709176 The Immune Mind Paperback by Monty Lyman

We are on the cusp of a mental health revolution. Although the brain and the body have always been treated as separate entities - in separate hospitals - the science now says that isn't the case. Inflammation - illness or infection in the body - can be linked to illnesses of the mind such as depression, dementia or psychosis.The truth now being discovered is that our body's immune system can access our brain and directly alter our mental health. Conversely, a stressed mind wreaks havoc on the body through the immune system. It means that drugs designed to treat arthritis have been found to treat depression. Drugs that target the immune system may provide a treatment for dementia. Incredibly, low-grade gum inflammation reduced by regular brushing can reduce brain inflammation, and thereby reduce the risk of dementia. And infections in childhood can produce life-long inflammation which leads to neurological and psychiatric disorders such as tics and OCD.In The Immune Mind , Dr Monty Lyman explores the extraordinary connection between our immune system and the mind. An expert in this new, revolutionary field of immunopsychiatry, he argues that this rapidly growing discipline will change the way we treat disease and the way we see ourselves. Taking a deep dive into the most current studies and interweaving his own original research and fascinating case studies, he reveals the dawn of a new approach to medicine that, finally, treats the whole human being.