Terry survived a targeted shooting by his girlfriend’s ex who believed killing him would bring her back. Nineteen bullets hit his car and four struck his chest, leaving him dying in the front seat while trying to call 911 to say goodbye to his daughter. When his heart stopped, he found himself in the same dark mental space he had been living in for years, followed by a sudden pull into a bright tunnel that showed him a clear review of his life and the intentions behind it.

Coming back changed everything. He woke in the hospital with holes in his lungs, a ventilator in his throat, and a certainty that his mindset, his reactions, and his purpose had to shift. Terry let go of resentment, forgave the man who shot him, repaired fractured relationships, and built daily habits around accountability, gratitude, and calm. His experience now guides how he moves through the world and how he helps others who feel stuck in the same darkness he once lived in.

Terry’s Socials

https://www.instagram.com/mrtmadondo

https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtmadondo

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chell opens up about the early years that shaped her entire life: her biological father shooting her mother, growing up in a violently abusive home, and being placed into group homes and foster care after her mother chose an abusive partner over her safety. Those years were marked by racism inside the household, constant fear, sexual violence, and the reality of being a child no one protected.

As she moves into her teens and early adulthood, Chell describes patterns of abuse repeating through toxic relationships, the exhaustion of raising a baby alone while going through nursing school, and the heartbreak of losing the one person who truly showed her love. Grief, anxiety, addiction, and betrayal from people in positions of trust continued to shape her twenties, leaving her to navigate motherhood and trauma with no roadmap.

Resources:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988

Crisis Text Line

741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

RAINN

24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline 

1-800-656-HOPE

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sana shares what it was like growing up in a culture where arranged marriage was expected and how it led her into years of emotional shutdown, loneliness, and survival-mode living. She opens up about the pressure to please her family, the guilt she carried for wanting more, and the moment she realized the life she was living was slowly erasing her identity. Her story brings forward the quiet battles women face when cultural expectations, marriage, motherhood, and personal truth collide. Sana explains how numbing her pain, hiding behind perfection, and trying to hold a family together on her own pushed her into a breaking point that changed everything.

Her transformation began when she turned toward therapy, self-help, and spirituality, rebuilding her confidence piece by piece and repairing her relationship with her family through honesty and accountability. Sana shares how choosing herself reshaped her future, opened the door to a healthier life for her children, and inspired her to become a coach for women who feel trapped by expectation or fear. Her story proves that empowerment is possible at any stage of life and that reclaiming your voice can change everything.

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natasha J. Layton grew up inside the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a closed polygamist cult where Warren Jeffs dictated every part of family life and enforced a strict hierarchy. As 1 of 20 siblings in a household built around a father with multiple wives at the same time, Natasha shares the pressure, physical abuse, fear, and isolation that shaped childhood in a high control religious community. She describes the emotional and psychological toll of growing up in a system rooted in control, obedience, and spiritual manipulation. Girls were raised to submit and serve, while boys were raised under strict obedience to priesthood leaders.

Natasha also opens up about losing 5 brothers to suicide and the grief that followed her long after leaving the FLDS, while navigating her own suicide attempts and the darkness she carried for years. She speaks about the deep generational trauma, the silence surrounding mental health, and the lack of support families received inside a group that punished vulnerability. Her story brings needed attention to cult recovery, suicide prevention, and the hidden pain carried by survivors who grew up in high demand religious environments. Natasha’s voice is a reminder of how important it is to break cycles that were designed to keep people trapped and to tell the truth even when it hurts.

Natasha’s Socials

www.instagram.com/natashajlayton

www.tiktok.com/@natashajlayton

www.facebook.com/share/178BB9xFnM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The Survivors Podcast

thesurvivors.net

www.instagram.com/the_survivors_podcast

www.tiktok.com/@thesurvivorspodcast

www.youtube.com/@TheSurvivorsPodcastChannel

Resources:

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline 

1-800-656-HOPE

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/

NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)

https://www.nsvrc.org

Crisis Text Line

741741

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reunification therapy became the most frightening part of Moriah’s fight for her children, but her story begins much earlier inside Bill Gothard’s teachings and the strict religious environment she was raised in. Growing up under the same ideology highlighted in “Shiny Happy People,” she was taught to obey without question, suppress her instincts, and surrender her identity. Those beliefs shaped her entire childhood and set the stage for the covert narcissistic abuse she later endured in her marriage.

After escaping, Moriah found herself up against a family court system that protected her abuser and punished her children for telling the truth. At one point, her kids were even forced into a reunification camp, cut off from their safe parent and pressured to silence their fears. Moriah sheds light on how parental alienation claims, court-appointed evaluators, and high-control therapeutic programs are being used to benefit abusers and financially exploit families. Her story highlights the corruption surrounding reunification practices, the deep wounds caused by religious trauma, and the lasting impact of growing up in a system that teaches children to erase themselves to survive.

Moriah’s Links:

https://www.healingispossible.org/about

Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline 

1-800-799-7233

thehotline.org

24/7 Crisis Line 

988

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

https://nrcdv.org/contact-us?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Beyond the Monsters Socials:

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Key opens up about the hidden weight men carry and the silence that has cost too many lives. He shares the losses that shaped him, the friends he loved who died by suicide, and the moment he found himself staring at a gun on the table after betrayal trauma shattered everything he thought was real. His story exposes what loneliness truly feels like when pain gets loud, cold, and blinding, and why men so often hide their suffering behind humor, hard work, or quiet perseverance. Through statistics, personal history, and raw honesty, he brings needed attention to the fact that 75-80% of suicides are men and that 14% of men report having no one to talk to.

This conversation becomes a lifeline for anyone who has ever felt like a burden or believed they had to carry everything alone. Jonathan talks about the moments that kept him alive, the people who showed up, and the purpose he eventually found in helping others stay in the fight. He shares how grief can travel with you without defining you, how presence can save a life, and why asking a man if he is okay might be the most important question you ever ask. His message is simple and powerful. You are not weak for hurting. You are not alone for struggling. You matter, and someone will sit with you in the dark until the light comes back.

Jonathan’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/cloudsoverjax/

Resources:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

988

Crisis Text Line

741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acasha shares her harrowing journey through a decades-long abusive relationship that began when she was just 17. What started as teenage infatuation with a charming partner turned into years of manipulation, control, and isolation. She opens up about emotional and financial abuse, his double life, and the terrifying reality of living under constant threats. After their divorce, the violence intensified as stalking, assault, and coercion became part of her daily existence while she fought to protect her children and survive.

Her story exposes the psychological toll of domestic violence, trauma bonding, and the complex process of breaking free from an abuser. It reveals how years of fear and control can reshape a person’s sense of safety, and how healing begins when survival turns into self-empowerment. Acasha’s journey is a raw and powerful reminder of the strength it takes to rebuild your life after being broken down by someone who once promised to love you.

Domestic Violence Resources:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233

thehotline.org

National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)

nnedv.org

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

1-717-461-3939

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denny Giamazzo opens up about a childhood shaped by neglect, abuse, and survival. From being left alone for days while his mother battled addiction and worked as a sex worker to rebuilding his life after foster care, loss, and service as a combat veteran, his story shows what it means to turn pain into purpose. After years of physical abuse and being taken from his home, Denny entered foster care and finally experienced what safety and love could feel like. He shares the devastating loss of his mother to AIDS and his foster mom to a sudden heart attack, along with the lasting impact of trauma that defined how he saw himself and the world around him.

As a young adult, Denny joined the military and served in Afghanistan, facing the violence of war and the emotional battles that followed. He speaks candidly about PTSD, compartmentalizing pain, and how his unresolved childhood trauma carried into adulthood, marriage, and relationships. Through therapy, reflection, and brutal honesty, Denny is learning to heal, trust again, and redefine what strength really means. This episode explores childhood abuse, foster care, military trauma, and the lifelong journey of recovery and self-acceptance.

Denny’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/dennygiamazzo

‘Wired For Action: TRAUMA. WAR. RESILIENCE.’ By Denny Giamazzo

Available NOW!

https://a.co/d/buR5KZd

Be The Standard Podcast

https://www.bethestandardpodcast.com

https://www.instagram.com/bethestandardpodcast

https://www.tiktok.com/@be.the.standard

Resources:

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline

1-800-422-4453

https://www.nctsn.org

Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA)

ascasupport.org

Veterans Crisis Line

Dial 988 then press 1 or text 838255

SAMHSA National Helpline

1-800-662-4357

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angelina opens up about the moment CPS removed her children due to domestic violence, meth addiction, and a life spiraling out of control. Determined to break the cycle she was born into, she reflects on how a strict Catholic upbringing, childhood abandonment, and never being allowed to express feelings shaped the path that led to alcohol misuse, military trauma, and a dangerous relationship that fueled her addiction. From becoming a teen mom to serving in the Army and deploying to Afghanistan, she spent years trying to hold everything together while losing herself in the process.

This emotional episode explores PTSD, homelessness, relapse, and the heartbreaking decision to relinquish parental rights. Through therapy, domestic violence shelters, and recovery programs, Angelina fought her way back and rebuilt her life with support, purpose, and newfound strength. Now over three years sober, she is reunited with her daughter, a proud grandmother, and pursuing a career in social work to help others heal from addiction, trauma, and abuse. Her story shows that even after losing everything, recovery and redemption are possible.

Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline 

1-800-799-7233

thehotline.org

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline (SAMHSA) 

1-800-662-4357

24/7 Crisis Line 

988

Women Veterans Call Center

855-829-6636

RAINN 

1-800-656-4673

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Walking Tall shares their story of surviving years of extreme physical and sexual abuse inflicted by their stepfather, who targeted them from early childhood. In their small Texas town, religious extremism, white supremacy, and corruption created an environment where children were not protected. Their home became a place of drugs, violence, and child sexual exploitation, while teachers, relatives, and pastors ignored clear signs of danger. When their mother finally tried to expose the truth and escape, she was found dead with injuries that contradict the official claim of suicide. The truth was buried and the people who could have protected them turned away.

After a near death motorcycle accident that resulted in a profound spiritual encounter with their mother, Walking Tall chose to transform their suffering into purpose. They are now an Indigenous healer and sound practitioner using ancestral wisdom and embodied healing to help others reclaim their lives after trauma. Their story shows the courage it takes to break generational cycles, honor truth in the face of denial, and create a life defined by healing and love instead of violence and silence.

Walking Tall's Socials and Websites

https://www.instagram.com/walkingtall888

www.chiefwalkingtall.com

https://taplink.cc/chiefwalkingtall

https://openmypro.com/doctor/7TgPeYOTtWghkk6kx2w0uO22yD73

Resources:

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline 

1-800-656-HOPE

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/

NSVRC (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)

https://www.nsvrc.org

Crisis Text Line

741741

The National Child Abuse Hotline

800-422-4453

https://childhelphotline.org/

Childhelp

Prevention education and child abuse intervention services

https://www.childhelp.org/

Beyond the Monsters Socials

https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

*Disclaimer: The content shared on this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and experiences shared are based on our personal stories and opinions. This is not medical advice, and it should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any concerns or questions regarding your health.

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:

https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.