Let’s (Not) Talk About It

“If I'm good at being tiny, I'm going to be the best tiniest person I can be.”

Growing up in a picture-perfect family, Amber Hart always felt just mediocre. She wasn’t the smartest student, she wasn’t the best athlete and she didn’t have a knack for music or drama. Eager to stand out at 15, she realized she could be the best at something -- being skinny. Suffering in silence, Amber couldn’t open up to her parents about her eating disorder. She coped by drinking and using drugs, and hid how she felt emotionally. She felt skinnier, louder and funnier. On a path to self-destruction, a trip abroad and a new friendship dramatically changed that course -- and how Amber had always seen herself.

Content warning: This episode contains talk of weight and specific numbers that could be triggering to individuals with eating disorders.

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Amber Hart of The Pulse of Government Contracting

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

“Even opening my eyes was just a miserable experience and I just didn't understand it.” 

Two years after her sister’s death and in the grips of anguish and despair, Andrea Wilson Woods sat on the edge of a rooftop in San Francisco thinking it would be so easy to leap. Coming to her senses, she decided not to end it all. But that incident sparked something in Andrea: a nagging feeling it wasn’t just a profound grief she had felt since losing her sister. But as Andrea broached the topic with her therapist, her concerns were ignored.  Seeking a second opinion confirmed her suspicions: She had Bipolar II Disorder. While the diagnosis brought relief, Andrea was hesitant to speak out about it -- until many years later when realized sharing her story was the only way to normalize mental health. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Andrea Wilson Woods

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

David Crow grew up poor on the Navajo Indian reservation with a dad who loved telling stories of his Cherokee ancestry and his bravery in World War II. But as David grew older, he saw a more vicious side of his dad. Thurston Crow’s rage knew no limits: Friends, family and foes all were in his cross hairs. After years of volatility, David escaped destitution, graduated from college and launched a career. But the more successful he became, the more Thurston wanted to destroy him. And he was willing to do anything to get what he wanted -- including murder...  https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Chantel Soumis was 25 when an ordinary trip to the mall ended in a doctor's office -- and a life-changing diagnosis. While that diagnosis gave Chantel answers, she was a new mom and recently unemployed. Suddenly, her future was uncertain and scary. But with the support of her family and personal revelations, Chantel gained hope, and repositioned herself to persevere. She soon reclaimed her career and today advocates for differently-abled people. And through it all, Chantel has learned to love herself in ways she couldn’t when she was younger. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Chantel Soumis

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

“I remember always asking my mother, can I please see a doctor? Can I please see a shrink? This is not normal.”

Sulome Anderson wasn’t even born when her father, Terry Anderson, a journalist covering the civil war in Lebanon, was kidnapped. Sulome met her dad for the first time when she was 7 when he was finally released. But what many thought should have been a happily ever after was anything but. Terry had PTSD, and Sulome absorbed his trauma and grew to battle drug abuse and Borderline Personality Disorder. She’d later travel to the Middle East as a reporter to understand her father, his kidnappers, and herself.  https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Sulome Anderson

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

After a childhood filled with violence and abuse, Rob Scheer ended up in foster care. He moved through the system with his belongings in a trash bag. The foster care system was a constant reminder of the foster parents who gave up on him, and the birth parents he missed -- despite the abuse. In this special episode, Rob takes us through his journey from foster child to foster parent, shedding light on a system meant to heal but that desperately needs repair.
https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

“Your love is not going to change that person.”

From childhood, Nupur Srivastava had everything going for her: She was beautiful and intelligent, destined for great things. Despite that, she had low self-esteem and used alcohol to dull those feelings. Throughout the years, her drinking got worse. Not only that, Nupur became trapped in abusive relationships -- over and over again. All through this, her older sister Ritu  pleaded with Nupur to make a change. It’s Ritu’s story of a sister’s descent into tragedy you’ll hear, but it’s also a lesson in how to find hope and light after devastation. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Content warning: This episode contains talks of intimate partner violence and graphic descriptions of injuries from abuse.

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Ritu Adams

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233)

“As soon as I began to talk about it, it wasn’t so scary anymore.”

Sims Tillirson was just a child when he had a traumatic experience at the hands of a relative. To deal with the pain, he turned to drugs and alcohol. But years later, as Sims reached a turning point, he found better ways to cope with his trauma -- while also helping others with their own struggles. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and addiction.

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest:
Sims Tillirson

Expert:
Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Editor:
Tessa Hall

Behind the Scenes:
Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action.

"If somebody like him can be brought to justice, then anybody can be." 

Jessica Barth was best known as a Hollywood actor until a scandal involving a famous movie mogul spurred her activism. In the midst of the highly publicized case, Jessica found empowerment in breaking silence and helping others get justice. She used that to launch a nonprofit that strives to eliminate sexual abuse and misconduct entirely.

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest: Jessica Barth

Expert: Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Behind the Scenes: Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action

“Yes, I am free. But am I really free, though?”

Slavery was abolished in 1865 in America, but as Evelyn Chumbow knows too well, it still happens to this day. As a child, she was trafficked from West Africa and kept as a domestic slave in Maryland for many years until she managed to escape. However, no longer captive, Evelyn discovered freedom came with a new price -- and a set of new challenges. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com

Hosts:
Camille Tuutti
Sharon Tiger
Amanda Ziadeh

Guest: Evelyn Chumbow

Expert: Yuritzy Gomez Serrano, AMFT

Behind the Scenes: Lisa Abeyta

Music:
“Incoming” by Jeffrey C. Mund
"Arms of Gold" by Tape Machines

Produced by Next Chapter Podcasts

This podcast is supported by Voices in Action

Polaris Project - The National Human Trafficking hotline number is 1-888-373-7888.