This Is Actually Happening

A young woman on a backpacking trip in Bali faces a series of misfortunes, but just as she’s leaving for the next chapter of her journey, her future is thrown into darkness. Today’s episode featured Ashley King. If you’d like to reach out to her, you can email at ashleyjenniferk@gmail.com, or find her on Instagram @ashkng.Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings: poisoning, medical trauma, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: Jasonblalock.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Shop at the

A young man looking for a quick way to get rid of student loan debt gambles with his life and nearly pays the ultimate price.Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.Producer: Whit MissildineSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningShop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: www.actuallyhappeningstore.com to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.comContent/Trigger Warnings: drugs, near death, explicit languageIntro Music: ""Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed:&

A woman with severe harm OCD encounters the many faces of death and dying but finds renewal in caring for others and ultimately herself.Today's episode featured Rachel. You can find out more about her on Facebook at fb.com/RachelHillestad. Content/Trigger Warnings: homicidal thoughts, harm OCD, death, sexual assault, mention ofsuicide, suicidal thoughts, explicit languageProducers: Whit Missildine Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at https://wondery.com/plus Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/ Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happenin

After tragedy strikes a Vietnamese refugee family, a young man finds his new home in a violent gang, forever marking his life path through acts of destruction and redemption.Today’s episode featured Quan Huynh. You can read more about Quan’s story in his memoir, Sparrow in the Razorwire - www.sparrowintherazorwire.com. You can also find out more about Quan andhis current work at www.quanxhuynh.com and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @quanxhuynhListen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.Producer: Whit MissildineSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningShop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this li

Growing up in a broken home with a loving mother, a woman faces disturbing and routine abuse from her brother, but after it escalates, and the unthinkable happens, the terror never ends. Today's episode featured Amy Chesler. To find out more about her and her story, you can find her book on Working for Justice on Amazon. Amy also has her own podcast, What Came Next, which chronicles in greater depth her experiences with the criminal justice system and the media, as well as other firsthand accounts from survivors and advocates throughout history. You can also find her on Instagram @amybchesler, and on her website amybchesler.com.Working for Justice: https://amzn.to/483m9Ut Amy's Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/amybcheslerWhat Came Next on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/whatcamenext_podcastWhat Came Next on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-came-next/id1674051643Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happeni

A woman experiences a childhood trauma, facing silence and betrayal in the aftermath, but a when unexpected tragedy comes, the answers begin slipping out of reach. Today’s guest requested to remain anonymous, but if you’d like to reach out, you can email her at dotisallin@gmail.comProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Sara MarinelliContent/Trigger Warnings: sexual assault of a minor, alcohol and drug abuse, addition, suicide, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Sara Marinelli: saramarinelli.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This

Growing up with a solid Midwestern childhood, and man discovers the wonders of the Hawaiian ocean, when one day a terrifying encounter changes everything. Today’s episode featured Harvey Miller. You can find out more about Harvey on Instagram @mrsharkb8, on TikTok @harveymiller26, or you can contact him over email at mr.sharkb8@gmail.comProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings: death, car accident, near-death, shark attack, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus&n

After falling into a co-dependent relationship, a woman’s boyfriend begins a bewildering decline, but after losing his battle, she awakens to a deeper understanding of grief, death and generational patterns of trauma and silence.Today’s episode featured Amanda Coggin. If you’d like to reach out, you can email her at spiritualinthebay@gmail.com. Amanda has also compiled a list of resources for mental wellness, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma and resilience.This episode is an updated interview of episode #1 of the show. That episode is available on the public feed as episode #1 also titled, “What if your boyfriend lit himself on fire?”Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings: sexual assault of a minor, alcohol and drug abuse, addition, suicide, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: www.jasonblalock

Growing up with a controlling and mentally abusive mother, a woman suffers from a severe eating disorder that leaves her hopeless, until she discovers Medical Assistance in Dying, a program in Canada whereby people can receive assistance from a medical practitioner to voluntarily end their life.Today’s episode featured Agata. If you’d like to reach out to her, you can email at amgawron@shaw.caAgata's story came to us by way of Todd Rennebohm. Agata was originally featured on Todd's podcast, Bunny Hugs and Mental health, which focuses on conversations with survivors, professionals and families of those who have lost someone to mental illness and addictions. So please check out Bunny Hugs and Mental Health, and a special thanks to Todd for referring today's guest.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings: childhood medical trauma, sexual assault, parental abuse, severe eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, suicide attempt, discussion of suicide, death and dying, explic

Navigating a chaotic upbringing, a man finds his path through sports, military and grueling police work, but as the scars from Iraq, the domestic violence unit, and corrupt police politics mount, he pursues a dark reckoning to try to recover his humanity.  Today’s guest requested to remain anonymous, but if you’d like to contact him, you can email at T21439@proton.meProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, alcoholism, police brutality, war, graphic violence, child endangerment, graphic bodily injury, de-gloving, burn victim, near death experience, drug use, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: https://www.avivalipkowitz.com/Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part o

Finally emerging from her critical and violent home life, a teenager suffers a freak electrocution from a downed power line, sending unexpected shockwaves through her and her family. Today’s episode featured Ann Kronlage. You can find out more about Ann on Instagram @annclairekronlage, or you can contact her over email at annclairekronlage@gmail.com. Ann also wrote a memoir about her experiences and shares more about her life after in her book: More Than Skin Deep, which you can find on Amazon www.amazon.com/More-Than-Skin-Deep-Memoir-ebook/dp/B09P22D5YL. Ann also ask that we include a psa video about what happened to her and how to prevent it from happening to anybody else. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/fLVzvMTgGDYProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew WaitsContent/Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, gun violence, graphic bodily injury, medical trauma, electrocution, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhap

Bullied from a young age, a woman’s insecurities lead her to a highly toxic relationship she can’t shake, but when she moves into a new life, an even greater threat lurks.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings:  bullying, stalking, domestic violence, graphic bodily injury, PTSD, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com/   Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisis

Growing up in a very strict Persian-Indian-American family with an abusive father, a woman vows never to get married and repeat her parents cycle, but after her father arranges for her to meet her future husband, everything changes.  Today’s episode featured Mev Chubet. You can find out more about Mev on Instagram @mevchubet, you can also reach out to her over email at mchubet@gmail.com. Mev has also written a memoir about her experiences called The First of Many Flights: A Love of East and West, which you can find on Amazon: amazon.com/First-Many-Flights-Love-Story/dp/B0C6NZHTR4Also, a special thanks to Jason Blalock for bringing us this story today. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings:  war, domestic abuse, suicide attempt, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: www.jasonblalock.com&n

Escaping a world of gangs and drugs, a man joins the military and becomes a veteran of Iraq, but the scars from his past, PTSD and a TBI haunt him until a fateful day when he faces the ultimate demons. Today's episode featured Daniel Norwood. If you'd like to reach out to Daniel, or make donations to his family, you can email at Danielnorwood281@gmail.com.Daniel's story came to us by way of Todd Rennebohm (wren-a-bomb). Daniel was originally featured on Todd's podcast, Bunny Hugs and Mental health, which focuses on conversations with survivors, professionals and families of those who have lost someone to mental illness and addictions. So please check out Bunny Hugs and Mental Health, and a special thanks to Todd for referring today's guest.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings:  abuse of a child, gun violence, drug use, attempted murder, murder, war, bombing, graphic bodily injury, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappe

A chaotic upbringing leaves a woman with chronic depression, but after the birth of her first child, she enters a new level of chaos from which she struggles to return.  Today's episode featured Olivia Armond. You can find her on Instagram @the_redheaded_alaskan and on Facebook at facebook.com/olivia.boldt.12. Olivia also wanted to share some links to resources for those needing postpartum support generally and specific resources for postpartum psychosis:Postpartum Support International (PSI): postpartum.net/Health Unlocked: healthunlocked.comAction On Postpartum Psychosis: instagram.com/actiononppProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings:  domestic violence, domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide attempt, psychosis, post-partum depression, mention of infanticide, mention of murder, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Wait

A woman with a severe eating disorder and addiction finds inspiration in the strength of a religious community and a woman who has beaten the odds, but when the illusions begin to crumble, a deeper source of strength emerges. Today's episode featured Lindsey Wilder. To contact Lindsey, you can reach out over email at actuallylindsey@yahoo.com. To find out more about Amanda C. Riley, her victims and the many details we couldn't cover on this episode, you can binge every episode of the podcast, Scamanda, produced by Lionsgate Sound, wherever you get your podcasts.Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings:  domestic abuse, sexual assault, self-harm, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, suicide attempt, cancer, medical trauma, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipk

Growing up in poverty, a man finds an outlet in a racist metal band, when one day fate transforms him and he pursues an unlikely marriage, but when his wife begins to switch, new identities emerge that stretch the limits of love. Today’s episode featured Matthew Fanning. If you’d like to reach out to him, you can email at fanning77120@gmail.com, or you can find him on Facebook at facebook.com/100091861748877. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason BlalockContent/Trigger Warnings:  severe mental illness, Dissociative Identity Disorder, sexual assault, graphic bodily injury, domestic violence, suicide, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the

A woman leaves behind the wounds of her alcoholic father, only to find out that her husband’s addiction is threatening to ruin their family; but when he goes to find healing through a plant medicine ceremony, a shocking, darker truth is revealed.Today's guest requested to remain anonymous, but if you'd like to reach out to her, can can email at: stilltallnlucky@gmail.comProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings:  alcoholism, domestic violence, sexual assault, mental illness, manic break, bipolar, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com/ Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes,

After facing abuse at a young age, a man develops a festering, unseen sense of emptiness that finds expression in an act of violence that would haunt him forever.Today’s episode featured Jon Romano. You can find out more about Jon by following him on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Snapchat all with the same handle: @JonSeekingPeace. If you’d like to reach out to him directly, you can also email him at JonSeekingPeace@gmail.comProducers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva LipkowitzContent/Trigger Warnings:  sexual abuse of a minor, incest, gun violence, suicidal ideation, suicide, school shooting, graphic bodily injury, incarceration, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter: @TIAHPodcastWebsite: thisisactuallyhappening.comWebsite for Andrew Waits: andrewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com/ Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningWondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to ep

Going from a highly privileged family to college at Princeton to a career as the first male supermodel, Hoyt Richards was truly living the dream, but as he fell deeper under the influence of magnetic mentor, he started living a secret life that threatened to consume him.Today’s episode featured Hoyt Richards. If you want to dive deeper into many of the elements Hoyt touched on in this episode, and hear more from him, he also has his own incredible podcast called WhaTheFlok?! – Cult Survival Stories, co-hosted by Chele Roland, where they feature experts, guests and speak to their personal histories, sharing cult survival stories and exposing the underbelly of how cults use indoctrination to kidnap the mind and hijack the soul. You can check out the podcast wherever you listen or on whatheflok.com. You can also find out more about Hoyt on Instagram @hoytrich and if you would like to contact him, you can email him through his manager Rebecca Kitt at rebeccakitt@mac.com.  Producers: