Dismissed True Stories

Send a text A mother sells the only home that still felt like home, walks into a shelter with her kids, and stares down a system that keeps telling her to wait. That’s where Sarah’s story turns—when waiting becomes planning, and planning becomes movement fueled by a community that refuses to look away. We pick up right after the hostage night that changed everything. Sarah maps a route to South Da...

Send a text Hey friends — welcome back to Dismissed True Stories. I’m your host, Elissa, and you’re probably already clocking that this episode sounds a little different. No intro music.  No disclaimer.  Just me and you. In the spirit of keeping it quick and honest, here’s the update:  Sarah won’t be joining us today —  but that’s actually for all the best reasons. She’s safe.  She’s happy.  And s...

Send a text A fairy-tale start can hide a nightmare ending. Sarah thought she’d finally found steady ground: years of affection, travel across the U.S., a partner who bonded with her son and promised a safe future. Then pregnancy exposed the truth. The first assault wasn’t a warning—it was a line crossed, followed by contempt during a traumatic C‑section and a campaign to control her through acces...

Send a text You can hear the tension in Sarah’s voice before the first promise breaks. We open with care—clear content warnings, boundaries—then step into the hardest rooms of her life: three relationships that sold safety and delivered control. Each man arrives with a storyline of protection, family, or stability. Each one, in time, uses that storyline to manage her money, movements, and mind. We...

Send a text The house was empty, the texts unanswered, and the silence said everything. After exposing a devastating betrayal—her husband’s affair with her mother—Sarah tried to rebuild the “right” way: a prepaid year of rent, a steady job, a car, and a simple plan to co‑parent. What followed maps the hidden terrain many survivors know too well: when direct control ends, post‑separation abuse slip...

Send a text A uniform, a cigarette break, and a teenager who just wanted to feel seen—what starts as attention quickly reveals the blueprint of grooming and coercive control. We follow Sarah as a 16-year-old pulled into an adult’s orbit, pressured into marriage through a pregnancy ultimatum, and cut off from school, work, and friends. The twist that lands like a gut punch: the person who should ha...

Send a text A mother of three children with special needs has been running for her life for nearly six years. Now, with her abuser scheduled for release from prison in November—a man who told a judge he's coming to find her—time is running out. Sarah's story begins with profound childhood trauma. At nine years old, she lost her father to cancer, only to be sexually abused by a family fri...

Send a text What choices would you make to survive when the system designed to protect you repeatedly fails? Season 3 of Dismissed: True Stories follows one mother's harrowing journey as she flees domestic violence with her children across multiple states for nearly six years. The nightmare begins with a knife at her throat and a terrifying threat: "He told me he was going to cut my scal...

Send a text Haley McLean shares the story of Hope's Second Chance, Michigan's only animal sanctuary specifically created to help domestic violence survivors escape with their pets. She built this solution after seeing firsthand how survivors were forced to choose between safety and their animals. • Founded during COVID when Haley realized shelters couldn't accommodate pets due to li...

Send a text Dignity arrives in unexpected forms—sometimes as a toothbrush, sometimes as a pair of socks, sometimes as a space that says "you're seen and you're not alone." Today, I'm taking you on a journey that's both heartbreaking and hopeful: the creation of Tala's Closet, a free resource center for domestic violence survivors. Tala Smith was brilliant, brave,...

Send a text What happens after you've escaped abuse? When survival is no longer your only focus, how do you rediscover joy and truly come home to yourself? This deeply personal episode explores the challenging journey from merely existing to feeling alive again. The path back to yourself isn't linear, but it follows recognizable patterns that can guide your healing journey. Through hones...

Send a text Imagine waking up one day to find yourself trapped in a relationship that looked like love but secretly stripped away your safety, autonomy, and nearly your identity. This is Farah's story - a journey through BDSM, polyamory, and cult-like control that will leave you breathless. When Farah first met her daughter's father, she was exploring her submissive side. His charisma an...

Send a text "You don't need to see the whole path. Just take the next step." -Unknown "It took me 34 years to feel safe within my home." These words from Farah stopped me in my tracks as we recorded this powerful conversation about survival, recognition, and healing after lifelong abuse. This episode follows Farah's journey from a childhood marked by severe physical v...

Send a text In part two of Keyanna's story, we dive deep into the darkest moments of her abusive relationship when isolation and control led to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and her fight for survival. • Keyanna describes how severe isolation and emotional abuse led to self-harm as she struggled with no resources or support system • Her abuser weaponized her pain and mental health struggles a...

Send a text Kiana shares her harrowing journey of surviving relationship abuse that began when she was just 18 years old and directionless after high school. Her powerful testimony reveals how abuse can take many forms beyond physical violence. • First meeting her abuser through Facebook and quickly becoming inseparable • Experiencing isolation tactics disguised as love and protectiveness • Dealin...

Send a text Hey! Let me know what you think of this mini episode. To be honest, I needed a small breather while I processed telling my story to a room full of people this past week. What a weird layered experience. Seeing how people react when you say the things out loud that you've lived through. Wow...  I hope you like this quick story I found on the #letsnotmeet subreddit.  https://www.red...

Send a text Sophie shares her harrowing journey through an abusive relationship, revealing how control intensified during pregnancy and after childbirth. Her powerful testimony illustrates the invisible wounds of psychological abuse and the strength it takes to reclaim freedom. • Recounting labor and childbirth when her abuser refused to wake up, flirted with another woman, and abandoned her for h...

Send a text Sophie shares her powerful journey of surviving domestic abuse during pregnancy and the complex manipulation tactics her abuser used to maintain control. • Met her abuser at college when she was 15 and he was 19, but didn't begin relationship until she was 23 • Reconnected through Facebook during lockdown where he used love bombing tactics to win her trust • Relationship moved qui...

Send a text In part two of her personal story, Elissa shares the fuzzy, traumatic memories of life in a trailer with her abuser and how she eventually escaped with just a laundry basket of clothes and her toddler. • Experiencing dissociation during abuse, creating mental "safe places" to escape • Living in an unfinished trailer that reflected her broken relationship • Developing a "...

Send a text Raw vulnerability takes incredible courage. What began as a simple podcast episode transformed into a profound moment of truth as I shared my personal journey through domestic violence for the first time – completely unfiltered and unedited. The decision to "raw dog" my story wasn't made lightly. After hearing countless survivor stories and carefully editing them for my...

Send a text After seven months away, I've returned to the microphone with a refreshed spirit and important lessons to share. My break wasn't just about rest, it was an important journey into understanding how advocacy work affects mental health and how easily we can burn out when pouring ourselves into others' stories without proper self-care. The past months taught me that stepping...

Send a text What if recognizing the subtle patterns of abuse could be the key to escaping a toxic relationship? Join me on a journey through the harrowing yet empowering stories of survivors of domestic abuse in our season finale of Dismissed True Stories. In "Survivors' Stories," I share my personal experience of transitioning from a professional broadcasting career to enduring an...

Send a text What happens when the weight of addiction and grief collide? In this emotionally charged episode of Dismissed True Stories, we explore the raw and powerful journeys of abuse and trauma survivors. Host Elissa, draws from her own experience, setting the stage for an intimate and heartfelt conversation with Savannah, a survivor whose life has been marked by profound loss and resilience. T...

Send a text What happens when the fear of disappointing a parent outweighs the terror of an abusive relationship? This heart-wrenching episode of Dismissed True Stories explores Jenna's painful journey through her first physically abusive relationship. Starting from a tumultuous upbringing marked by her narcissistic father's toxic expectations, Jenna's story reveals how deeply her c...

Send a text What if the person you trusted most turned out to be a stranger? Jenna takes us through the riveting journey of discovering her true biological parentage and the devastating impact of being raised by a narcissistic father figure. Her story is one of resilience and courage, revealing how her understanding of love was profoundly distorted and how she is now navigating the road to healing...