiota from people with ADHD change mice brains
• Functional Foods in Health & Disease: Metabolic correction for ADHD
• The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies: mentioned by Dr. Palmer
• Biochemical/Biophysical Research: Mitochondria in metabolism and cell death
• Cell: The evolving role of mitochondria in metabolism
• JCO Oncology: Is mitochondrial metabolism a new predictive biomarker?
• Johns Hopkins Medicine: Amount of mitochondrial DNA predicts mortality
• Current Opinion in Psychiatry: Ketogenic diet for schizophrenia
• Schizophrenia Research: Ketogenic diet and remission in schizophrenia
• Nutrition & Metabolism: Schizophrenia, gluten, & low-carb ketogenic diets
• Neurocase: The ketogenic diet for type II bipolar disorder
• Int. Journal of Bipolar Disorders: Metabolic profile in patients newly diagnosed
• NE Journal of Medicine: Low-carb vs. low-fat diet in severe obesity
• Epilepsia: Ketogenic diet exhibits anti-inflammatory properties
• Cell Metabolism: A ketogenic diet exhibits longevity in adult mice
• Epilepsia: Intermittent vs. continuous ketogenic diet
• Cannabis Cannabinoid Research: Cannibidiol impairs brain metabolism
• HHS Author Manuscripts: The metabolic basis of epilepsy
• J. Proteome Research: Metabolic framework for the improvement of ASD
• Journal of Clinical Investigation: Enhanced metabolism on multiple sclerosis
• Epilepsia: Comorbid epilepsy in autism spectrum disorder
• Autism Research: Genetic modifications associated with ketogenic diet
• Frontiers in Pharmacology: The ketogenic diet as a treatment paradigm
• Frontiers in Pharmacology: Ketogenic diets: an update for child neurologists
• Int. Journal of Molecular Sciences: Links between metabolic disorders and IBS
• Translational Autoimmunity: Autoimmune diseases and metabolic disorders
• Toxicological Sciences: Metabolic syndrome and associated diseases
• Neurological Review: Metabolic disorder in Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia
• Nature Reviews Endocrinology: Roles of life stress in metabolic disorders
• Frontiers in Public Health: Impact of education and age in metabolic disorders
• Cell Research: Mitochondrial metabolism and cancer