Law Enforcement Talk: True Crime and Trauma Stories

Episode: Could This Be the Miracle Breakthrough for PTSD?

Host: John "Jay" Wiley
Guest: Dr. Eugene Lipov, MD (Co-author, The God Shot: Healing Trauma's Legacy—the Science, the Stories, the Solution)
Date: September 17, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Dr. Eugene Lipov—a medical doctor with a deeply personal history of trauma, and a pioneer in a potentially groundbreaking PTSD treatment known as the Stellate Ganglion Block, sometimes called the “God Shot.” Through candid and often moving conversation, Dr. Lipov and host John Wiley share their personal struggles with trauma and PTSD, the stigma surrounding mental injury, and explore the science, stories, and hope behind new treatments for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, especially in law enforcement, military, and first responder communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Lipov’s Journey: Trauma & Transformation

• Personal Trauma as Catalyst:
  • At age 21, Dr. Lipov was severely injured by a boat propeller while snorkeling and had a profound near-death, out-of-body experience ([10:31–13:09]).
  • Less than a year later, his mother died by suicide shortly after his medical school graduation ([14:11–15:05]).
  • These experiences deeply impacted his trajectory from surgery to pain medicine and ultimately to PTSD treatment.

Quote:

“I was hit by a propeller blade in Mexico, I almost bled to death... The next year my mother took her life. That derailed my plan to become a surgeon, which kind of ended me in anesthesia. And... that's how I came to create this treatment modality.”
—Dr. Lipov ([04:31])

2. PTSD vs. PTSI: Changing the Conversation

• Challenging Terminology:
  • Dr. Lipov advocates replacing “PTSD” (post-traumatic stress disorder) with “PTSI” (post-traumatic stress injury) to reduce stigma and reflect updated scientific understanding ([05:53–07:50]).
  • Emphasizes the injury is “visible” in brain scans, countering the “invisible wound” narrative.

Quote:

“If somebody says PTSD is invisible wound, my answer to that, it's invisible if you have the wrong scanner... you can actually see it.”
—Dr. Lipov ([07:26])

• Grassroots Advocacy:
  • Dr. Lipov encourages listeners to help by completing a brief survey at itsPTSI.com, hoping a mass movement will prompt the medical community to adopt the term ([08:10]).

3. Alcohol, Coping, and the Brain

• Both men recount turning to alcohol as a maladaptive coping tool, with host Wiley describing alcohol as “throwing gasoline on a fire” for trauma ([20:15]).
• Dr. Lipov explains the neuroscientific basis:
  • Alcohol suppresses the prefrontal cortex (“the governor”), which normally holds traumatic emotions at bay—when impaired, anxiety, depression, and nightmares intensify ([21:10–22:06]).
  • Treatment like TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) can help depression, but the brain injury component must be addressed.

4. Breaking the Silence on Suicide & Trauma

• Dr. Lipov’s mother’s suicide caused ongoing family devastation—his father and brother struggled, and friends abandoned them due to the stigma ([15:05–17:20]).
• Host Wiley shares parallel stories from his policing career, highlighting the discomfort and avoidance people feel around trauma survivors and bereaved families.

Quote:

“Everybody walks away from emotional pain... there’s still a huge stigma of suicide. Nobody wants to talk about it—even though it’s the highest rate since World War II.”
—Dr. Lipov ([17:20])

5. The God Shot—A Breakthrough for PTSD

What is the Stellate Ganglion Block (God Shot or DSR)?

• Procedure:
  • Injection to the stellate ganglion (a nerve bundle in the neck) under ultrasound, targeting the fight-or-flight sympathetic nervous system ([34:00]).
  • Blocks excess nerve growth and norepinephrine release triggered by trauma—reducing hyperarousal, anxiety, nightmares, and related symptoms.
  • The Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR) is the latest generation of the procedure.

Quote:

“I always had a feeling of doom... like a cold hand was holding my chest... Right after the procedure, I woke up, the hand was gone, the doom was gone... It was a huge change.”
—Dr. Lipov ([30:49])

• Speed and Efficacy:
  • Rapid relief: Most patients notice results within minutes to two weeks.
  • Success rates: 80–85% immediate response; 60% long-term ([36:12]).
  • Effects can last years, though re-injections may be needed after new trauma.

Who Can Benefit?

• Military, law enforcement, and civilian trauma survivors.
• Treatment is not a cure-all: Best combined with psychotherapy, meditation, and social support ([37:31]).

Quote:

“When people come in, we do DSR on both sides of the neck... for best effect, I recommend people meditate, use psychotherapy, stay away from problems. That can make it last much more.”
—Dr. Lipov ([36:28])

6. Personal Healing: From Patient to Advocate

• Dr. Lipov describes his own transformation: From denial, to realizing he needed help, through treatment and a supportive marriage ([23:29–27:12]).
• Host Wiley draws parallels, crediting their spouses for compelling them to seek help.

Quote:

“Once I realized the problem... with some not so subtle kicking from my bride, I was able to get there... It took physiology.”
—Dr. Lipov ([27:12])

7. Book and Resources

• The God Shot: Healing Trauma’s Legacy—the Science, the Stories, the Solution ([37:46]).
  • Co-authored by Dr. Lipov and Lauren, blending medical insights and storytelling.
  • Book info and contact at thegodshotbook.com.
  • Scientific articles and treatment info: druglipov.com.
  • Survey to change PTSD to PTSI: itsPTSI.com.

Notable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• On Out-of-Body Experiences:

  “It was very mystical. I didn’t see God, but I talked to a bunch of people there... it was nice... then someone said, it’s not your time.”
  —Dr. Lipov ([10:31–12:40])

• On Stigma:

  “Everybody walks away from emotional pain. Nobody wants to talk about suicide—like it doesn't exist.”
  —Dr. Lipov ([17:20])

• On the God Shot’s Impact:

  “Right after the procedure... the hand [of doom] was gone, the doom was gone. Colors looked better. I have not been that relaxed forever.”
  —Dr. Lipov ([30:49–32:13])

• On Alcohol’s Effect on Trauma Survivors:

  “Alcohol for me is like throwing gasoline on a fire. It does not work well at all.”
  —John J. Wiley ([20:15])

• On Recovery:

  “Being married to an amazing person, spirituality, having the treatment, and a great psychologist. It took all of that.”
  —Dr. Lipov ([27:12])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dr. Lipov’s Injury and Near-Death Experience: [10:31–13:09]
• Mother’s Suicide and Aftermath: [14:11–17:44]
• Stigma & Terminology Debate (PTSD/PTSI): [05:48–09:08]
• Alcohol and The Brain: [20:44–23:13]
• Seeking and Receiving Treatment: [23:29–27:12]
• Explanation and Results of The God Shot (SG Block/DSR): [30:49–36:28]
• Book, Websites, and How to Connect: [37:46–39:36]

Resources & Next Steps

• The God Shot Book: thegodshotbook.com
• Advocacy and Survey: itsPTSI.com
• Procedures, Research, and Contact: druglipov.com
• For Law Enforcement Community: letradio.com

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is deeply humane, honest, and hopeful, as both guest and host share vulnerability, dark humor, and hard-won insight. The central takeaway is that trauma is real, biological, and treatable—new breakthroughs like the Stella Ganglion Block, plus support, therapy, and destigmatizing language, offer hope for suffering first responders, veterans, and civilians alike.

“The science is catching up with what trauma survivors have always known: healing is possible—sometimes it just takes the right help, the right treatments, and the right people in your corner.”