Here on the peripheral, we talked a lot about drinking and alcoholism. Something we've never discussed is what happens once you stop drinking.

What is it like to live a sober lifestyle? How does the rest of the world treat somebody who chooses not to consume alcohol? You might not realize how intertwined drinking is in our culture and society. In everything we do, alcohol is available. In any event or situation, even at church, alcohol will be provided.

It's accessible anywhere, and even when there's a global pandemic, liquor stores are considered vital or essential. I stopped drinking several years ago, and at every event I attend or outing I go on, I face peer pressure, shaming, and even ridicule for not drinking.

Today, I speak with Rebekah, who recently celebrated her seventh year of sobriety. I decided to have a conversation with her and ask about her experiences after choosing to give up alcohol.

Check out Rebekah's new podcast!

https://www.tyfyipod.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hi_itsrebekah/

I have ADHD. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. I've had it all my life but was only diagnosed a few years ago. I was told I had anxiety and depression for many years which I'm sure my ADHD presented as but ultimately the root cause for my issues had always been ADHD. ADHD has dozens of traits or symptoms associated with it and with the advent of the smart phones and social media, lot of people are self diagnosing but there are differences between being addicted to your phone and actually having the disorder. To get a better understanding of ADHD I speak with Andrew who is a licensed therapist, Husband, father and "Neurospicy."

https://linktr.ee/neurospicycounseling

https://www.instagram.com/neurospicycounseling/

Welcome back to the peripheral, I was on the wine and crime podcast, ep 67 gossip at the corpse cart, Amanda and Lucy are hilarious and we had a lot of fun chatting. They do my astrology chart so please check that out. Also if you're in the northeast Aaron and I will be at the Berkshire podcast festival in north Adams Massachusetts . Oct 18-20 use code Generation2024 for 35% off your ticket.

Today's episode is a little different. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jake Deptula from Strictly Stalking and LoveLustFear podcast. It's an interesting conservation between two similar podcasters who interview guests about traumatic events. We discuss what it's like being on the other side of the microphone, ways to protect yourself from stalking and resources that are available for stalking victims.

https://linktr.ee/StrictlyStalking

https://www.stalkingawareness.org/

http://www.standupresources.com/

http://www.victimconnect.org/

https://www.stopstalkingus.com/

http://www.cagoldberglaw.com/

https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/

https://wineandcrimepodcast.com/show_episodes/ep67-gossip-at-the-corpse-cart/

We can all sit back in our comfortable lives and question other people's decisions. Especially when it comes to relationships. We think we know what we'd do if we were put in that situation or walked in someone else's shoes but we don't. It's easy to say everyone is accountable for their own actions but what if those actions have been molded and manipulated but someone who has broken you down, striped away your identity and made you believe that you deserved all of the terrible things they've said or did to you?

My guest today paints a pretty clear picture of a cycle of abuse that she endured and how it affected her judgement of others and more importantly, herself.

We hear a lot of stories about trauma and abuse on this podcast. After losing all of my siblings to mental health issues and addiction I must admit that I sometimes don't hold much hope that people can change, people can turn their lives around or persevere.

We can loosely connect the dots between childhood trauma to mental health disorders as an adult. On this episode my wonderful guest and friend Shane Waters joins me. Through Shane's wonderful story telling, he connects those dots from his childhood trauma to his behavior as an adult.

Here are Shane's shows: Foul Play and Hometown History.

On today's episode I speak with Travis Myers who is a retired NYC Detective who has some incredible stories. It was such a casual conversation that we actually forgot to talk about his books! I've provided links below.

Travis talks about his frustrations and accomplishments as a police detective, his time in the military and what it was like during 911 living in NYC.

Amazon Link to our first book Sister Margaret, I don't think you need more books than that?

Sister Margaret: A Tommy Keane Novel: Myers, Travis J, Marsiguerra, Natasha K: 9781734337006: Amazon.com: Books

Bully Press link: Home | Bully Press

Bully Press Instagram: BULLY PRESS (@bullypress) • Instagram photos and videos

Tommy Keane Fan Page: Tommy Keane Fan Page (@official_tommy_keane_fanpage) • Instagram photos and videos

Today I speak with Marcus who hosts the podcast Secrets of a Sugar Daddy.

Marcus is very honest and unapologetic about his sugar dating lifestyle. He is extremely knowledgeable and shares his personal expirences with sugar dating and advice on navigating the lifestyle.

Find his Podcast here.

Welcome back to the peripheral, I missed last month so I owe you all an episode that I should be putting out in the next couple of weeks. I had made an instagram story saying I'm planning on having some big names and influencers on the peripheral this year. For this episode I speak with Aaron who was bullied from elementary school well into high school. Aaron wouldn't be able to focus on his studies and his grades would suffer. His parents transferred him to a private catholic school in hopes of helping his falling grades but things would only get worse. I also share details about how I avoided being bullied by having a friend group where we stood up for one another.

You might recognize Aaron from another podcast you know and love.

Most people know I mostly steer clear of politics. I refrain from ever giving my opinion about any current events or political candidates on this podcast or generation why. I figure people are listening to this content as a When it comes to political theater of today, it's changed a lot over my lifetime. It's become far more polarized even to the point where conspiracy theories have become commonplace and absurd ideas are now thrown out as fact.

Whether you're the president or a gamer kid online, your words matter. Not everything is black and white, every event doesn't have an agenda, sometimes there are shades of gray.

On today's episode I speak with Bella where politics and conspiracy become the root cause of the story.

Welcome back to the peripheral and happy new year. We all have our new year's resolutions. What is a resolution? It's something you want to change about your life, yourself, something you want to do differently. Maybe it's seeing the world in a better light. It's doing something for yourself, setting a boundary, exercising, eating better, or stopping a bad habit.

But all of those things are a transition. All of those things are a conscious decision that you want to make to be more true to yourself. On today's episode, I speak with Holden a trans man who knew they were in the wrong body from a young age.

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