“I saw myself in the mirror, and it was like seeing a CGI character…I’m sitting here looking at this frail person that looks nothing like me.” Producer: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: A horrific accident leaves a man severely disabled, but after hitting rock bottom in his recovery a new life opens he could never have imagined Today’s episode featured Dustin Reynolds. Since this interview, Dustin has made it down to Colombia, and is planning on heading to Panama, Galapagos, and Po...
Feb 23, 2021•51 min•Season 10Ep. 179
“Will I ever be able to be one of them ever again, or am I just like an alien now?” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman finally escapes the trauma of her mother’s mental illness only to find a new, more horrifying monster in the very place she finds respite Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening...
Feb 16, 2021•57 min•Season 10Ep. 178
“I felt like my brain was in Saran Wrap…you’re just not all there.” Producer: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: Having adapted to the challenges of growing up with cerebral palsy, a woman is sideswiped into a new life after a crash she can’t remember changes everything. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Andrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/ Episode Sponsors: Candid - candidco.com/happening; Upstart - upstart.com/happening Support t...
Feb 09, 2021•39 min•Season 10Ep. 177
“I was asleep. Everything I was going through was not real, and it’s just this very convincing feeling that you’re right about this” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman develops a severe eating disorder that lands her in intensive psychiatric care, where an extreme treatment program traps her in an alternate reality from which she cannot escape. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https:...
Feb 02, 2021•45 min•Season 10Ep. 176
“They were there to remind me who I was in the world, and it hurt too much on the inside, being hurt on the outside didn’t matter as much.” Producer: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: A man’s rage grows after growing up with racism and abuse, leading to transformative encounters with brutality, violence and ultimately, inner strength. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Andrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/ Support the Show: Support ...
Jan 26, 2021•46 min•Season 10Ep. 175
“The hardest part about the whole thing is just not knowing; for a few hours that night I wasn’t me and that’s terrifying.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman answers a Craigslist ad for a job and ends up on a harrowing night that doesn’t add up Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion...
Jan 19, 2021•53 min•Season 10Ep. 174
“You just think this is a nightmare, and then you realize nope this is my life, this is real.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: A mother faces the ultimate tragedy at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and serve. Today’s episode featured Taun Hall. To find out more about Taun and Miles and the Miles Hall Foundation, go to justiceformileshall.org . There you can see the video mentioned in the episode, donate to the campaign, learn more about the case or get in...
Jan 12, 2021•44 min•Season 10Ep. 173
“I did have a hard time ever really feeling safe anywhere, and the problem was just that inside of me it wasn’t safe so it didn’t matter where I was.” Producers: Whit Missildine Episode Summary : After a brutal rape at age 11, a woman keeps her secret, only to be haunted decades later by events that compel her to confront her deepest fears Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/hap...
Dec 15, 2020•57 min•Season 10Ep. 172
“Looking down the barrel of a gun is devastating….Although I was a kid it was very clear that there was lots of hate, and I was kind of frozen.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: Growing up surrounded by racism and police brutality, a man tries to understand and heal his past by seeing what’s really inside the belly of the beast. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Andrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/ Today’s episode feat...
Dec 08, 2020•38 min•Season 10Ep. 171
“It felt like the earth had stopped rotating like I was trapped in this moment of just complete all-encompassing fear.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A young woman hungry to explore the world goes on a trip to Tanzania and unexpectedly finds herself caught in an endless cycle of impending doom. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Today’s episode featured Emily Caldwell. You can find out more about her on Instagram @emilycaldwell589 Su...
Dec 01, 2020•54 min•Season 10Ep. 170
“I would do everything I could that had to happen to engage with this object that I needed to do and then I would bury it….And I had to realize at a certain point that it was just not going to work.” Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: At a young age, a man develops a fetish for diapers that ends up reshaping the course of his adult life. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Today’s episode featu...
Nov 24, 2020•40 min•Season 10Ep. 169
“It’s like you’ve lost yourself completely, and you’re basically left in a million different pieces.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman self-medicating for anxiety and depression spirals into an alternate reality after an other-worldly encounter Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussio...
Nov 17, 2020•55 min•Season 10Ep. 168
“Once I was able to be in control of what I decide is disgusting instead of having that placed on me, that’s what helped me become friends with the feeling.” Producer: Whit Missildine , Andrew Waits Episode Summary: After growing up in a rigid Christian community, a woman finds beauty in revolting behaviors. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Today’s Guest: Gwen Instagram @bidaily_ Email: bookingoffthecuffs@gmail.com Gwen was originally interview...
Nov 10, 2020•36 min•Season 10Ep. 167
“The mind almost has to find a way to prove that it’s not real. This cannot be happening.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After visiting a psychiatrist for mild anxiety, a young man embarks on a wild spree that will alter the course of his life forever. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com If you would like to be in direct contact with today’s storyteller for questions or comments, you can email him at aliveandwell11@gmail.com . Support...
Nov 03, 2020•56 min•Season 10Ep. 166
“In these spaces I, as a vulnerable person, am suddenly given the gift of somebody else’s vulnerability.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: Growing up blind and isolated from her peers in a strict upbringing, a woman finds empowerment in a kinky world where the power balance is reversed. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Today’s Guest: Mistress Blind. Twitter and Instagram @mistressblind. Email: mistressblind@protonmail.com Mistress Bli...
Oct 27, 2020•38 min•Season 10Ep. 165
“It’s truly such an indescribable feeling…kind of like the walls are closing in on you, like reality is just collapsing.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After a teenage girl begins dating her mom’s student, a shocking accusation leaves a small-town family in ruins. Today’s episode featured Catherine Cole. You can find out more about her on Instagram @catcole20 Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Pa...
Oct 20, 2020•53 min•Season 10Ep. 164
The uncanny, extraordinary, true stories of events that have dramatically altered the lives of ordinary people; a son is shot by his own father, a woman's sister develops multiple personalities, a man wakes up in the morgue. These are riveting, moving and often haunting stories that will stick with you long after you listen. All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are available ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ to access the full This is Actually Happening catalog, along with exclusive...
Oct 17, 2020•2 min
“Any sense of identity no matter how fake was better than no sense of identity, yet if I don’t have a sense of identity, then who am I as a person?” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After tragedy strikes a Vietnamese refugee family, a young man finds his new home in a violent gang, forever marking his life path through acts of destruction and redemption. Today’s episode featured Quan Huynh. You can read more about Quan’s story in his memoir, Sparrow in the Razorwire - www.sparrowinther...
Oct 06, 2020•51 min•Season 10Ep. 163
“I didn’t know what normal was, so everything looked so scary….Everything I was doing I was learning for the time it was like my birth into the world.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman puts the pieces of her life back together after a childhood spent inside an insidious religious cult in Los Angeles. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 162
“That feeling…honestly I will never forget it, just your heart dropping into your stomach…it’s unreal.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After growing up in an abusive household, a man confronts a startling, ambiguous loss Today's episode featured Evan Pestona. If you have any information or resources you feel could help bring justice for Evan and his mother, you can email him at justiceforsteph@gmail.com Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening....
Sep 08, 2020•46 min•Season 10Ep. 161
Today we launch a new series of bonus content called “Happenings” with three stories of people facing their deepest fears in the unforgiving wilderness of the natural world. Part 1: What if the desert dried your sorrow? Part 2: What if the ocean tested your faith? Part 3: What if a boulder crushed your dreams? Producers: Andrew Waits, Whit Missildine Episode Summary: Stranded in a Mexican desert, the ocean waves of Guam, and the sandstone boulders of Utah, three people face their deepest fears i...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 14 min
“Right in the center of your body there’s this lead heavy ball, and inside of it is an immediate understanding of evil.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A woman walking to work in the early morning hours faces the ultimate terror. Today’s episode features Kira Knight. You can reach Kira at violentcrimesurvivors@gmail.com Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening E...
Aug 25, 2020•44 min•Season 10Ep. 160
“I could live with the nightmares. I could live with the panic attacks. But the thing that was tearing me apart was questioning if everything I know in my life was real at all.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A lifelong friendship filled with care, love and personal growth takes a shocking turn in the aftermath of a brutal act of violence. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.pat...
Aug 11, 2020•19 sec•Season 10Ep. 159
“You try to take off your skin to try to get rid of this voice, and it goes all the way down to the bone.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A man suffering the deep generational traumas of poverty, racism, abuse and mental illness finds transformative power in an ancient plant medicine. Today’s episode featured Dexter L. Booth . Dexter is the author of the poetry collection, Scratching the Ghost from Graywolf Press, which won the 2012 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, as well as the chapbook Rh...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 10Ep. 158
“The idea that they had plucked me from this terrible life…and it was all going to be sunflowers and rainbows and shit…I just view that as a fantasy.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A young black girl born to a drug-addicted mother is adopted by white, middle-class parents, only to face more sinister taboos as she becomes a stranger within her own family. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon...
Jun 16, 2020•51 min•Season 9Ep. 157
“I had to go through having taken everything away from me to come to the conclusion that … you’ll come back a person that’s wiser and a more full, satisfied human.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A young man looking for a quick way to get rid of student loan debt gambles with his life and nearly pays the ultimate price Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening En...
Jun 02, 2020•45 min•Season 9Ep. 156
“When somebody hurts you and then they’re like, ‘now you have to take care of him, you’re responsible for him…’ I didn’t know how to feel.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A young woman is forced to make a decision about the fate of a father she never knew. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Dis...
May 19, 2020•48 min•Season 9Ep. 155
“I had total grief and sadness and fear and also just disbelief that it happened. But it’s different when you lose somebody who hurt you.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: After surviving a family broken by drug addiction and mental illness, a woman finds out her mother’s death was tied to one of the most notorious crimes in American history. Today’s episode featured Nova Reeves. To find out more about Nova, you can Google her article on the death penalty in the Tacoma Tribune. You can...
May 05, 2020•46 min•Season 9Ep. 154
Today, I'm introducing the podcast What Was That Like, by Scott Johnson. Featuring real people in unreal situations, What Was That Like covers similar, jaw-dropping stories to This Is Actually Happening, but with its own uniquely fascinating format and style. Today's show will feature a full episode from What Was That Like titled, "Tyson was abducted," about a man who, walking through a parking lot one night, was jumped by two strangers and thrown into a car with no idea where he was being taken...
Apr 28, 2020•1 hr 14 min
“I had this secret inside me that I felt was my one and only friend and companion that took me away from all the pain and anxiety that I had moving through my life.” Producer: Whit Missildine Episode Summary: A young girl’s world is turned upside-down by the early death of her father, but starving herself to cope with the pain becomes a sinister companion Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www...
Apr 21, 2020•49 min•Season 9Ep. 153
