This week on Beyond the Void, I’m joined by my husband — not just as my cohost, but as someone bravely sharing a chapter of his life that’s rarely spoken aloud.

We’re diving into what it was like growing up with a controlling, unpredictable single mother — the kind of home where love came with conditions, and survival meant staying small, silent, and always on alert.

We talk about the lasting impact of emotional chaos in childhood, how sons learn to bury their pain, and what it takes to finally call it what it was — not “strict parenting,” but something much deeper.

If you grew up thinking your childhood was “just tough,” this episode might hit home.

What happens when the only parent you had… was the one who broke you? In this raw, soul-cutting episode of The Velvet Void, we confront the taboo truth of abusive single mothers—specifically the sons who were expected to protect, absorb, and survive them.

This is about the mother who wasn’t nurturing.

The one who screamed, hit, controlled.

The one who blamed her son for the life she didn’t get to live.

And the boy who never had permission to say, “My mother hurt me.”

We unravel the signs, the psychological impact, the generational echo—and most importantly, where to go from here. If you’ve ever carried a secret scar from the woman who was supposed to love you first… this episode is for you.

He wasn’t just “strict.” He was unpredictable. Distant. Maybe even dangerous. In this episode, we’re stepping into the silence left behind by the father who didn’t show up—or the one who showed up in all the wrong ways.

Whether he was cold and withholding, violent behind closed doors, or the kind of man who demanded obedience but offered no safety… this one’s for you.

We talk about:

• ​ The psychological impact of emotionally unavailable and abusive fathers
• ​ How this wound shows up in adulthood (especially in relationships)
• ​ The myth of the “good provider” masking harm
• ​ Signs you’re still trying to earn a father’s love that never existed
• ​ And how to begin reparenting yourself when your father never did

This isn’t about blame—it’s about breaking the cycle.

If your inner child still flinches when the door slams, this episode might finally explain why.

He worked hard. He stayed. He called it discipline. But deep down—you were terrified of him.

In this episode of The Velvet Void, we’re talking about the fathers who ruled with fear, control, and rage—but were never called abusive.

We break down how “strict parenting” becomes emotional abuse, how trauma from authoritarian fathers rewires your nervous system, and why society protects these men at the expense of their children’s mental health.

If you still flinch when someone raises their voice… if you’re still defending the man who made you feel small… this one is for you.

The silence ends here.

When the Abuse Comes Wrapped in a Smile and a Guilt Trip

This week on Beyond the Void, we’re cracking open the uncomfortable truth: emotionally abusive mothers exist—and society really, really doesn’t want to talk about it.

In this episode, we unpack both our personal experiences and the broader patterns of maternal emotional abuse that often go unnoticed, minimized, or completely denied. Because when the abuse doesn’t come with bruises, people call it “discipline,” or worse… “just how moms are.”

We’re talking:

• ​ Why society protects toxic mothers at all costs
• ​ How martyr moms weaponize guilt, tears, and “all I’ve done for you”
• ​ What emotional abuse actually looks like behind closed doors
• ​ The lifelong impact of being raised by a woman who says she loves you—while slowly eroding your self-worth
• ​ The steps to healing when the voice in your head is still hers

And if you’ve ever tried to set a boundary and got hit with a passive-aggressive meltdown? Or maybe the plowing over your boundaries until you go no contact. Yep. We’re talking about that too.

This one gets deep. And dark. But if you make it to the end? I promise—it gets funnier. We cope how we can, and sometimes, that means roasting our trauma like it’s a Thanksgiving side dish.

For the scapegoats, the cycle breakers, and anyone still untangling love from control—this episode is for you.

What happens when the person who was supposed to love you first… is the one who hurt you the most?

In this episode of The Velvet Void, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most taboo truths in trauma: maternal abuse. The manipulation, the guilt, the gaslighting. The kind of abuse that doesn’t leave bruises—but still leaves scars.

We’re talking about:

• The subtle ways mothers groom their children to stay silent

• The double life of an abusive mom who’s perfect in public and cruel in private

• Why society refuses to believe survivors of maternal abuse

• What healing looks like when your first abuser was your mother

This episode is raw, real, and necessary. If you were raised by someone who made you feel like love had to be earned—and pain was your fault—this is your space.

You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. And you’re not the villain in her story.

💔 Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of emotional abuse, manipulation, and complex family trauma.

Welcome to Beyond the Void—where we tell the stories we were never supposed to say out loud, and somehow end up laughing through the damage.

In this first aftershow episode, we’re unpacking the twisted relationships that shaped us—from questionable parenting to exes who manipulated us into silence. It’s dark. It’s toxic. It’s real. And if you’ve ever tried to explain your trauma while someone called it “just a phase,” this one’s for you.

We’re getting personal. We’re getting petty. And we’re dragging generational dysfunction with humor, truth, and a little side-eye.

🎙️ It’s family trauma, but make it podcast.

🎧 Come for the chaos. Stay for the catharsis.

#TheVelvetVoid #BeyondTheVoid #ToxicButHealing #DarkHumorPodcast #ExesAndParents #TraumaToldWithLipstick

In this powerful premiere episode, we pull back the curtain on what domestic and family violence really looks like—and it’s not always what you think. Abuse isn’t just bruises and broken bones. It can be control masked as love, silence mistaken for peace, and manipulation dressed up as “tradition.”

Pandora shares a raw, honest look at how abuse can hide in plain sight—especially within families. Whether you’ve experienced this firsthand or are trying to understand it for someone you love, this episode lays the foundation for unlearning myths, recognizing red flags, and reclaiming your voice.

You are not crazy. You are not alone. And you deserve more than just survival.

⸻

Includes resources for those in crisis:

📞 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

📲 Text “START” to 88788

💬 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline