GUEST: Mary Lowe Mayhugh  #doctor

In this episode of "Brain, Hope, Reality," Dr. Eugene Lipov and special guest Jess Rabon explore the themes of death, dying, and healing through humor, all set against the vibrant backdrop of Día de los Muertos. Broadcasting from Mexico, they discuss personal experiences with trauma, the role of humor in therapy, and how cultural celebrations like Día de los Muertos can offer a positive perspective on mortality. Join them for an insightful conversation that blends cultural appreciation with practical advice on navigating life's toughest moments.

In this episode of Brain Hope Reality, Dr. Eugene Lipov sits down with Tom Davies, host of the "Proper Mental" podcast, to explore the depths of mental health challenges and the journey to overcoming them. Tom shares his personal experiences with anxiety and depression, offering insights into the transformative power of self-compassion, education, and curiosity. Together, they discuss practical strategies for managing mental health, the importance of understanding one's own experiences, and the role of humor and resilience in healing.

In this insightful episode, host Dr. Eugene Lipov welcomes special guest Sara Jahnke to discuss the intricate dynamics of PTSD and its impact on families. Dr. Lipov shares his personal journey from a childhood affected by his father's PTSD to his career in medicine, while Sara Jahnke provides her perspective on the psychological aspects and the importance of understanding secondary PTSD. Together, they explore the resilience required to overcome personal and professional challenges, offering listeners a profound look into the human experience and the unexpected paths life can take.

Sometimes healing doesn’t look like a long, complicated journey — sometimes it happens in a moment you never forget.

In this episode of Brain Hope Reality, Michelle shares the story no parent ever imagines having to tell. For years, her daughter lived locked in fight-or-flight after an assault. They tried everything—therapy, medications, alternative treatments, endless searching for something that could give her even one breath of peace. Nothing truly shifted.

Until Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR SGB).

Michelle describes watching the change happen right in front of her eyes.
Her daughter’s breathing softened… her shoulders dropped… and it was as if her body finally received the message her mind had been waiting for all these years:

You’re safe now.

For the first time in years, she slept through the night.
Her panic eased.
Her laughter returned.
Not because it was a “quick fix,” but because her nervous system finally remembered how to rest and heal.

After witnessing that transformation, Michelle chose to undergo DSR herself — not just as a mother, but as someone who also deserved that same peace in her own body.

With 81% of patients experiencing meaningful relief, DSR isn’t an alternative approach — it’s advanced neuroscience changing lives.

If your body still feels stuck in survival mode no matter how much work you’ve done… if you’ve “tried everything” but still feel constantly “on”… this might be the piece that’s been missing.

And if you want to hear what the procedure and recovery were truly like for their family — Michelle shares it all in this episode.

Tune in. Feel seen. Hold onto hope.

Birth doula Ahna Mikl joins Dr. Lipov to share how trauma shows up in the female body — and how SGB may offer a new path to healing, fertility, and nervous system repair.

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In this deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Eugene Lipov speaks with birth doula and regenerative health practitioner Ahna Mikl, who shares her own healing journey—and the profound impact of the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) in unlocking long-held trauma stored in the body. Together, they explore nervous system dysregulation, infertility, painful menstrual cycles, and how unresolved trauma can affect everything from digestion to sexual health to generational wellbeing.

Ahna offers intimate reflections on postpartum depression, orgasms as healing, and the need to center maternal health in conversations about collective wellness. Dr. Lipov responds with accessible science, linking PTSD and sympathetic nervous system overdrive to infertility, IBS, vaginismus, and disrupted bonding.

This episode lays the groundwork for an emerging collaboration between Ahna and Dr. Lipov to bring the benefits of SGB to women suffering from postpartum depression—offering hope, connection, and a reminder that healing is possible.

Marine veteran and retired officer Juan Perez joins Dr. Lipov to talk identity, chaos, and why PTSD isn’t a life sentence — it’s an injury with a path to healing.

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In this raw and revealing episode of Brain Hope Reality, Dr. Eugene Lipov sits down with Juan Perez, a Marine Corps veteran and retired Chicago police officer better known as JP, The Veteran Coach. A combat veteran of Afghanistan and former scout sniper, JP opens up about the long arc of trauma in his life—how military culture taught him to suppress pain, how years in law enforcement kept him in survival mode, and how admitting he had PTSD felt like admitting defeat. Together, he and Dr. Lipov unravel the damaging narrative that PTSD is a life sentence, instead presenting it as a biological injury that’s both measurable and treatable.

JP shares his experience receiving a stellate ganglion block (SGB) as part of his journey toward healing, reflecting on the immediate sense of calm he felt and the possibilities it opens for veterans still suffering in silence. Dr. Lipov details the science behind SGB and the fight to change the name from PTSD to PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury)—not just for accuracy, but to save lives by reducing stigma. Their conversation ranges from chaos addiction and secondary PTSD to the physiology of trauma, aging, and norepinephrine overload. With clarity, conviction, and mutual respect, the episode is a rallying cry for change, a dose of science-backed hope, and a powerful reminder that trauma may be part of your story—but it doesn’t have to define your future.

Dr. Lipov and bestselling author Lauren Ungeldi discuss storytelling, neuroscience, and why hope — not stigma — should define how we talk about trauma.

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In this inspiring episode of Brain Hope Reality, Dr. Eugene Lipov welcomes Lauren Ungeldi — 10x bestselling author and Lipov's co-writer of the soon-to-be-released The God Shot — for a lively discussion about writing, healing, and the science of storytelling. Known for her work with global leaders and elite military veterans, Ungeldi brings a unique perspective to the conversation, rooted in human triumph and emotional truth. Together, they reflect on their collaboration for the upcoming Brain Hope Reality book, which aims to make neuroscience and trauma recovery both approachable and empowering for everyday readers.

Ungeldi shares insights from her past work with subjects like Bibi Aisha (the Afghan woman once featured on the cover of TIME) and former Delta Force operators, touching on identity, chaos addiction, and the ripple effects of trauma. Dr. Lipov explains the biological reality of PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury), the importance of changing the name from PTSD, and how modalities like Stellate Ganglion Block can reverse the physiological damage caused by trauma. The two speak candidly about inter-generational wounds, the science of hope, and how metaphor, humor, and visual storytelling can help make the invisible visible. At its core, the episode—and the forthcoming book—is a declaration: trauma is real, healing is possible, and you are not alone.

Functional medicine nutritionist Rachel Scheer joins Dr. Lipov to explore trauma, gut health, and the surprising science linking mental health to the microbiome.

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In this science-rich episode of Brain Hope Reality, Dr. Eugene Lipov sits down with Rachel Scheer, a functional medicine nutritionist, public speaker, and founder of Rachel Scheer Nutrition. A former competitive bodybuilder, Scheer shares how her personal health crisis — including chronic gut issues, hormone imbalance, and years of misdiagnosis — led her to reframe healing from the inside out. Their conversation explores the connections between trauma, sympathetic nervous system activation, and gut dysfunction, with a shared belief that mental health is deeply biological and profoundly treatable.

Scheer introduces the emerging field of psychobiotics — specific probiotics and microbial strains that can improve mood, sleep, anxiety, and even PTSD symptoms via the gut-brain axis. The two discuss candidiasis, SIBO, leaky gut, and how low-diversity gut flora can impair vagal tone and emotional resilience. As someone who’s both a patient and a practitioner, Scheer reflects on the healing power of integration — pairing nervous system regulation (like Dr. Lipov’s stellate ganglion block treatment) with gut-targeted protocols and root-cause nutrition. With clarity and conviction, this episode offers a new framework for recovery: one that respects physiology, empowers patients, and invites collaboration across medical disciplines.

Dr. Lipov sits down with world-record athlete and entrepreneur Stefi Cohen to talk trauma, treatment, and what it really takes to rewire the brain—and the system.

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In this high-impact episode of Brain Hope Reality, Dr. Eugene Lipov is joined by powerhouse guest Dr. Stefi Cohen—a world-record-holding strength athlete, physical therapist, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Together, they discuss the physiological roots of trauma, the limitations of traditional mental health frameworks, and the urgent need for new tools, language, and transparency in treatment. Dr. Cohen shares her personal experience living with anxiety and panic attacks from a young age—and how years of talk therapy and medications often failed to address the biological drivers of her symptoms.

The conversation dives deep into the neuroscience of PTSD and what it would mean to reframe the diagnosis as an injury (PTSI) rather than a disorder. Dr. Lipov outlines the physiology behind stellate ganglion block (SGB) as a treatment, the flawed resistance within the medical establishment, and the tragic consequences of stigma. Cohen offers a patient’s perspective, sharing her initial skepticism and eventual sense of serenity after undergoing SGB herself. Equal parts clinical and candid, this episode is a compelling argument for bridging science, patient experience, and policy reform—with courage, curiosity, and a lot less pharmaceutical noise.