The Peripheral

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 f...

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...

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...

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.  h...

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 rec...

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...

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...

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...

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 al...

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 be...

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. ...

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 s...

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 f...

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 epis...

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 underne...

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-966...

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...

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 releasin...

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-C...