Beyond the Monsters

Hope’s estranged husband murdered their two young children in an act of filicide after being granted unsupervised custody, despite clear warning signs of instability, prior abuse, and escalating mental health concerns. Just before their deaths, he made suicidal and homicidal statements, was hospitalized, and still walked out of court with 50/50 custody. Hope’s story exposes the reality of how quickly systems can fail, how mental health is misunderstood in legal settings, and how lethal risk is often missed until it’s too late.

Hope shares what led up to that moment, including years of coercive control, psychological abuse, gaslighting, and physical violence that she kept hidden while trying to survive and protect her children. She breaks down the timeline of events, the court decisions, and the warning signs that were overlooked, while also speaking to the unimaginable reality of losing both of her children and what it means to live after that level of loss.

Hope’s Links:
Fill out the link to pass The Alec and Lydia Act!
https://rallystarter.com/rally/2948/please-pass-the-alec-and-lydia-act-in-the-arizona-senate

https://www.instagram.com/hope_in_the_pain
https://www.tiktok.com/@hope.in.the.pain
https://www.facebook.com/people/Hope-In-The-Pain
https://linktr.ee/hopeinthepain

Voices Against Filicide - Hope’s Podcast
https://tr.ee/4zExkNUIYi

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

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.

Topic: filicide, family court failure, coercive control, domestic violence (DV), custody system failure, true crime
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.

Jess Patz was 18 when she entered an abusive relationship that quickly escalated from love bombing into domestic violence, coercive control, and manipulation. The first physical assault happened during her first pregnancy, followed by years of emotional abuse, gaslighting, sexual assault, and financial control that caused her to question her own reality. She breaks down what intimate partner violence actually looks like behind closed doors, including how someone can be conditioned to stay, how abuse escalates over time, and how early warning signs are often missed or dismissed.

After leaving, she was pulled into a 10 year custody battle where family court systems failed to recognize patterns of abuse, allowing continued exposure for her children. During that time and years after, her body began to break down with severe health complications, including recurrent pulmonary embolisms, chronic pain, autoimmune disease, and eventually a stroke that forced her to relearn how to walk. Jess shares the reality of post separation abuse, child custody in abusive relationships, and how trauma doesn’t just stay mental, it shows up physically in ways that can change your life. She is now a speaker, advocate, and TEDx presenter using her story to raise awareness about domestic violence and its long term impact.

Jess’ Links:
https://www.instagram.com/_jesspatz
https://www.tiktok.com/@_jesspatz
https://www.jesspatz.com

Resources:
Crisis Text Line
741741

National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233
Find local resources: https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/domestic-violence-local-resources/

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center
https://dvsacenter.org

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.

Topic: DV, coercive control, family court system, SA, trauma recovery, narcissistic abuse, autoimmune disease, lupus, stroke recovery, chronic illness
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.

Sean Tobias Ambriz joined the Army at 18 and was deployed to Afghanistan early in his military career, where he was unexpectedly assigned as a combat medic in an active war zone. With accelerated training, he was responsible for treating wounded soldiers during intense firefights, navigating Taliban ambushes, sniper fire, and life-or-death decisions in the mountains.

He describes being surrounded during combat, running toward gunfire to reach injured soldiers, and working through mass casualties with limited medical supplies. He also speaks on how experiences like his are often overlooked, as attention is typically focused on special operations forces, despite conventional Army units facing the same level of danger and loss. The trauma of war, loss of fellow soldiers, and repeated exposure to combat carried into multiple deployments, PTSD, and the long-term reality veterans face after surviving combat.

Sean’s links:
https://www.instagram.com/chief_pinkmist
https://www.seantobiasambriz.com

Resources:
Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD
https://www.ptsd.va.gov

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.

Topic: combat medic, Afghanistan war, military PTSD, war trauma, Army veteran
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.

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.