x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Beyond the Monsters

A podcast where people share real stories of trauma, survival, mental health, and the darkest moments of their lives. Trauma, abuse, true crime, resilience, and the long road toward healing are at the center of every episode. These conversations go deeper than the surface to uncover the truth of what they lived through, what it cost them, and how they found the strength to rise again. It is real, emotional, and driven by the belief that when survivors speak, others find the courage to heal.Hosted by

society & culture personal journals,

All Episodes

1:03:43

75: Raised by Addiction and a Con Artist Then Held...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/03/25

Ember grew up surrounded by manipulation, addiction, and instability that shaped her life long before she had the ability to understand or escape it. With a father in and out of prison for organized crime and a mother struggling with severe alcoholism, she was forced into survival mode early. By her teenage years, she was already raising her younger sister while navigating emotional abuse, financial exploitation, and constant instability. The environment she was raised in shaped how she viewed love,

en

1:04:48

74: From a Rising BMX Career to Homelessness,...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/03/18

Tony was once a talented BMX athlete with a promising future before addiction took over his life in his early twenties. What followed was a rapid descent into homelessness, drug addiction, and eventually prison. But prison became the turning point that forced him to confront everything he had been running from and rebuild his life from the inside out.After his release, Tony returned to BMX racing, competing professionally and eventually coaching at the Olympic level. He went on to become a

en

1:06:05

73: One Week in Drug-Induced Psychosis

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/03/11

A birthday celebration with friends, music, THC, and psychedelic mushroom tea quickly turned into something terrifying. Within days, Shannon began experiencing drug-induced psychosis. Music felt like it was speaking directly to her, television shows appeared filled with hidden messages, and everyday sights like billboards and street signs started to feel like coded signals guiding her through a test she believed she had to pass. As severe sleep deprivation set in, paranoia intensified and reality

en

1:11:39

72: He Took Two Lives in a Drunk Driving Crash at 24

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/03/04

At 24 years old, Martin made a decision that would change multiple families forever. After a day of heavy drinking, he got behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve and caused a fatal DUI crash that left two women dead and another man seriously injured. He was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison, day for day. What followed was not a story about excuses. It was a story about accountability, addiction, guilt, shame, and what happens when you are forced to confront the irreversible consequences of

en

1:16:29

71: She Helps Solve Murder Cases as a Psychic Medium

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/27

A former tennis pro turned forensic psychic medium, Nichole Duncan, shares how a remote viewing session cracked open an entirely new reality. What began with scientific curiosity about telepathy and intuition led to verified details in missing persons cases, homicide investigations, and human trafficking work. From describing evidence later confirmed by law enforcement to navigating strict ethical boundaries around spiritual consent, she explains how mediumship intersects with criminal cases without

en

52:57

70: Surviving a Violent Home Invasion

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/25

Lori was finishing a work project in her mother’s quiet home when a violent home invasion began with men kicking in the front door. Within seconds she was running upstairs toward her firearm, calculating escape routes in real time, and opening fire as armed intruders stormed the hallway. When her gun malfunctioned and one of the intruders returned fire, everything shifted in an instant. One bullet tore through her body, ruptured her intestine, destroyed blood vessels, and ultimately led to a below

en

54:44

69: After 10,000 Searches, a Retired K9 Faces a...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/18

Chris spent 23 years in law enforcement, 18 of them in K9, but nothing prepared him for bonding with the dog no one else wanted. Tambo had cycled through handlers, labeled aloof and difficult, until the two recognized something familiar in each other. What followed was an explosive detection career, a devastating cancer diagnosis, emergency surgery costing over $10,000, and a prognosis of just weeks to live. Instead of accepting an expiration date, Chris chose to fight, documenting Tambo’s

en

1:53:22

68: Infiltrating a Motorcycle Club After His Father’s...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/11

Paul Hurley shares a life shaped by institutional betrayal, childhood abuse, and a family court system that protected power over truth. After discovering his identity had been legally altered as a child and surviving physical abuse in his own home, Paul later fought a seven-year custody battle when his children were removed from him under false allegations. He uncovers how a police department, CPS worker, psychologist, and judge failed to contact him after his children were sexually abused in their

en

37:33

BTM Special: Married to the Wolf of Wall Street and...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/07

Dr. Nae (Nadine Macaluso) speaks from lived experience about what coercive control actually looks like behind wealth, power, and public spectacle. Known to the world as the real-life wife portrayed in The Wolf of Wall Street, she unpacks the psychological mechanics woven throughout the story, explaining how trauma bonding, intimidation, manipulation, and addiction shaped daily life inside the relationship. What many viewers recognized as chaos or entertainment is reframed as part of a sustained

en

1:29:27

67: Protecting Her Stepchildren From CSA and the...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/02/04

Kitty shares how the family court system used parental alienation claims and court-ordered reunification therapy to forcibly remove children from their protective parent and place them with their abusive parent, exposing a devastating pattern of institutional failure.After marrying a man with sole custody of two young boys, concerning behavioral changes and SA disclosures emerged following court-ordered visitation with their biological mother. Counselors, forensic interviews, and law enforcement

en

1:01:47

66: Her Ex Tried to Murder Her After She Left

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/01/28

Larissa survived an attempted murder by a former partner who had spent months isolating, controlling, and manipulating her under the guise of protection and faith. She recounts how what appeared stable and safe escalated into coercive control, sexual violence, stalking, and a near-fatal shooting that led to the amputation of several fingers.In the aftermath, Larissa navigates the psychological recovery that follows surviving extreme violence. She speaks to what it takes to escape, what happens after

en

2:39:05

65: Being Married to an Abusive Serial Cheater...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/01/21

Kyleigh shares the continuation of her story, detailing the escalation of domestic violence, coercive control, emotional abuse, and psychological manipulation within her marriage. The pattern includes physical assault, sexual boundary violations, gaslighting, intimidation, and explicit threats tied to military careers and reputation. Alongside the violence, Kyleigh describes repeated infidelity, secret relationships, deleted messages, inappropriate emotional and sexual boundaries with other women,

en

1:51:09

64: A Life Shaped by Foster Care, Failed Adoption,...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/01/14

Kyleigh’s story begins in Eastern Iowa, moving through foster care in early childhood before being adopted at a young age. Inside that adoptive home, she describes years of SA, physical abuse, neglect, and adults who prioritized image over child safety. As a teenager, after a report was finally taken seriously, Kyleigh was removed by authorities and placed back into the system, moving through temporary placements before transitioning into independent living.Adulthood did not bring immediate

en

1:21:49

63: Custody Battle With a Sexual Predator and a...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/01/07

What began as a marriage marked by love bombing, manipulation, and emotional volatility escalated into a custody battle rooted in coercive control, deception, and credible allegations of sexual harm. Indee describes years of psychological abuse, isolation, and intimidation, including being physically restrained, gaslit, and threatened into silence. As she attempted to leave, the abuse intensified, evolving into legal retaliation, false narratives, and a calculated effort to maintain power through

en

1:15:54

62: Kidnapped by Somali Pirates for 93 Days, Rescued...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2026/01/03

Jessica Buchanan never imagined that a career rooted in service would lead her into one of the most extreme survival situations imaginable. A former schoolteacher turned humanitarian aid worker, she was kidnapped while working in Somalia and held captive for 93 days in the desert. What began as a mission driven by responsibility, purpose, and service became a fight for survival involving armed captors, ransom negotiations, physical illness, psychological terror, and the constant uncertainty of

en

1:24:49

61: SAed by Best Friend at 5 Years Old

Beyond the Monsters ·

2025/12/31

Nick experienced childhood sexual abuse that began when he was around five years old by his first best friend. This was a case of peer-on-peer sexual abuse, a form of childhood sexual assault that is often misunderstood, minimized, or overlooked despite its long-term psychological impact. At that age, he did not have the developmental ability to consent, understand, or stop what was happening, while fear, confusion, and secrecy became his primary survival responses. What occurred was not

en

1:14:34

60: A Car Crash Took His Leg and Fueled a Long Battle...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2025/12/27

John Mabry was 21 years old when a catastrophic car crash during his senior year of college killed a close friend and ultimately led to the amputation of his leg. What followed were years of surgeries, chronic pain, phantom limb pain, and the psychological impact of limb loss that no one prepared him for. On the outside, his life appeared extraordinary, including Hollywood film and television appearances, major network shows, and access to elite spaces like the Playboy Mansion. Beneath that surface,

en

1:51:22

59: Her Ex Falsely Called CPS When She Left Him and...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2025/12/24

Scarlet McKenzie shares the moment her attempt to leave a controlling relationship escalated into something far more devastating. After enduring coercive control, surveillance, isolation, and retaliation, her child was taken without a warrant or court order following false allegations. What followed was a fight against a system that ignored due process, dismissed evidence, and repeatedly failed to protect families while prioritizing procedure over truth. Her story exposes how power, control, and

en

1:01:11

58: Suddenly Losing Her 15 Year Old Son to a Baseball...

Beyond the Monsters ·

2025/12/20

Jes lost her fifteen-year-old son, Rayce, to a baseball-sized brain tumor that no one knew was there, a loss that unfolded in a matter of hours and changed the course of her life forever. She grew up in a small town in Utah and lost her mother to cancer at thirteen, an early grief that quietly shaped how she learned to survive, adapt, and care for others long before she became a parent. As an adult, Jes built her life around her three children, immersing herself in the demanding world of competitive

en

1:58:17

57: Two Moms Who Lost Their Sons to Fentanyl Overdoses

Beyond the Monsters ·

2025/12/17

Kristi and Katrina are two mothers bound by the unthinkable loss of their sons during the height of the fentanyl crisis. Their stories trace long, complex journeys through addiction, grief, survival, and the systems that repeatedly failed their children. From early trauma, mental health struggles, and substance use to the devastating reality of fentanyl exposure, their paths reveal how addiction does not begin in isolation and does not end with a single decision. Their experiences challenge the

en

80 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger