Mental Illness Isn’t Just in the Brain

Mental illness may look like a brain problem, but it can start as a body-and-energy problem. In this episode of Too Curious MDs, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Sophie Kwass join us to talk about metabolic psychiatry: how insulin resistance, mitochondrial function, and brain energy can shape conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and psychosis, and why a ketogenic approach can change outcomes when traditional care only stabilizes.Learn more about Accord at accordmh.comWhat’s one unasked or curious question from your own story, your healing journey, or your exploration of the science of anxiety, ketamine, or psychedelics?Post it in the comments—your curiosity might just spark our next episode of Too Curious MDs.Dr. Matthew Bernstein is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist with training at UCSF and over 25 years in clinical practice. His work focuses on metabolic and integrative approaches to serious mental illness, including ketogenic therapy and lifestyle-based interventions aimed at improving brain energy, functioning, and long-term outcomes.Sophie Kwass is a clinical social worker and the program director at Accord, with experience in inpatient psychiatric care and specialized work in bipolar and psychotic disorders. She supports clients through immersive metabolic psychiatry treatment by combining education, therapeutic support, and practical skill-building, helping individuals sustain nutrition and lifestyle changes while rebuilding connection, community, and purpose.Website: accordmh.comInstagram: instagram.com/accordmh/Facebook: facebook.com/accordmhLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/accordmh/Dr. Alya Ahmad, MD, FAAPLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alya-ahmad-md-0601b190/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/shamynds/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/shamynds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shamynds.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Suraiya Simi Rahman, MD, FAAP Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://palamedicine.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/suraiya-rahman-palamedicine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pala_medicine/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/palamedicine.pasadena/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Too Curious MDs Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/toocuriousmds?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TooCuriousMDs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Produced by DrTalks:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/⁠