I read Janine Latus's 336-page book, "If I Am Missing or Dead", years ago. I finished it in two days. It was that compelling a read. I reached out to her many times since then, and she has always answered me. She is so special.

Janine has been called "...the most compelling speaker on sexual assault and relationship abuse I've ever heard." I believe that is spot on. 

Why is that? She knows it because she has lived it.

Janine has come face to face with domestic abuse starting as a young girl. As much as she tried for this not to happen to her again later in life, she ended up in an abusive relationship that nearly cost her her life.

The most-cherished person in Janine's life, her sister Amy, also fell prey to domestic violence. Amy trusted a man who took complete advantage of her. They way Janine tells this will take your breath away.

Janine Latus has given countless speeches before diverse audiences. She is nationally-known as a powerful force for bringing lifesaving information to those who need it most. 

Set aside an hour and listen to this episode with Janine Latus. I promise you it will be time invested wisely.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blair wrote me and said, “The more I listen to your podcast the more I feel compelled to share.”

Blair grew up, in her words, “Surrounded and molded by the dysfunction of my parents' volatile dynamic.” She describes that time in her life, and you will feel it.

Later, she suffered dating abuse only days after graduating high school. She details what it was like and how it felt. Like most victims, she was lured into this with careful manipulation and grooming. It lasted five years. Like all "DV" survivors, when she hit her breaking point, only then did she realize and commit to breaking free.

There’s much to be gained by listening to Blair's story. She is another heroic survivor who is shining a bright light on what domestic violence is—and how she reclaimed herself. Today, Blair lives in a happy and healthy relationship surrounded by her husband, her two adorable children, and her dogs.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 3, 2005, Detective Jim McGowan contacted me with knowledge about what happened to my daughter.

Earlier that day, he interviewed Kristin's murderer, her ex-boyfriend, Nick. From that time until now, Nick has remained incarcerated. 

Over the years, I've gained invaluable insights from Jim on why abusers do what they do and why abused women stay in dangerous relationships. Jim shares this and more in this WHEN DATING HURTS episode. 

This is a "must-listen-to" episode for parents, friends, and families of women who are, or might be, in dating relationships.

I am certain this episode will save someone's life.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Sara" is a domestic violence survivor. She is also my cousin.

Sara appeared to be in a perfect marriage. A nice home and three healthy boys. But her ex-husband eventually devolved into a serial abuser. She did all she could to coerce him into getting help, but nothing seemed to work. When living with this man became dangerous, she needed to break free. 

Listen to a narrative of patience and courage. Sara took years before she could tell her story. We applaud her for sharing it with us on the WHEN DATING HURTS podcast. 

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheri Kurdakul is a domestic abuse survivor. There is nothing typical about the abuse she suffered. Like many survivors of abuse, her story is challenging to listen to, but there is much to be learned from her.

Most survivors I've met tell of frequent times they were on the receiving end of despicable abuse. But they also speak about the inventive ways they endured and eventually overcame those circumstances. This is one of those stories.

At first, you might feel sorry for Sheri, but later you will come to admire and celebrate her courage and a desire to rise above. 

This is Sheri's story.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karen Widdoss is a courageous survivor of a murderous assault suffered when she was a young teen. 

In the summer of 1994, her ex-boyfriend attacked her and nearly took her life. How she managed to hold onto her life is miraculous. 

Karen has added her voice to survivors of violent crimes by speaking out about her experiences so no other woman would ever suffer as she has. 

In this episode, we talk about "Karen’s Law" which dramatically changes the way parole board hearings are handled. "Karen's Law" was passed on November 25, 2020 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

Karen Widdoss has continually used her tragedy to dramatically help others in need. 

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I was urged to run this episode again. IT'S SO POWERFUL!

One of our well-informed WHEN DATING HURTS listeners sent me an email with a list of things you must do before leaving your abuser. In this episode, you will hear about the kinds of items a domestic violence counselor will tell you while figuring out an escape plan to safety.

This is a short episode but one of our most valuable. You might have a pen and paper handy so don't miss anything.

Share this episode with friends and family who might need to hear it. You never know when someone is suffering in an unhealthy relationship today and needs to start preparing for a safe escape.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part two of a two-part story. 

Taylor is a 39-year-old survivor from northern New York. She is two years with no contact from her emotionally abusive ex-partner.   

The only way she was able to escape was by educating herself about these types of individuals, and she thinks it’s important to reinforce the gut feelings that most of us feel when we first get involved.

Taylor felt sorry for her ex-partner and let her empathy overpower her intuition. She has learned much since leaving this man and truly feels like she is a completely different person now.

She has boundaries, self-love, and self-respect once again. She says, “Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I truly feel that if I did not leave correctly I would have been murdered.”   

The final straw was when he used intimidation as well as stalking. He showed who he truly was at the end, but she also showed him who she truly was by never giving in.

Taylor: “I’m so incredibly grateful for podcasts like yours. It’s two years later and I still think of him daily. These types of people are imbedded into our psyches. The knowledge (WHEN DATING HURTS) passes along is invaluable and definitely keeps me headed in the only safe direction which is far away from him. Thank you so very much.”  

Listen to Taylor’s story and watch as the warning signs are made present—and how she disregards them. This is another cautionary tale that offers us insights into how dating and domestic violence sneaks in and take innocent people over.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part one of a two-part story.

Taylor is a 39-year-old survivor from northern New York. She is two years with no contact from her emotionally abusive ex-partner.

The only way she was able to escape was by educating herself about these types of individuals, and she thinks it’s important to reinforce the gut feelings that most of us feel when we first get involved.

Taylor felt sorry for her ex-partner and let her empathy overpower her intuition. She has learned much since leaving this man and truly feels like she is a completely different person now.

She has boundaries, self-love, and self-respect once again. She says, “Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I truly feel that if I did not leave correctly I would have been murdered.”

The final straw was when he used intimidation as well as stalking. He showed who he truly was at the end, but she also showed him who she truly was by never giving in.

Taylor: “I’m so incredibly grateful for podcasts like yours. It’s two years later and I still think of him daily. These types of people are imbedded into our psyches. The knowledge (WHEN DATING HURTS) passes along is invaluable and definitely keeps me headed in the only safe direction which is far away from him. Thank you so very much.”

Listen to Taylor’s story and watch as the warning signs are made present—and how she disregards them. This is another cautionary tale that offers us insights into how dating and domestic violence sneaks in and take innocent people over.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My three-part interview with Annie reveals a smart, innocent, creative, and fragile young woman giving her best to find a sustainable life.

Her desire to share her successes and failures is on full display here. Annie takes us back to her childhood days moving from Wisconsin to Texas to Alaska and back to Wisconsin. Her father’s Air Force career makes the transfers necessary. Her biggest move was after college when she looked for work in Brooklyn, New York.

Making friends was difficult, and loneliness was a constant. Her introspection allows an extraordinary view into the thought process of a woman working through a maze she thinks she created for herself.

Annie describes intimate relationships that launch with hope, but in every instance, something gets in the way. The relationships which became abusive are where she shows us what she didn’t know, and here is where we can gain the most learning.

Annie’s desire was to inform our audience about what can be going on in the mind of a person who doesn’t get the kinds of help she needed from childhood to adulthood. She was left to fend for herself.

Annie is another courageous survivor who knows sharing a personal story can inform—and often free—another innocent victim or survivor.

Thank you for listening to our WHEN DATING HURTS podcast,

Bill Mitchell

WhenDatingHurts.com

NOTE:

If you are a survivor and want to share your story of abuse on the WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast, please email me: [email protected]

The WHEN DATING HURTS book (in paperback, eBook, and audiobook) can be found on Amazon.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline – The Hotline.org – Call 800-799-SAFE

• LoveIsRespect – Call 866-331-9474

• RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) – RAINN.org – Call 800-656-4673

• SUICIDE HELPLINE: Call 988

DISCLAIMER:

The WHEN DATING HURTS Podcast is providing this platform for information to be shared. We do not state with any certainty that anything is true or untrue. Understand that what you hear is the viewpoint of the people sharing. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices