The Peripheral

Happy to be back in the saddle after a long unexpected hiatus. I try to give a quick update and jump right into the story. This week I speak with Igor about his upbringing. He talks about his hard-working family and how he always felt like the black sheep. His father suffered from PTSD from the time he spent on the front lines of the Bosnian war and his mother struggled in the relationship. Igor struggles with his own demons while his family adapts to a new life in a new world.     

Happy Valentine's day. I didn't intend to release an episode on domestic abuse on this day we should be celebrating our partners. My first guest is from Russia but has migrated west to Sweden where her nightmare begins. She also has an interesting introduction that I thought listeners would want to hear about. My second guest Brandon is a fun and energetic guy. When he was a teenager, his mother found herself in with a man who would put the entire family in jeopardy. 

Not exactly a holiday special but a gift to everyone. I speak with two members of the LGBTQ community who talk about some experiences behind the rainbow flags. I hope anyone listening will reflect on their actions and words this holiday season and try to accept and love each other even more. NSFW there are some sexual topics and language covered in this episode. 

On this episode, my guests Erica and Debbie find themselves living in different cults. There are many similarities between how cults function but their impact on each is unique. They recall the shame and difficulty of leaving and how it destroyed families and relationships.  Debbie and her friend Laura are starting a multipart series called "I Got The Hell Out." Keep a lookout for their first episode.   I give an important PSA for fellow podcasters at the beginning. It's something that affects all podcasters and using my podcast as a platform is the efficient way for me to get the word out. 

For my Halloween special I have a collection of scary stories for you! These aren't exactly paranormal but horrifying situations where our lives or others are threatened.  First story - Arrow to the knee Second story -Snake in your bra Third story - Things that stay with you Fourth story - Things change Fifth story - Chivalry is not dead Sixth story - Kansas Mothman Seventh story - Trapped underneath 

This episode is about never giving up. Tragedy takes a toll on all of us and challenges our will. My guest Pamela was born into a rough life, had everything taken from her, yet she persisted. She was a wonderful guest and I hope I've done her story justice.  Pamela's story http://pamelamsadventures.blogspot.com/ Dominica Relief Fund  https://www.youcaring.com/glanvilliaportsmouthstjohndominica-966770

When we lose our grip or have a bad mental health day and need to go somewhere, who takes care of us? On today's episode I speak with Sarah who works in a psychiatric facility and takes care of patients who need a little help - ok, sometimes a lot of help, and Sarah and her staff are there to do the job. She takes us through a typical day and through some of the rougher days. I hope you find this conversation educational and as interesting as I did.   

In this episode I interview Jenna who talks about same sex parenting and in vitro fertilization. Jenna goes into great detail about the process and gives advice on choosing your doctor. The second interview is Lisa who found herself raising a mixed race child on her own. Growing up in rural America, she knows she has some challenges ahead.   In other news, I've hired an editor and will be releasing a bunch of my back logged episodes in quick succession compared to my sporadic releases. 

This week is a Patreon request for odd medical conditions. First I speak with Sara who has Turners syndrome. She explains the levels of Turners and what inspires her everyday.  http://www.turnersyndrome.org/ Then I speak with Eleanor who has been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. She explains her system and busts common myths about DID.  https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-Disorders I had to read up on both before interviewing. I found their stories fascinating and inspiring and hope you do too.  

This week I discuss sex, dating, and staying safe with Maeve and Jeremy from the Sexland podcast. They are very colorful, upbeat and real when it comes to finding a partner.  We recorded in person which changes the dynamic of the conversation. This is less storytelling and more informative for anyone who is single, divorced, or wants to make a change in their sex life. 

I'm joined by Steven who does the Is This Adulting Podcast. He shares his struggles with depression and anxiety throughout his life. He talks about his suicide attempt, what led to it, and how it molds his perceptions today. He's a fun-loving guy who doesn't hold back.  https://www.facebook.com/IsThisAdulting/ @isthis_adulting

On this episode, I speak with Blue who is a 16-year old transitioning from female to male. I'm sure I ask a lot of questions that may be obvious to most. Blue is very kind and patient as he speaks about his struggles and successes.  I learned a lot from Blue and hope you do too.   

It is said that the five most stressful life events are divorce, moving, major illness, job loss, and the death of a loved one. We search for answers and understanding in any crisis for closure and justice. The death of a loved one puts our lives in a tailspin where logic is gone and emotion takes over. This episode I speak with Julie about her father and Jolene about her brother.  When there isn't a clear answer or reason, unanswered questions can consume our very being.  

Jennifer joins me for this week's episode about sexual harassment in the workplace and out in public. It's a topic that is getting more attention in the media with much debate on what is and isn't considered harassment.  I feel Jennifer's story embodies the feelings that most women have. We do go off topic a bit but I thought it was informative and needed to be heard. Last thing, I had some audio issues and had to run noise reduction. Please forgive the lower audio quality. 

On this week's episode, we dive into near death experiences and learn more about how health facilities treat patients. Jess shares her story about suicide and being revived. Shawn has pancreatitis and put into a medically induced coma. Our final guest Lucy, who host's the podcast S'laughter, talks about her mother-in-law being taken by the state and the madness that ensues. 

On average 3 women are murdered every day by their husband or partner. According to the national domestic abuse center, 1 in 4 women are victims of abuse. Please find thehotline.org  or call 1-800-799-7233 On this week's episode, we cover domestic abuse. Our guest Megan gives a story arc of her relationship from beginning to end. It starts with little digs her boyfriend would make to alienation from her friends and family. His actions escalate to physical and sexual abuse. Even though Megan stays casual, it’s a terrifying story.

You ever wonder what the prequel to the Peripheral was?  Aaron and I have shared many of our own personal stories on the podcast but I wanted to hear listener stories. This was my first interview I did almost a year ago after asking listeners for tragic stories in their lives. Being an IT guy myself, I'm always drawn to cyber crime or scandals and this story was so unbelievable to me that I had to share it. Mhyar wrote to me and told me about an incident that happened to him while chatting with a woman online. https://theeyeopener.com/2014/09/he-was-literally-stabbed-in-the-back/

Things happen to us in life that we just can not plan for. Most of the time we can recover quickly and pick up where we left off. The bodies we occupy can be uncooperative and fragile. Doctors are not perfect and don't always have the answers we need. When you know something is wrong, please be persistent when speaking with any medical professional. Strokes affect 800,000 people in the US alone. Concussions in many cases go untreated and can cause much greater consequences than most realize. Our final story is about Endometriosis. It is estimated that between 6-10% of woman have endometriosis yet is relatively unknown and is routinely misdiagnosed. 

I hear a lot of people say their OCD is kicking in and have seen memes on the internet for OCD people ranging from perfectly placed dominoes to OCD tests. Most of what we see or hear about OCD misrepresents the condition and does a disservice to the people who struggle with it. Sarah shares her experience with OCD and how therapy has impacted her.  

Anytime we suffer a terrible tragedy we always second guess, point fingers, and place blame. On this episode, I speak with Rob who suffered the loss of a child while living in China. When his daughter Anne got sick, Rob took Anne to every hospital and doctor he could. The environment, culture and even the healthcare system all become barriers he had to overcome in an attempt to save his daughter.  He wanted to share his experience living abroad, his loss, and the story of his daughter so she'll never be forgotten.