Beyond the Monsters

Jori lost her fiancé to an overdose after trying to save him from a hidden addiction to pills that began before they met. Kyle came into her life on New Year’s Eve and quickly became someone she saw a future with, outgoing, magnetic, and deeply loved by everyone around him. As their relationship grew, so did the life they were building together, but behind it, he was quietly battling a pill addiction. It quickly turned into the reality of loving someone struggling with substance abuse, relapse, and the cycle of recovery attempts that didn’t last. Jori found herself questioning the signs of addiction in real time, trying to make sense of behavior changes, secrecy, and the emotional weight of being in a relationship affected by addiction.

After losing her fiancé to an overdose just eight months after having their son, Jori was left navigating grief, trauma, and the lasting impact of sudden loss. She was now facing life without her partner and the father of her child, a loss that reshaped everything moving forward. She shares what it’s really like to love someone through addiction, the moments that don’t make sense at the time, and the ones that stay with you long after they’re gone. She also opens up about the loss of her best friend in a car accident she witnessed at 10 years old, a moment that stayed with her and shaped how she processes grief, trauma, and emotional attachment.

Jori’s Links:
https://www.instagram.com/jorikinney
Jori’s Podcast - Shattered Silence:
https://www.youtube.com/@ShatteredSilencePodcast
https://www.instagram.com/shatteredsilencepod
https://linktr.ee/shatteredsilencepod

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters
https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: addiction, overdose, grief, relationships, mental health, loss, trauma healing, substance abuse
If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:
https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tressa was 21 years old when she attended a company party expecting a normal night with coworkers. Within minutes of taking a shot, she began to lose control of her body. She was drugged, taken out of the bar, carried to an apartment, and left alone with a man she had never met. What followed was hours of rape and violent assault that resulted in severe, permanent physical injuries and long-term medical complications that still impact her life today.

In the aftermath, Tressa was forced to repeatedly recount what happened to law enforcement, medical staff, and investigators while navigating an invasive forensic exam and a system that questioned her account. She shares the reality of what happens after rape, including the physical trauma, the psychological impact of sexual assault, and the way these cases are handled behind the scenes. More than two decades later, Tressa is now working with state and federal lawmakers to reform the sex offender registry, using her experience to advocate for change and bring awareness to the long-term impact people live with after sexual violence.

Resources:
RAINN
24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline
1-800-656-HOPE
https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/

Crisis Text Line
741741

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
988

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters
https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: violent crime, date rape drug, sexual assault (SA), true crime, victim advocacy
If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:
https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, trust, and safety, making her vulnerable to repeated patterns of manipulation in adulthood.

As an adult, those patterns escalated into domestic violence, coercive control, and a situation where she was held in a motel for weeks under psychological and physical abuse. She eventually escaped by using the same manipulation tactics she was raised around. Even after getting out, the cycle didn’t immediately end. She continued to encounter people who exploited her trust, including someone she lived with for years who was secretly struggling with addiction and deception. Ember is now in the process of rebuilding her life, setting boundaries, and working in crisis support to help others, while actively breaking the patterns she was conditioned to accept.

Ember’s links:
https://www.instagram.com/survivorsalchemy

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters
https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: human trafficking, domestic violence, trauma recovery, narcissistic abuse, coercive control, childhood trauma
If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:
https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 nationally recognized speaker and the founder of multiple addiction treatment centers dedicated to helping people stabilize during the earliest and most dangerous stages of recovery. His work is built on a simple belief: people are not defined by their worst chapter, and with the right tools, accountability, and support, transformation is possible.

Tony’s links:
https://www.instagram.com/tonymhoffman
www.tonyhoffmanspeaking.com

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters Socials
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters
https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: addiction recovery, prison transformation, recovery story, substance abuse, personal growth
If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:
https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 blurred. Friends became threats, strangers felt dangerous, and the streets of Orlando became a maze of symbols she believed would determine whether she lived or died.

For nearly a week she wandered through this altered reality experiencing psychosis, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts, convinced she was trapped in a world designed to punish or test her. After being hospitalized and treated, Shannon slowly returned to reality. Her story reveals how quickly the mind can fracture under trauma, substances, and lack of sleep, and why conversations about mental health and psychosis recovery matter more than people realize.

Shannon’s links:
https://www.instagram.com/shannified

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)
1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Beyond the Monsters’ Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters/
https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters

Disclaimer: This podcast shares personal experiences and educational discussion. It is not medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your own care.

Topics: Drug-Induced Psychosis, Mental Health Crisis, Psychedelic Experience, Mental Health Recovery, Trauma Healing

If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here:
https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153

Please contact [email protected] for any business inquiries!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.