Beyond the Monsters

What began as a marriage marked by love bombing, manipulation, and emotional volatility escalated into a custody battle rooted in coercive control, deception, and credible allegations of sexual harm. Indee describes years of psychological abuse, isolation, and intimidation, including being physically restrained, gaslit, and threatened into silence. As she attempted to leave, the abuse intensified, evolving into legal retaliation, false narratives, and a calculated effort to maintain power through the family court system. The unraveling of her ex-husband’s lies revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior that family members had long concealed, leaving Indee to fight alone to protect her child.

This episode exposes how coercive control does not end when a relationship does, but often resurfaces through custody disputes, institutional failures, and court-sanctioned access to children. Indee shares the psychological toll of trauma bonding, suicidal crisis, and complex PTSD, alongside the exhausting reality of self-representation in court while facing a manipulative abuser. Her story underscores the dangers of dismissing survivor testimony, the consequences of silence within families, and the urgent need for trauma-informed custody decisions.

Indee’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/simplyindee

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

Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-7233

Text BEGIN to 88788

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

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Crisis Text Line

741741

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials:

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: Coercive control, Custody abuse, Narcissistic abuse, Parental alienation, Family court trauma

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.

Jessica Buchanan never imagined that a career rooted in service would lead her into one of the most extreme survival situations imaginable. A former schoolteacher turned humanitarian aid worker, she was kidnapped while working in Somalia and held captive for 93 days in the desert. What began as a mission driven by responsibility, purpose, and service became a fight for survival involving armed captors, ransom negotiations, physical illness, psychological terror, and the constant uncertainty of whether she would live to see another day. Her story exposes the hidden risks faced by humanitarian workers, the failures of institutional duty of care, and the devastating consequences of ignoring intuition.

What ultimately carried Jessica through captivity was not blind optimism or belief alone, but a disciplined inner survival strategy. Drawing from spirituality, memory, ritual, and mental control, she created structure where none existed and meaning where despair could have taken over. Her rescue by U.S. special operations forces marked the end of captivity but not the end of the trauma. Returning home meant rebuilding identity, navigating PTSD, motherhood after survival, betrayal by systems meant to protect her, and the long process of surviving survival. 

Jessica’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/jessicacbuchanan

https://linktr.ee/jessbuchanan

https://www.jessbuchanan.com

Her Book “Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six”:

https://a.co/d/2oFjqwH

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials:

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: Humanitarian worker kidnapping, Surviving captivity and hostage trauma, PTSD after extreme trauma, Intuition and survival psychology, Life after survival trauma

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.

Nick experienced childhood sexual abuse that began when he was around five years old by his first best friend. This was a case of peer-on-peer sexual abuse, a form of childhood sexual assault that is often misunderstood, minimized, or overlooked despite its long-term psychological impact. At that age, he did not have the developmental ability to consent, understand, or stop what was happening, while fear, confusion, and secrecy became his primary survival responses. What occurred was not experimentation, but abuse, shaped by power, confusion, and trust violations that a child cannot navigate.

As he grew older, the unresolved effects of childhood sexual abuse surfaced through anger, addiction, and struggles with trust and identity. Living with a lifelong degenerative hearing loss and tinnitus added another layer of isolation and difference during critical developmental years. Healing did not begin until adulthood, when sobriety, therapy, and accountability allowed him to accurately name what happened and confront its impact without allowing it to define him. By speaking openly, he helps illuminate how early sexual trauma and unaddressed disability can shape a life, and how breaking secrecy can be a meaningful step toward reclaiming agency.

Nick’s Links:

https://linktr.ee/nickmiddaugh

www.nickmiddaugh.com

Character Is Destiny

nickmiddaugh.substack.com

Nick’s essay he read an excerpt from:

https://open.substack.com/pub/nickmiddaugh/p/005-violation-the-forge-opens?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials:

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: childhood sexual abuse (CSA), addiction & alcoholism, mental health, degenerative hearing loss & tinnitus

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.

John Mabry was 21 years old when a catastrophic car crash during his senior year of college killed a close friend and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg. What followed were years of surgeries, chronic pain, phantom limb pain, and the psychological impact of limb loss that no one prepared him for. On the outside, his life appeared extraordinary, including Hollywood film and television appearances, major network shows, and access to elite spaces like the Playboy Mansion. Beneath that surface, unresolved trauma, grief, and physical pain quietly fueled a growing struggle with addiction and substance use disorder.

His unraveling came through relapse, loss, and the moment his own child recognized what he could no longer deny. Recovery required accountability, trauma therapy, and long term sobriety rather than image or success. Today, John speaks openly about addiction recovery, amputation, grief, and rebuilding life after trauma.

John’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/johnmabryconnects

https://www.youtube.com/@johnmabry_speaker

https://www.johnmabryconnects.com

https://linktr.ee/johnmabry

Resources:

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

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Celebrate Recovery

https://celebraterecovery.com

Amputee Coalition

https://amputee-coalition.org

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: medical trauma, leg amputation survivor, addiction, car crash, chronic pain

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.

Scarlet McKenzie shares the moment her attempt to leave a controlling relationship escalated into something far more devastating. After enduring coercive control, surveillance, isolation, and retaliation, her child was taken without a warrant or court order following false allegations. What followed was a fight against a system that ignored due process, dismissed evidence, and repeatedly failed to protect families while prioritizing procedure over truth. Her story exposes how power, control, and retaliation can extend beyond relationships and into institutions meant to protect children. 

Rather than staying silent, Scarlet turned survival into advocacy. As a mother and child welfare reform advocate, she speaks openly about family court trauma, CPS overreach, generational harm, and the long psychological impact of forced separation. Her experience sheds light on how survivors are often punished for leaving, how children are caught in the middle, and why accountability and reform are urgently needed.

Scarlet McKenzie’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/scarletmckenzie

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

https://linktr.ee/professionalbrat

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/scarletmckenzie/run-this-back

https://music.apple.com/us/album/run-this-back/1835128990?i=1835128991

Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-7233

Text BEGIN to 88788

National Coalition for Child Protection Reform (NCCPR)

https://nccpr.org

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials:

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: Child custody removal, False CPS reports, Domestic violence retaliation, Family court trauma, Coercive control

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.

Jes lost her fifteen-year-old son, Rayce, to a baseball-sized brain tumor that no one knew was there, a loss that unfolded in a matter of hours and changed the course of her life forever. She grew up in a small town in Utah and lost her mother to cancer at thirteen, an early grief that quietly shaped how she learned to survive, adapt, and care for others long before she became a parent. As an adult, Jes built her life around her three children, immersing herself in the demanding world of competitive youth sports, where teams became extended families and weekends revolved around tournaments, travel, and shared routines. That sense of closeness would later become both a lifeline and a source of unimaginable heartbreak.

In the hours leading up to Rayce’s death, normal life unraveled: emergency rooms, unanswered questions, organ donation decisions, and the impossible task of telling his younger siblings their brother wasn’t coming home. Jes speaks openly about the shock, anger, and disorientation that followed, and the long road of learning how to survive grief without letting it define her entire identity. Her story is not about finding neat explanations, but about continuing to show up for her children, honoring Rayce’s life, and choosing to keep moving forward even when nothing makes sense.

Jes’ Links:

https://www.instagram.com/jes.marie18

https://linktr.ee/jes.marie18

Resources:

Bereaved Parents of the USA (BPUSA)

https://bereavedparentsusa.org

MISS Foundation

https://www.missfoundation.org

GriefShare

https://www.griefshare.org

Beyond the Monsters Socials:

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

https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: child loss, grief, bereaved parent, healing, parenting after loss

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.

Kristi and Katrina are two mothers bound by the unthinkable loss of their sons during the height of the fentanyl crisis. Their stories trace long, complex journeys through addiction, grief, survival, and the systems that repeatedly failed their children. From early trauma, mental health struggles, and substance use to the devastating reality of fentanyl exposure, their paths reveal how addiction does not begin in isolation and does not end with a single decision. Their experiences challenge the myths around weed, recovery timelines, and personal responsibility while exposing the gaps in treatment, prevention, and support for families.

What emerged from their shared loss was purpose. Kristi and Katrina speak openly about parenting through addiction, loving without enabling, surviving unimaginable grief, and choosing to recover out loud. Their voices confront stigma, normalize grief, and demand accountability from systems that prioritize punishment over care. 

DK805Podcast’s Links

https://www.youtube.com/@DK805Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/dk805podcast

https://dk805podcast.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dk805-podcast/id1833586069

https://open.spotify.com/show/5yAuLfqgs3CTu4YMHXhdm6?si=4a66d9946b47450a

Resources:

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.

Two decades of silence shaped how KJ learned to hide her pain, but speaking her truth became the only way forward. She grew up inside a volatile home where emotional harm, physical fear, and childhood sexual trauma were ignored, minimized, or treated like her fault. As she tried to survive the chaos around her, she carried flashbacks, chronic pain, shame, teen pregnancy stigma, and years of being told she was too sensitive or dramatic, even when she was begging for help. 

Her story moves from a childhood where no one protected her to the moment she finally found safety, stability, and love outside the home that broke her. Through motherhood, therapy battles, chronic illness, and rebuilding her identity from the ground up, KJ created Mend in Lines as a place for anyone who has been silenced to feel seen. Her episode brings forward family trauma, childhood abuse, teen motherhood, medical invalidation, chronic pain, and the long road from being completely alone to realizing she was worth saving. 

Kj’s Socials

https://www.youtube.com/@Kj_Mendinlines

https://www.instagram.com/kj_mendinlines

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

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 (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

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.

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.