Dismissed True Stories
Dismissed True Stories is a survivor-led podcast that dares to break the silence around domestic violence, emotional abuse, and toxic relationships. Each episode shares the raw, unfiltered realities of what abuse really looks like. From overlooked red flags to moments of escape, and everything in between. Created by a survivor-turned-advocate with a broadcasting background, DTS is where stories once silenced are now spoken. Loudly, honestly, and without apology. We’re not here to sensationalize abuse; we’re here to humanize survivors. You’ll hear from survivors finding their voices, families forever changed by loss, and organizations working to support healing and recovery. Sometimes, it’s one survivor passing the mic to another with a piece of advice that could change or.. save a life. But DTS isn’t just about telling stories of survival. Each episode's commentary helps you decode your own story, make sense of your experiences, and see the patterns you might have missed while in survival mode. The tone? Like talking with a trusted friend. No fluff. Just truth. Whether you're navigating narcissistic abuse, gaslighting, or coercive control or you're in the process of rebuilding your self-worth and healing your trauma this space is for you. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is finally tell your own story. Survivor-led. Heart-led. Truth-led. #DismissedTrueStories | A podcast for survivors and victims, by survivors.
Episodes
A mother sells the only home that still felt like home, walks into a shelter with her kids, and stares down a system that keeps telling her to wait. That’s where Sarah’s story turns—when waiting becomes planning, and planning becomes movement fueled by a community that refuses to look away.
We pick up right after the hostage night that changed everything. Sarah maps a route to South Dakota, hoping for work an...
Hey friends — welcome back to Dismissed True Stories.
I’m your host, Elissa, and you’re probably already clocking that this episode sounds a little different.
No intro music.
No disclaimer.
Just me and you.
In the spirit of keeping it quick and honest, here’s the update:
Sarah won’t be joining us today —
but that’s actually for all the best reasons.
She’s safe.
She’s happy.
And she’s of...
A fairy-tale start can hide a nightmare ending. Sarah thought she’d finally found steady ground: years of affection, travel across the U.S., a partner who bonded with her son and promised a safe future. Then pregnancy exposed the truth. The first assault wasn’t a warning—it was a line crossed, followed by contempt during a traumatic C‑section and a campaign to control her through access, threats, and the legal system’...
You can hear the tension in Sarah’s voice before the first promise breaks. We open with care—clear content warnings, boundaries—then step into the hardest rooms of her life: three relationships that sold safety and delivered control. Each man arrives with a storyline of protection, family, or stability. Each one, in time, uses that storyline to manage her money, movements, and mind. We trace how love bombing recycles ...
The house was empty, the texts unanswered, and the silence said everything. After exposing a devastating betrayal—her husband’s affair with her mother—Sarah tried to rebuild the “right” way: a prepaid year of rent, a steady job, a car, and a simple plan to co‑parent. What followed maps the hidden terrain many survivors know too well: when direct control ends, post‑separation abuse slips into new uniforms—rumors, court...
A uniform, a cigarette break, and a teenager who just wanted to feel seen—what starts as attention quickly reveals the blueprint of grooming and coercive control. We follow Sarah as a 16-year-old pulled into an adult’s orbit, pressured into marriage through a pregnancy ultimatum, and cut off from school, work, and friends. The twist that lands like a gut punch: the person who should have protected her becomes part of ...
A mother of three children with special needs has been running for her life for nearly six years. Now, with her abuser scheduled for release from prison in November—a man who told a judge he's coming to find her—time is running out.
Sarah's story begins with profound childhood trauma. At nine years old, she lost her father to cancer, only to be sexually abused by a family friend weeks later. Her mot...
What choices would you make to survive when the system designed to protect you repeatedly fails? Season 3 of Dismissed: True Stories follows one mother's harrowing journey as she flees domestic violence with her children across multiple states for nearly six years.
The nightmare begins with a knife at her throat and a terrifying threat: "He told me he was going to cut my scalp off and said if I scre...
Haley McLean shares the story of Hope's Second Chance, Michigan's only animal sanctuary specifically created to help domestic violence survivors escape with their pets. She built this solution after seeing firsthand how survivors were forced to choose between safety and their animals.
• Founded during COVID when Haley realized shelters couldn't accommodate pets due to liability and space issues...
Dignity arrives in unexpected forms—sometimes as a toothbrush, sometimes as a pair of socks, sometimes as a space that says "you're seen and you're not alone." Today, I'm taking you on a journey that's both heartbreaking and hopeful: the creation of Tala's Closet, a free resource center for domestic violence survivors.
Tala Smith was brilliant, brave, and full of promise bef...
What happens after you've escaped abuse? When survival is no longer your only focus, how do you rediscover joy and truly come home to yourself? This deeply personal episode explores the challenging journey from merely existing to feeling alive again.
The path back to yourself isn't linear, but it follows recognizable patterns that can guide your healing journey. Through honest reflection on my own e...
Imagine waking up one day to find yourself trapped in a relationship that looked like love but secretly stripped away your safety, autonomy, and nearly your identity. This is Farah's story - a journey through BDSM, polyamory, and cult-like control that will leave you breathless.
When Farah first met her daughter's father, she was exploring her submissive side. His charisma and intelligence mirrored ...
"You don't need to see the whole path. Just take the next step." -Unknown
"It took me 34 years to feel safe within my home." These words from Farah stopped me in my tracks as we recorded this powerful conversation about survival, recognition, and healing after lifelong abuse.
This episode follows Farah's journey from a childhood marked by severe physical violence through two abusi...
In part two of Keyanna's story, we dive deep into the darkest moments of her abusive relationship when isolation and control led to self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and her fight for survival.
• Keyanna describes how severe isolation and emotional abuse led to self-harm as she struggled with no resources or support system
• Her abuser weaponized her pain and mental health struggles against her, publicly...
Kiana shares her harrowing journey of surviving relationship abuse that began when she was just 18 years old and directionless after high school. Her powerful testimony reveals how abuse can take many forms beyond physical violence.
• First meeting her abuser through Facebook and quickly becoming inseparable
• Experiencing isolation tactics disguised as love and protectiveness
• Dealing with constant ...
Hey! Let me know what you think of this mini episode. To be honest, I needed a small breather while I processed telling my story to a room full of people this past week. What a weird layered experience. Seeing how people react when you say the things out loud that you've lived through. Wow...
I hope you like this quick story I found on the #letsnotmeet subreddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsNotMeet/s/Pc4gShSnDG
I...
Sophie shares her harrowing journey through an abusive relationship, revealing how control intensified during pregnancy and after childbirth. Her powerful testimony illustrates the invisible wounds of psychological abuse and the strength it takes to reclaim freedom.
• Recounting labor and childbirth when her abuser refused to wake up, flirted with another woman, and abandoned her for hours
• Describing po...
Sophie shares her powerful journey of surviving domestic abuse during pregnancy and the complex manipulation tactics her abuser used to maintain control.
• Met her abuser at college when she was 15 and he was 19, but didn't begin relationship until she was 23
• Reconnected through Facebook during lockdown where he used love bombing tactics to win her trust
• Relationship moved quickly from messag...
In part two of her personal story, Elissa shares the fuzzy, traumatic memories of life in a trailer with her abuser and how she eventually escaped with just a laundry basket of clothes and her toddler.
• Experiencing dissociation during abuse, creating mental "safe places" to escape
• Living in an unfinished trailer that reflected her broken relationship
• Developing a "food wound"...
Raw vulnerability takes incredible courage. What began as a simple podcast episode transformed into a profound moment of truth as I shared my personal journey through domestic violence for the first time – completely unfiltered and unedited.
The decision to "raw dog" my story wasn't made lightly. After hearing countless survivor stories and carefully editing them for my audience, I realized I c...
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