New Book Proposes Groundbreaking Link Between Neanderthal Genes and Bipolar Disorder

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A revolutionary theory that traces bipolar disorder to our Neanderthal ancestors is the subject of a provocative new book by psychologist and researcher Julia A. Sherman, PhD. Titled The Neanderthal-Human Hybrid is Us: Bipolar Disorder, A Behavioral Fossil, the 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 connects the dots between 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.

An estimated 4.4% of U.S. adults – or 11,365,000 Americans -- experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Sherman, herself diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was forced to abandon psychiatric medications when they endangered her life. Fortunately, she was able to use the treatments pioneered by Dr. Tom Wehr and Dr. Norman Rosenthal of NIMH: bright light treatment for the major depression (a quasi-hibernation state) 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."

Above all, this is an interesting book, better than scientific fiction because it is imagination in the service of fact.

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

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

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.

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SOURCE Julia Sherman