For decades, we've treated post-traumatic stress as a mental health issue - an invisible disorder rooted in psychology.
But what if we've been looking in the wrong place all along?
According to Dr. Eugene Lipov and Jamie Mustard, authors of The Invisible Machine, PTSD is not a disorder at all.
It's a physical injury. And it's time we started treating it that way.
From Disorder to Injury
In their groundbreaking book, Lipov and Mustard argue for a fundamental reclassification: PTSD should be renamed PTSI (Post-Traumatic Stress Injury).
Why? Because trauma causes measurable biological changes in the body, specifically in the nervous system. This isn’t just emotional pain or psychological disturbance. It’s a neurological injury.
Central to their thesis is the concept of the sympathetic nervous system. AKA the body's fight-or-flight engine.
When trauma strikes, it can cause this system to become overactivated, like a machine stuck in "on" mode. Lipov calls it "the invisible machine."
The Biological Feedback Loop of Trauma
When the sympathetic nervous system is triggered and stays activated, it forms a feedback loop with the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for detecting threats.
This results in chronic anxiety, insomnia, anger, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness.
Even when the original trauma is long gone, the body stays on high alert. The nervous system has been rewired.
And that wiring can be seen on brain scans and measured via elevated levels of stress chemicals like norepinephrine.
A Medical Reset: Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR)
Here’s where things get hopeful.
Dr. Lipov developed a treatment called Dual Sympathetic Reset (DSR). It's a refined version of a century-old nerve block known as the stellate ganglion block (SGB).
The procedure involves two injections of local anesthetic into nerve clusters in the neck (C3 and C6 vertebrae).
This simple, outpatient procedure effectively resets the sympathetic nervous system, pruning back excess nerve growth caused by trauma, lowering norepinephrine levels, and calming the amygdala.
In many cases, symptoms of PTSI vanish within minutes or hours. Clinical trials suggest an 80-85% success rate, often with long-lasting relief.
DSR doesn’t mask symptoms. It targets the biological root.
Can You Get Similar Effects Naturally?
While DSR is powerful and fast, it’s also expensive. But there are also natural ways to begin resetting an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
These methods may not offer the same precision or speed, but they can help support healing and long-term nervous system regulation.
1. Breathwork & Cold Exposure
Slow nasal breathing, vagus-nerve-stimulating techniques like humming or chanting, and cold exposure (like face-dunking or cold showers) all activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the counterpart to fight-or-flight.
2. Somatic Practices
Yoga nidra, trauma-informed movement, and somatic experiencing work with the body to gently release stuck tension and stored survival energy.
3. Functional Mushrooms & Adaptogens
Lion’s Mane mushroom, for example, increases Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in a regenerative, balanced way - supporting healing rather than overactivation. L-theanine and reishi can also help calm the HPA axis and reduce anxiety.
4. Circadian Rhythm & Sleep Optimisation
Morning sunlight, consistent sleep patterns, and screen reduction at night regulate cortisol and support a calm baseline.
5. Trauma-Focused Therapy
Approaches like EMDR, IFS, or somatic therapy can also be very effective at calming the sympathetic nervous system.
The Bigger Picture
Science is proving that the mind and body are not separate. Mental health is physical health.
If we begin to recognise conditions like trauma as physical injuries too, not just a mental state, we open the door to more compassionate and effective treatment.
This is a new and empowering perspective shift that is happening in our understanding of health.
PTSD is PTSI. And it doesn’t mean you are broken. It means your nervous system is out of alignment. And that you have to power to reset it.
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