Stand Up Speak Up

Today’s guest has 5 kids from 4 different fathers and was abused as a child. Rose is an artist with designs in the Stand Up Speak Up. Growing up, she faced physical, mental, and sexual abuse. She had nowhere to turn and was failed by everybody who should have helped her. 

Rose and her brother lived a terribly sad, cruel, and abusive childhood. At the age of 11, Rose was thrown out by her mother. For the next 5 years, she’d spend time in multiple foster homes, moving around as some were only temporary or others were abusive.

At the age of 16, she was free from foster care, but was no better off, and had nowhere safe or clean to live. She had also begun seeking the love and attention she craved, from men. To make a sad story worse, Rose’s brother and best friend would later pass away, leading her to a breakdown. 

Despite everything, Rose doesn’t consider her life to be sad, and leaves us with some inspiring words.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative 

Rose’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/1902129090005530

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There’s no shortage of content out there on the subject of Scientology. When we decided to tackle it, we knew the episode would have to focus on people, and the lasting effect Scientology has on its members once they leave. 

The Church of Scientology has been in conflict with governments and police forces of many countries and is widely criticized. It was founded in the 1950s on a set of psychological principles created by science-fiction author Ron Hubbard. 

Controversy over the years includes allegations of criminal behaviour by members, harassment of people perceived as enemies, the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson while under the Church’s care, and attempts to force search engines to censor information that criticizes the church. With today’s media landscape, keeping people quiet hasn’t gotten any easier. 

More and more people have left Scientology and spoken out about its negative effects, despite the Church’s repeated attempts to shut them up. Whether it’s the shocking and crazy stories, celebrity involvement, or simple curiosity, something continues to drive pop culture’s obsession with Scientology, and today, we share the stories of 4 people who escaped the Church and are now speaking out: Lori Hodgson, Jenna Miscavige Hill, Sam Domingo, and Melissa Paris.

Some are putting Scientology in the past, and some are still struggling to this day. 

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:  

• www.exscientologykids.com
• www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Belief-Secret-Scientology-Harrowing/dp/0062248480  
• www.escapingscientology.com  
• www.youtube.com/channel/UCAVxMII8Dgcw08E0obtbGJA  
• www.scientology-cult.com/the-destruction-of-my-family.html  
• www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-the-aftermath

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When Linda Price graduated high school, her dream of the perfect life was with a home, a baby, and a husband. These all eventually came to fruition, but not in the way she had imagined. An unfulfilling childhood led to Linda seeking love in the wrong places, getting involved with multiple abusive men, and becoming addicted to drugs. She was always on the run, trying to escape life.

After becoming pregnant with Devin, who was featured in our past 2 episodes, all Linda wanted was to give him the love and care she never had. Sadly, she struggled with this, too, and would later give Devin the painful apology that “the drug was more important than you were.” From times of using drugs together to Linda refusing to take her only son in when he had nowhere else to go, their lives have been an emotional rollercoaster. 

With the mother and son now sober, living under the same roof, and Devin getting his life on track after finishing his prison sentence, we conclude the Price family series with a happy ending and positive outlook. Linda now has the son she always hoped she could raise. To persevere through so many challenges in life is truly inspirational, and we thank Devin and Linda for sharing their stories.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

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Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

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Devin Price blames nobody but himself for the direction his life took. As a kid, Devin thought his childhood was fairly normal. His dad ran off and his mother became addicted to drugs, but Devin’s grandparents did their best to provide a stable, loving home. By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning. 

In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence. 

At the end of Part 1, Devin had just been pulled over by police, with a car full of drugs, and contemplated suicide in that moment. He faced a long list of charges, all of which carried a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fortunately, Devin didn’t spend that long behind bars.

At 29, he’s still young, recently out of prison, has a new outlook on life, a job, and is taking things one day at a time. Hear how Devin dealt with prison and kept clean, what’s motivating him to stay away from drugs and alcohol now, and some inspiring words for other people who may find themselves in a similar situation.   

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

HBO Red Onion State Prison Documentary Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAOzxZNJyE  

Write to or help prisoners: www.writeaprisoner.com

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: [email protected] 

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Devin Price blames nobody but himself for the direction his life took. As a kid, Devin thought his childhood was fairly normal. His dad ran off and his mother became addicted to drugs, but Devin’s grandparents did their best to provide a stable, loving home. 

By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning. In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence. Looking back, it seemed that Devin had plenty of skills, they were simply misused. 

Now, at 29, Devin is still young, and recently out of prison. He’s clean, has a new outlook on life, and is ready to share his story. 

In this series, Devin takes us through his life from beginning to now, as we hear his story and follow his progress trying to stay clean and get back on his feet.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: [email protected] 

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Howard Heathcote grew up in a house of addicts. Out of 2 parents and 9 children, only one, an older sister of Howard’s, miraculously avoided drugs and alcohol completely. Aside from that miraculous exception, fate was all but sealed for the rest of the family.  

There was never a shortage of alcohol, pills, and cocaine at Howard’s home. He became addicted at the kitchen table, with his parents, before his Mom passed away when he was only 10 years old. As Howard shares his life story during this 2-part series, you’ll hear of one shockingly unfortunate occurrence after another. 

By just 13 years old, Howard was a full-blown alcoholic. He remained that way until 7 years later when he was no longer an alcohol addict, but a heroin addict. His lifestyle inevitably led him to crime, and that led him to spend nearly a decade in prison, beginning in 1997. 

Howard is 53 now. And while life isn’t without challenges, he is clean and doing well. He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative 

Shooting Star performed by Linda Nusca

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Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Howard Heathcote grew up in a house of addicts. Out of 2 parents and 9 children, only one, an older sister of Howard’s, miraculously avoided drugs and alcohol completely. Aside from that miraculous exception, fate was all but sealed for the rest of the family.  

There was never a shortage of alcohol, pills, and cocaine at Howard’s home. He became addicted at the kitchen table, with his parents, before his Mom passed away when he was only 10 years old. As Howard shares his life story during this 2-part series, you’ll hear of one shockingly unfortunate occurrence after another. 

By just 13 years old, Howard was a full-blown alcoholic. He remained that way until 7 years later when he was no longer an alcohol addict, but a heroin addict. His lifestyle inevitably led him to crime, and that led him to spend nearly a decade in prison, beginning in 1997. Howard is 53 now. And while life isn’t without challenges, he is clean and doing well.

He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative 

This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license: Mary Brett Loroson - Theme From Whatever

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: [email protected] 

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It takes a special person to be a leader. One thing historians have questioned for years is the apparent mental instability of both great and terrible leaders alike. Do the qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for a strong leader? What traits are common among them? 

Nassir Ghaemi looks at this very topic in his book, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness. Ghaemi is an academic psychiatrist, author, and Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He’s written a number of books on mental illness and mood disorders and has contributed to many other published works.

Host Karla Stephens-Tolstoy talks with Nassir today, and we’ll hear specifically about 3 leaders and their struggles with mental health: Dr. Martin Luther King, Gandi, and John F Kennedy. Not only are the stories interesting, but also inspiring, and serve as a reminder to those suffering from mental illness that there’s no limit to what they can achieve in life.  

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative 

Links: 

• www.amazon.ca/First-Rate-Madness-Uncovering-Between-Leadership/dp/0143121332  
• www.nassirghaemi.com
• www.amazon.ca/Rising-Star-Making-Barack-Obama/dp/0062641832 

This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license: Mary Brett Loroson - Johnson City

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: [email protected] 

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.