Jan 19, 2022
**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.
This week’s episode is with Ben, who shares his powerful story of growing up with an abusive father and how he took care of his emotionally unavailable mother.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, Ben’s dad was a truck driver who was rarely home, and his mom’s parents both passed away, leaving Ben’s mother emotionally unstable.
As you listen to Ben’s story, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of tragedy and trauma he has endured, but his story offers a glimmer of hope as he shares with us how he’s learning to love himself.
Listen in as we talk about:
- Having to take care of his mother from the age of 5 years old
- Being the victim of his dad’s physical abuse from a young age
- His parents’ drug addictions, unfaithfulness, and his mother’s hospitalization after a suicide attempt
- Ben’s mental breakdown, coming out as gay and then trans
- Leaving home and the pain of not being accepted back into his family home
- What has helped Ben process and move through all he has experienced
Resources mentioned in this episode:
National Domestic Violence Hotline:
Connect with Ben here:
Connect with Susan