The Peripheral

We all have our idea of the perfect relationship and what we look for in one partner. We follow social constructs that tell us who to love, how to love, and how many we can fall in love with. What if you meet several perfect partners at the same time? My guest Josie disregards the "rules" while making her own when it comes to love and relationships.   

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, almost 90,000 cases of child sexual abuse are reported each year. Countless incidents go unreported, and 96 percent of these children are abused by someone they know and trust. In this episode, my guests discuss what it's like to be young teens, the older men they were with and the manipulation they went through. First interview with Rosie from Voice of the Victim. She talks about the grooming process and the effects it had on her. My second guest Cara (starts at 23mins) talks about a relationship an 18 year old started with her when she was around 13 years old. My third guest Tiffany (starts at 1 hour 17mins) was targeted by a family friend who hides behind his membership in the Mormon church. Her parents handle the discovery of this abuse in sharply contrasting ways, adding to her fear and shame.   

Trauma suffered during childhood can follow us through life, molding our behaviors and relationships. Today's guest Melissa talks about sexual abuse and the ripple effects that have influenced her life. National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, 95 percent of sexually abused children will be abused by someone they know and trust, and 84 percent of sexual victimization of children under 12 occurs in a residence.

I make an effort to cover topics that happen every day but that people find either too painful or taboo to speak of. Today, I have a returning guest who covers the topic of miscarriage and other issues she encountered during her pregnancy. Various medical staff gave her different answers while she was on an emotional rollercoaster, which ended up affecting every aspect of her life.

Today I speak with Zoey who shares a story about traveling the country to meet friends. One destination turns into a nightmare where she's held captive and assaulted for several days. It's a devastating story about a breach of trust that destroys our illusion of safety. 

Today's episode talks about an invisible demon that affects our daily lives. Gnawing pain, sharp pain and everything in between.  Jael gets sick with swine flu and never fully recovers.  He talks about his frustrations with his day to day activities and is diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  Kate develops ankylosing spondylitis which shatters her career. She discovers a creative outlet that she can do from home.   #fibromyalgia #ankylosing spondylitis #swineflu

My guest Sam, talks about domestic abuse from his girlfriend. They will end up getting married, moving away from friends and family, further isolating themselves into darkness. Sam will end up leaving her in the end and is safe.  Please listen to the whole episode. My guest gives an update at the end.     

I thought it would be fun and informative to answer some questions from the listeners! I tried to answer every question that came in, forgive me if I didn't get to yours. It took a few days of recording so my voice is all over the place. Thank you Misti for getting the ball rolling on this episode.  

We all know someone who suffers from addiction whether we want to admit it or not. Addiction can manifest in many forms from doctors overprescribing drugs to individuals self-medicating or even boredom.  My guest talks about her struggles with mental illness and how drugs and alcohol gave her a temporary relief from the pain, only to cause worse problems down the road. 

Today I'm joined by the Captain from True Crime Garage. The Captain's personality is very mellow and easy going which makes his story so surprising. He talks about one of the worst years of his life where he sought treatment for depression. What happens next is a downward spiral of failures, setbacks and terrible decisions. Nobody is immune to depression and mental illness and sometimes the people who are supposed to help us might make things worse. That said, if you are experiencing depression or issues, please seek help. This episode is not attempting to dissuade anyone from treatment. Everyone's story is different. Prescriptions, when prescribed correctly, should have a predictable intended effect. Yet any drug can have adverse effects on any individual. It's not an easy balance to achieve but we should never stop trying.  www.truecrimegarage.com @truecrimegarage   

Somnambulism or noctambulism, otherwise known as sleepwalking, is a sleeping disorder that has affected us for centuries. There are different triggers that we are just starting to recognize. Science helps us understand how it happens but we're still discovering why. On today's episode, I speak with Bonnie from Wining about Crime and Nikki from Strictly Homicide about their sleepwalking experiences.  Also if you're not listening to the podcast This is Actually Happening you're missing out. It's the closest pod that I've found to The Peripheral.  https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/abnormal-sleep-behaviors/sleepwalking https://art19.com/shows/this-is-actually-happening-podcast

 I like to do scary stories during the month of October As most of you know, I prefer to shed light on real-life issues we face every day. This episode focuses on men who faced physical and sexual assaults. All of their stories are different, but they have one thing in common, they all take place in the woods. Stats on male sexual assaults are wildly under reported. Please listen to the victims.  https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics

Today's episode we explore the darker side of podcasting. Think actors reading mean tweets but we'll go a bit further than that. I've seen that first 1 star review destroy a podcasters confidence. I've seen trolls and harassers bring other podcasters to the brink. I've collected submissions from other podcasters that read some of the worst messages they've received or just the messages they've received today. What you'll hear only scratches the surface of what we endure on a daily basis. This isn't anything out of the ordinary. This is just a Tuesday in a podcasters life.  http://www.insightpod.com/ https://vovpodcast.podbean.com/ https://canadiantruecrime.ca/ http://www.mauramurraydoc.com/podcast/ https://www.oxygen.com/people/maggie-freleng http://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/ http://thinkingsidewayspodcast.com/ https://art19.com/shows/generation-why-podcast        

I had the pleasure of meeting Josh during my travels. As most of my conversations with people go, we skipped past the small talk and went straight to the trauma that has impacted his life. Josh contracted HIV after he was raped. He talks a bit about the attack and the repercussions from that night. His resilience and overall demeanor make him a superhero in my mind.   I hope you enjoy hearing Josh’s story as much as I enjoyed speaking with him. Check out his other podcasts if you have the chance.   http://www.our-americana.com/oapodcast/ http://www.our-americana.com/karenandellen/

Today's guest talks about her lack of impulse control, harm thoughts, and OCD. She takes us down a path where she was on the brink of causing great harm to her fellow students. This episode will give listeners some insight into the Aurora shooter, Chardon HS shooting, and Parkland. We discuss things that can go right and wrong in the prevention of teens that could lash out towards others. We touch upon SSRIs and exposure therapy and their place in treating mental illness. 

Commonly called postpartum depression but more accurately referred to as postpartum disorder. It's regularly misunderstood as simple depression but runs the gamut from anxiety to psychosis. Mothers who suffer from this are routinely judged and accused of being a bad parent. We are unable to control our hormones and chemicals that balance us every day. Pregnancy causes an extreme shift in a woman's body which creates havoc for her emotions and mental stability. My guests speak about their struggles, the shame they endured and how this topic is definitely on the peripheral. 

We've talked about parents a lot on this podcast. Our first story involves a father who supports his family by not so legal means. After his disappearance, a secret life is revealed. Emma's colorful description of the family's reaction to their father's whereabouts is classic.  The second story takes a darker turn. After Rose's family splits up she moves in with her father.  Every daughter puts all their trust into their father and every father should protect that trust. His voyeuristic actions not only put her in danger but destroy the family. This is a situation that no child ever wants to find themselves.  

Have you ever wondered what happens to guns that are seized by police or who cleans up after a murder?  This is a not a true crime episode, rather what happens in the aftermath. On this episode, my guests talk about their roles in clean up, confiscation and give their views on the industries they work in.    https://www.facebook.com/TheCleaningofJohnDoe/ @JohnDoePodcast  

Part 2 is here! No worries if you haven't listened to part 1 yet. These episodes have similar topics yet fell on opposite ends of the spectrum. My guest, Mary, talks about the abusive upbringing that led her to a path of depression and low self-esteem. This combination drove her to seek validation in any way she could. After going through an endless supply of young men who invite her into their bedrooms, she still does not find a way of fulfilling herself. We do not go into explicit details but there are adult themes and language.  

This will be a two-parter on sexual disorders. I say upfront in the episode that sexual disorders are more mental disorders that can reveal themselves in numerous ways. My first guest has severe anxiety that's prevented him from being intimate with women. My 2nd guest will be featured in part 2 and falls on the other end of the spectrum. It shows two different stories can come from the same coin.  Finally show https://pleasingterrors.com/ some love. He's had a very rough week.