PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Depression & Binge Eating Recovery: The Power of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for Mental Health

Dr Erin Louise Bellamy
Jun 24
3 min read

Could 'ketosis' be the missing link in mental health recovery?

For decades, psychiatric conditions like PTSD, ADHD, and binge eating disorder (BED) have been treated almost exclusively with therapy and medications. But what if these disorders also stem from something deeper, something metabolic?

In this post, we share the extraordinary story of one woman’s recovery from severe mental illness using a therapeutic ketogenic diet (Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy) and what it could mean for others struggling with similar conditions.

A Complex Psychiatric History

At 38, *'Sarah' had lived with a heavy psychiatric burden for more than half of her life:

PTSD from childhood trauma
A diagnosis of bipolar II
Binge eating and restrictive eating cycles
Depression and anxiety
Brain fog, low mood, and disabling anxiety

She had tried trauma therapy and talk therapy for years. They helped her cope, but her symptoms remained.

The Missing Link: Metabolic Health

Things changed when she learned about the metabolic roots of mental illness. Conditions like PTSD, ADHD, and BED are increasingly understood as involving energy dysregulation in the brain. A therapeutic ketogenic diet, traditionally used in those with treatment-resistant epilepsy, may correct this dysfunction by shifting the brain’s fuel source from glucose to ketones.

She was already eating an animal-based diet but wasn’t reaching therapeutic levels of ketones. She was still experiencing:

Weight gain
Acne
Brain fog
Cravings and binge urges

She then enrolled in IKRT's 'Foundations' program, 6 months of ketogenic metabolic therapy (KMT).

The Intervention: Ketones as a Therapeutic Intervention

Over 12 weeks, she followed a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb protocol, with personalised macronutrients provided by the clinician. She tracked her blood ketones and adjusted her food based on how she was feeling.

Her key strategies included:

Increasing dietary fat to achieve a 2:1 fat-to-protein ratio
Avoiding sweeteners, caffeine, and known triggers
Intermittent fasting based on ketone levels
Daily blood ketone and glucose monitoring

The Results: Full Remission in 12 Weeks

By week 12, she had achieved something remarkable:

PHQ-9 (depression measure): From 27 (severe) → 0
GAD-7 (anxiety measure): From 16 (severe) → 0
PCL-5 (measure of PTSD symptoms): From 80 (max) → 0
Binge Eating Scale: From 44 → 0
CRAVED food addiction screen: From 6/6 → resolved

She also described restored focus, self-confidence, and a return to her professional life:

“I have returned to work and started up my private practice. This was a dream for the last year that I could not realize until now.”

Setbacks and Insights

The holidays brought some setbacks, as is usual for most people. Higher carbohydrate intake, lower ketones, and a resurgence of symptoms:

“When I fall out [of ketosis] due to sugar, my symptoms return rapidly... It’s profound and devastating, as I imagine it could be if someone stopped potent medication abruptly.”

She learned to treat ketosis as a medical necessity, not a diet trend.

What Her Experience Reveals

This is more than a personal success story. It suggests a paradigm shift:

That mental illness may have a metabolic root
That food can be therapeutic, not just supportive
That tracking biomarkers may guide treatment
That medication is not the only path to remission

Where Do We Go From Here?

While this case is just one data point, it raises urgent questions:

Could KMT be a frontline treatment for conditions like PTSD or BED?
Could KMT be used preventatively?
What role does sugar addiction play in chronic mental illness?

This case makes clear: With over 100 years of research on the safety of therapeutic ketogenic diets, it's time we take Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy seriously in psychiatry and across the wider mental health field. These results cannot be ignored.

Read The Full Text Here

Bellamy, E. L., Laurent, N. (2025). Transdiagnostic remission of psychiatric comorbidity in post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, and binge-eating disorder using ketogenic metabolic therapy: a retrospective case report. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1600123

Do You Need Support Implementing Ketogenic Therapy for Your Mental Health?

If you have been using Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for some time and are not seeing improvements, then get in touch. If you are interested in trying Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy and other metabolic therapies for your mental health, then check out my programs and services here at IKRT.