New Book Links Bipolar Disorder to Neanderthal Survival Traits

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TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Neanderthal-Human Hybrid Is Us: Bipolar Disorder, A Behavioral Fossil, by Julia A. Sherman, PhD, presents a radical new theory linking modern human creativity to bipolar genes from Neanderthal.

Sherman draws on the work of European scientists from Herodotus to early 20th-century German psychiatrist Ernst Kretschmer, as well as modern-day researchers in Spain, such as Juan Luis Arsuaga, Greece's Antonis Bartsiokas, France's Ludovic Slimak, Germany's Svante Pääbo, and the Max Planck Institute. This is a fascinating, must-read book that revolutionizes psychiatry, offers insights into our species, and even enhances our journey into space. Sherman's revolutionary book presents the compelling EOBD-R theory (short for Evolutionary Origin of Bipolar Disorder-Revised), which attributes the genetic roots of the disorder to inherited Neanderthal traits.

Written in clear, nontechnical language for the general public, Sherman's book connects paleoanthropology, genetics, and psychology to argue that some modern humans carry Neanderthal genes responsible for cyclical behaviors—such as depression and manic episodes—that were once adaptive during Ice Age hibernation cycles.

Sherman, herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was forced to abandon psychiatric medications when they endangered her life. Fortunately, she was able to use treatments pioneered by Dr. Tom Wehr and Dr. Norman Rosenthal, formerly at the National Institute of Mental Health: bright light treatment for major, bipolar depression (a quasi-hibernation state) characteristic of seasonal affective disorder, and dark treatment for mania. Consequently, using no psychiatric drugs, she has had no mood swings for over 25 years.

Despite initial skepticism from academia, Sherman's theory has begun to generate interest among experts, with some calling it "bold." Yet she emphasizes that an interdisciplinary review by independent scientific bodies is urgently needed. "We're in the midst of a mental health crisis," Sherman warns. "We can't afford to ignore paradigm-shifting ideas." 

The Neanderthal-Human Hybrid Is Us: Bipolar Disorder, a Behavioral Fossil, is available now on Amazon.

About the Author: Julia A. Sherman, PhD, ABPP, earned her Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 1957. She has had careers in clinical practice and research (psychology of women; women and mathematics), and subsequently developed the EOBD-R theory. Her persistence and scientific rigor have led her to one of the most original theories of mental illness in decades.

For more, visit https://juliashermanwrites.com/ or https://tinyurl.com/JuliaSherman