In this episode, I have a conversation with Lynn (name changed), about her quest to find answers. Lynn has been given various diagnoses and has obtained her own genetic variant reports. She is unsure how her potential root causes fit together and how to move forward from a functional and holistic perspective. Lynn is not a patient and thus I am not treating her. She generously reached out to volunteer to participate in this podcast for educational purposes.

Topics mentioned in this podcast include Undermethylation, COMT & MAOA variants, Mast Cell Activation, Mold Toxicity, Trauma and the Vagus Nerve. These topics are discussed in greater detail in previous episodes and in blogposts at CourtneySnyderMD.com

In an upcoming episode, I will be sharing a conversation with Dr. Patrick Bray, a physical therapist in Louisville, KY, who specializes in treatment of the head and neck. We will discuss the impact of structural issues of the head and neck on brain related symptoms.

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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To subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— ⁠https://www.courtneysnydermd.com⁠

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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YouTube -⁠ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I have a conversation with my colleague and friend, Mary Anne Tierney, RN, MPH, an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist, about the many benefits of taking one day a week, part of a day, or even an hour, to unplug from technology.  We discuss our experience and practical ideas to work in this practice, including how to engage children and teens.   



This conversation, inspired by the Global Day of Unplugging, which begins this evening at sunset)



Mary Anne is the Executive Director of SafeTech NC, a non-profit sharing why and how to use technology safely.  She is certified as an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist with the Building Biology Institute and provides EMF coaching, assessments and mitigation through her Western NC-based company, Blue Ridge EMF Solutions. She has specialized in health behavior change for the past 30 years at the individual, community, and policy levels.



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Mentioned in this podcast:

Mary Anne, RN, MPH and her company Blue Ridge EMF Solutions -  https://www.blueridgeemfsolutions.com/

24/6 The Power of Unplugging One Day A Week by Tiffany Schlain

The Global Day of Unplugging (March3-4, 2023)  - Ideas and organized events at the Unplugged Collaborative

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Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

__________________________

To subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I share my conversation with Dirk Nielandt of Belgium.  Dirk's story is a story of empowerment, resilience and possibility - a story that anyone with a chronic health condition - autoimmune, psychiatric, cardiovascular, or cancer - can benefit from. With warmth and wisdom, Dirk shares valuable insights, tools and lifestyle changes, which appear to have halted an otherwise progressive neurological condition (primary progressive multiple sclerosis).  And, he shares the unexpected gifts and meaning that he continues to discover on his journey.

Resources reference:

"The Wahls Protocol," by Terry Wahls, MD

Gabor Mate, MD, who has written numerous books

"Radical Remission"  "Radical Hope," by Kelly A. Turner, PhD 

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Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

__________________________

To subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

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Too much neurotransmitter activity can cause nervousness, irritability, insomnia and in some cases mania and psychosis.  This can also contribute to pain symptoms, headaches, and increased blood pressure and heart rate.   One root cause is an inability to effectively break down neurotransmitters. Two genes involved in this process are the COMT and MAO genes.  COMT is also involved in the metabolism of estrogen.  If they are "slow," we can struggle with symptoms of high neurotransmitter activity, low stress tolerance and in the case of COMT, high estrogen symptoms.

In this podcast, I'll discuss the many factors that impact the expression of these variants, how these can be identified and how this information can impact treatment.

In the previous episode, I discussed Overmethylation - an understanding that comes out of the work of Dr. William Walsh, PhD and the Walsh Research Institute. 

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

"Your Genius Body: A guide for Optimizing Your Genes & Changing Your Life," By Dr. Andrew Rostenberg, DC

"Dirty Genes: A Breakthrough Program to Treat the Root Cause of Illness and Optimize Your Health" by Dr. Ben Lynch, ND

Methylation and Brain Health (With a Focus on Undermethylation) - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/t5ekklAMrub

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Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

__________________________

To subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in the brain that allow brain cells to communicate with one another.  Too much neurotransmission can cause nervousness, irritability, insomnia and in some cases mania and psychosis.  After briefly discussing a simplified version of how neurotransmitters work, I'll comment on serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and what symptoms they are associated with.  I'll focus on overmethylation - one example of how this excessive firing of nerve cells can happen.

In the next episode, I'll discuss genetic variants involving COMT and MAOA and other situations in which neurotransmitter activity can be increased.  For each, I'll talk about symptoms, how these can be differentiated, testing and treatment.

Episodes mentioned:

Nutrient Based Psychiatry - Dr. William Walsh - His Story & Discoveries - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/mb5LggAMrub

Methylation and Brain Health (With a Focus on Undermethylation) - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/t5ekklAMrub

To subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I'll talk about how we can still our mind and body in the middle of an acute stress response. Lowering stress is a powerful way to reduce inflammation. I'll discuss tools to lower our stress response and what we can learn from athletes and performers.

Topics included in this episode:

03:00 What is a trigger? Identifying emotional triggers and understanding the stress response.

08:46 How to interrupt the stress response.

09:31 Managing stress that is anticipated (public speaking, performance, competition, etc)

13:16 Tools to calm the body and nervous system when we are unexpectedly triggered

23:44 Daily practices that can help lower the threshold for going into a physiologic stress response.

Subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/courtneysnydermd/

Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I discuss the many body and brain symptoms that can occur as a result of mast cell activation, and what can be done to address these symptoms.

Included in this episode:

01:33 Quote by Darwin, who seems to have had Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

04:56 Triggers and symptoms of mast cell activation can vary from person to person and episode to episode.

11:52 Symptoms can be psychological and physiological.

14:15 The day to day experience of living with mast cell activation.

19:31 The importance of understanding why someone is having mast cell activation.

23:05 Treatment tools.

To read more on this topic - Mast Cell Activation & Inflammation in Brain Disorders - How to Calm Things Down - https://www.courtneysnydermd.com/blog/mast-cell-activation-inflammation-in-brain-disorders-how-to-calm-things-down

Subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

Inflammation is a contributing factor in most brain-related symptoms. In this episode I'll talk about how inflammation occurs, what causes this and what symptoms can look like in both the body and the brain. I'll discuss Charles Darwin, who appeared to have both physical ailments and brain-related symptoms.

Included in this episode:

01:15  Definitions

05:15  Case example: Charles Darwin

14:47  Inflammation at the cellular level

19:04  The impacts of mast cells

22:32  The role of the hormonal stress response

Subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I discuss what can be one of our greatest challenges or one of our superpowers - our ability to recognize and express our feelings. I’ll discuss why we have feelings, how they relate to survival and connection, and the reasons we differ in our emotional awareness. I’ll also discuss the consequences of repressed negative emotions and strategies to invite, make use of and release those feelings.

Topics included in this episode:

  02:25  Why this topic?

  03:51  What are feelings?

  12:14  Why we vary in our ability to express/experience our emotions.

  17:11   How we know if we are repressing our feelings and what happens when we do so.

  26:37  How to make the best use of our feelings.

Subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

Please consider rating or reviewing, liking or commenting, if you'd like to help me get this information out into the world. You can engage at:

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Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/holistic_psychiatry/?hl=enI

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

In the first episode of this three part series on Mold Toxicity, I discussed how mold toxins get into the body and what symptoms they can cause. The second episode focused on diagnosis and treatment of mold toxicity in the body. In this episode, I discuss an essential part of treatment -  addressing exposure.  

Topics covered in this episode include:

00:52  Testing options for mold in our indoor environments.

06:58  Reasons not to rely on air sampling alone.

08:51  Mold remediation - the removal of a mold source.

11:33  Considerations for contents of the home.

13:53  Common mistakes and misconceptions.

20:08  Addressing mold with a healthy mindset.

Just as there is not complete agreement on testing, there is also not complete agreement on remediation (including contents). Nonetheless, I think this "Cleanup Guide", by Dr. Jill Carnahan, is a good place to start.  https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2018/06/12/your-definitive-mold-clean-up-guide/

Subscribe to my newsletter (or learn more about root causes to brain symptoms)— https://www.courtneysnydermd.com

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JF5homBrN3D38OEZlzxig

__________________________

Medical Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe