You ever wonder what the prequel to the Peripheral was?  Aaron and I have shared many of our own personal stories on the podcast but I wanted to hear listener stories. This was my first interview I did almost a year ago after asking listeners for tragic stories in their lives. Being an IT guy myself, I'm always drawn to cyber crime or scandals and this story was so unbelievable to me that I had to share it. Mhyar wrote to me and told me about an incident that happened to him while chatting with a woman online. https://theeyeopener.com/2014/09/he-was-literally-stabbed-in-the-back/

Things happen to us in life that we just can not plan for. Most of the time we can recover quickly and pick up where we left off. The bodies we occupy can be uncooperative and fragile. Doctors are not perfect and don't always have the answers we need. When you know something is wrong, please be persistent when speaking with any medical professional. Strokes affect 800,000 people in the US alone. Concussions in many cases go untreated and can cause much greater consequences than most realize. Our final story is about Endometriosis. It is estimated that between 6-10% of woman have endometriosis yet is relatively unknown and is routinely misdiagnosed.

I hear a lot of people say their OCD is kicking in and have seen memes on the internet for OCD people ranging from perfectly placed dominoes to OCD tests. Most of what we see or hear about OCD misrepresents the condition and does a disservice to the people who struggle with it. Sarah shares her experience with OCD and how therapy has impacted her.

Anytime we suffer a terrible tragedy we always second guess, point fingers, and place blame. On this episode, I speak with Rob who suffered the loss of a child while living in China. When his daughter Anne got sick, Rob took Anne to every hospital and doctor he could. The environment, culture and even the healthcare system all become barriers he had to overcome in an attempt to save his daughter.  He wanted to share his experience living abroad, his loss, and the story of his daughter so she'll never be forgotten.

We all have done stupid stuff in our lives. I asked for stories about getting arrested and I got them! I received so many I only responded to the first 3.  Brian, Jamie and Colin share stories ranging from a DUI, driving 156 mph on the highway, to vandalism. All of their stories have twists and turns that kept me guessing what was going to happen next. We all learn from our mistakes and hopefully learn what we should and shouldn't do (reminds me of an old Clash song!).  

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It's hard to wrap your head around the untold number of unreported rapes that happen. It also might be hard for some to understand why we don't report when we've been assaulted or raped. In this episode I speak with two guests who talk about the aftermath of reporting their attacks. The results should shed light on why victims hesitate to report this crime.

I've never had much exposure to eating disorders and did not understand the havoc they wreak on the human body. On this episode I speak with Kristel and Lauren who both suffer from bulimia. This wasn't an easy episode for me to do and I know it wasn't easy for them. I hope anyone listening gains an understanding that eating disorders are a combination of compulsion, addiction and many other disorders.

For this episode I speak with Ruckus who walks me through the underground world of male sex work. It's a casual conversation about how he keeps himself safe while still delivering services to new clients.  Forewarning, this episode covers adult themes that may not be suitable for bosses or co-workers in a professional environment ;)

I've always felt slightly alienated during the holidays. Everyone seems to love the time they get to spend with their families.  I rarely speak with my mother and try to avoid family get togethers at all costs. Instead I make time for people that I feel truly love and support me, my friends and my wife. I haven't gone so far as to cut off any family but I do speak with two guests who have.

I'm turning 40 so this week I'd like to give the listeners what they want. Apparently "my story" is in high demand.  I talk about all the times I was arrested, my drug use and give personal details about my teen years.  I'll take you through some of the events that have molded my views and perceptions on life. I hope listeners gain some understanding and empathy for even the most troubled individuals.