“Dressing as a woman for the first drag for the first time certainly had an enormous impact on my life.” An award-winning author, artist and journalist with Ivy League degrees, Meredith Talusan’s story has humble beginnings. She grew up in a rural village in the Philippines, born an albino boy. As the only light-skinned and light-haired child for miles and miles -- who also happened to like other boys -- Meredith was used to feeling different. But when she immigrated to the U.S., her sense of co...
Feb 16, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
“There's a tremendous amount of stigma about coming forward, especially for men.” It wasn’t until Phil Goldstein was 30 years old he began unpacking a childhood trauma subconsciously affecting his adult life. As a kid, Phil was sexually abused by his older brother, and he kept it to himself for years, along with feelings of shame, guilt and fear. But when Phil met the woman who'd become his wife, sex and intimacy problems led him to therapy, where he opened up about his childhood sexual abuse. A...
Feb 09, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 9
“Every single day was just complete hell.” Ashley Brumbaugh’s father was her hero without a cape. So, when he was diagnosed with cancer, Ashley fell apart. Internalized stress led to chronic pain, which brought about an addiction to painkillers at 14. After her father died, Ashley spent years in and out of depression, self-isolation and substance abuse. But this wasn’t the end of her trauma. While in recovery, Ashley was trapped in an abusive relationship that lasted 6 years. Eventually, she lef...
Jan 05, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 8
"I knew that if we were to share people's stories, we would help connect others and help others find a positive path forward in some way." For two seasons, we've shared the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary struggles -- and now, it's time for our story! In this bonus episode, we share the genesis of the podcast, who we are and why we're doing this. We also highlight some of the episodes that resonated especially with us -- although it's hard to pick a few: Marcus Bullock from e...
Dec 30, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 7
" It’s so surreal to lose two people at the same time, especially in this sort of really dramatic, violent, unthinkable sort of way. " Sara Cobb is, unfortunately, no stranger to death and grief. Her oldest brother, Steven, died as a child when he climbed up a power line he mistook for a tree. He was electrocuted while his younger brother, Skyler, helplessly watched. Skyler was never the same after that. Decades later, Sara received a call that Skyler and his fiancee had died in a murder-suicide...
Dec 15, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 6
" I deceived myself to believe that I was being empowered." Aaron Crowley was attending college in LA when a talent scout for a gay porn studio reached out to him with a proposition. Being short on cash, Aaron said yes. He spent the next few years doing gay porn, thinking it was empowering and providing him control over his own sexuality. But that’s what the porn industry wanted him to think. Deep down, Aaron felt degraded, exploited and unloved. It wasn’t until he heard the words “Jesus loves y...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min
“Starting your own business is this perfect incubator for a mental health crisis.” On paper, Jessica Manuszak totally has her life together. She owns a marketing agency and has written copy for companies like Nike and Levi’s. But beneath the surface-level image of successful client bookings and cash flow, Jessica was chronically mentally and physically sick. Then one day, she checked herself into a mental health facility to address her diagnoses. Over the past 7 years, Jessica has worked to take...
Dec 01, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 4
“Near the end of the worst part of my schizophrenia break, I really wasn't living in reality; I was living in hell.” Apollo Ellis’ resume reads like a who’s who of the tech world: Sony, Intel, Apple, Oculus and NVIDIA. This Ph.D. engineer has three degrees in computer science from renowned schools -- and he speaks Chinese. But one thing you’d never guess from his long list of accolades is his past in a gang or his history of drug abuse. Or more notable: his lifelong battle with schizophrenia. Th...
Nov 19, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 3
“My opportunity to be a kid got taken from me very early in my life.” Brenda Myers-Powell was just a child when she turned to prositution to support herself and her two young daughters. Over the next 25 years, Brenda’s life was in the streets, selling her body and numbing herself with drugs. She finally escaped after a customer nearly killed her, and she sought refuge at a safe house where she got counseling and job training. Today, Brenda helps trafficking victims through The Dreamcatcher Found...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 2
“The very first thing I thought when I heard the first shot wasn't why, but it was, "I can't believe the Columbine is happening here.” In the blink of an eye, an ordinary day can turn into horror. On Dec. 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis was with her class when she heard the unmistakable sounds of gunshots. Without hesitation, she crammed herself and her students into a small bathroom -- and saved 16 lives in what's now known as the deadliest elementary school...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 1
“If I'm good at being tiny, I'm going to be the best tiniest person I can be.” Growing up in a picture-perfect family, Amber Hart always felt just mediocre. She wasn’t the smartest student, she wasn’t the best athlete and she didn’t have a knack for music or drama. Eager to stand out at 15, she realized she could be the best at something -- being skinny. Suffering in silence, Amber couldn’t open up to her parents about her eating disorder. She coped by drinking and using drugs, and hid how she f...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 11
“Even opening my eyes was just a miserable experience and I just didn't understand it.” Two years after her sister’s death and in the grips of anguish and despair, Andrea Wilson Woods sat on the edge of a rooftop in San Francisco thinking it would be so easy to leap. Coming to her senses, she decided not to end it all. But that incident sparked something in Andrea: a nagging feeling it wasn’t just a profound grief she had felt since losing her sister. But as Andrea broached the topic with her th...
May 26, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 10
“There are tremendous consequences being raised the way I was.” David Crow grew up poor on the Navajo Indian reservation with a dad who loved telling stories of his Cherokee ancestry and his bravery in World War II. But as David grew older, he saw a more vicious side of his dad. Thurston Crow’s rage knew no limits: Friends, family and foes all were in his cross hairs. After years of volatility, David escaped destitution, graduated from college and launched a career. But the more successful he be...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 9
"It took really everything falling apart in my life to really love myself." Chantel Soumis was 25 when an ordinary trip to the mall ended in a doctor's office -- and a life-changing diagnosis. While that diagnosis gave Chantel answers, she was a new mom and recently unemployed. Suddenly, her future was uncertain and scary. But with the support of her family and personal revelations, Chantel gained hope, and repositioned herself to persevere. She soon reclaimed her career and today advocates for ...
May 12, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 8
“I remember always asking my mother, can I please see a doctor? Can I please see a shrink? This is not normal.” Sulome Anderson wasn’t even born when her father, Terry Anderson, a journalist covering the civil war in Lebanon, was kidnapped. Sulome met her dad for the first time when she was 7 when he was finally released. But what many thought should have been a happily ever after was anything but. Terry had PTSD, and Sulome absorbed his trauma and grew to battle drug abuse and Borderline Person...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 7
"And then I became the invisible disposable kid that my community expected me to be.” After a childhood filled with violence and abuse, Rob Scheer ended up in foster care. He moved through the system with his belongings in a trash bag. The foster care system was a constant reminder of the foster parents who gave up on him, and the birth parents he missed -- despite the abuse. In this special episode, Rob takes us through his journey from foster child to foster parent, shedding light on a system ...
May 02, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 6
“Your love is not going to change that person.” From childhood, Nupur Srivastava had everything going for her: She was beautiful and intelligent, destined for great things. Despite that, she had low self-esteem and used alcohol to dull those feelings. Throughout the years, her drinking got worse. Not only that, Nupur became trapped in abusive relationships -- over and over again. All through this, her older sister Ritu pleaded with Nupur to make a change. It’s Ritu’s story of a sister’s descent ...
Apr 29, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 5
“As soon as I began to talk about it, it wasn’t so scary anymore.” Sims Tillirson was just a child when he had a traumatic experience at the hands of a relative. To deal with the pain, he turned to drugs and alcohol. But years later, as Sims reached a turning point, he found better ways to cope with his trauma -- while also helping others with their own struggles. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com Content warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and addiction. Hosts: Camille Tuutt...
Apr 21, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 4
"If somebody like him can be brought to justice, then anybody can be." Jessica Barth was best known as a Hollywood actor until a scandal involving a famous movie mogul spurred her activism. In the midst of the highly publicized case, Jessica found empowerment in breaking silence and helping others get justice. She used that to launch a nonprofit that strives to eliminate sexual abuse and misconduct entirely. Hosts: Camille Tuutti Sharon Tiger Amanda Ziadeh Guest: Jessica Barth Expert: Yuritzy Go...
Apr 14, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 3
“Yes, I am free. But am I really free, though?” Slavery was abolished in 1865 in America, but as Evelyn Chumbow knows too well, it still happens to this day. As a child, she was trafficked from West Africa and kept as a domestic slave in Maryland for many years until she managed to escape. However, no longer captive, Evelyn discovered freedom came with a new price -- and a set of new challenges. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com Hosts: Camille Tuutti Sharon Tiger Amanda Ziadeh Guest: Evelyn Chumbow...
Apr 07, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 2
“Hey, Mom... um, soo, um, I'm locked up right now...” Marcus Bullock was 15 when he was sentenced to 8 years in an adult maximum security prison for his crime. It was his mother’s relentless love that got him through his trauma, so he went on to develop an app that connects prisoners to their families. Marcus turned his pain into power, opportunity and healing conversation. https://letsnottalkaboutit.com Hosts: Camille Tuutti Sharon Tiger Amanda Ziadeh Guest: Marcus Bullock Expert: Yuritzy Gomez...
Mar 31, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 1
"Let’s (Not) Talk About It" is a groundbreaking new podcast that will change how we talk about trauma. We'll share the stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary tragedies, traumas and suffering. One thing they all have in common: They learned how to thrive rather than just survive. And we'll highlight these stories with humor — because crying is so 2020! Life is hard AF. Sharing it shouldn't be. Find us at https://letsnottalkaboutit.com or email us at hello@letsnottalkaboutit.com...
Mar 27, 2021•1 min
