Beyond the Monsters

A podcast where people share real stories of trauma, survival, mental health, and the darkest moments of their lives. Trauma, abuse, true crime, resilience, and the long road toward healing are at the center of every episode. These conversations go deeper than the surface to uncover the truth of what they lived through, what it cost them, and how they found the strength to rise again. It is real, emotional, and driven by the belief that when survivors speak, others find the courage to heal. Hosted by Chell Bane, a medical professional with 20+ years in psychiatry and addiction medicine, and a survivor of trauma herself. If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please fill out a form here: https://form.jotform.com/243366933402153 Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noope

Beyond the Monsters is a society podcast hosted by Chell Bane, with 96 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Chell Bane hosts Beyond the Monsters, a society show with 96 episodes published.

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  Episode #96

  96: Being SAed at 7 & Again While Addicted to Meth at 14

  Aug 19, 20261h 14m

  Fausto Castellanos shares his story of surviving childhood SA, grooming, addiction, and years of shame that left him questioning himself and searching for acceptance in relationships, substances, and the people around him. After being abused at 7 years old and again by an adult man while struggling with meth addiction at 14, Fausto spent years trying to outrun what happened to him, eventually reaching a point where his substance use, seizures, and suicidal thoughts left him believing he might not survive. Fausto opens up about finally asking for help, finding sobriety, and experiencing unconditional acceptance from a sponsor who helped him begin confronting the trauma he had carried since childhood. He also shares how becoming a counselor and helping others gave his pain a sense of purpose, but eventually forced him to confront another pattern: tying his worth to how much he could do for everyone else. Today, nearly a decade into his healing journey, Fausto has built a life around trauma recovery, addiction advocacy, mental health, and helping others find hope without abandoning himself in the process. Fausto’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/hopedealerfausto https://www.youtube.com/@HopeDealerFausto https://www.tiktok.com/@hopedealerfausto https://www.facebook.com/faustocastellanoss Resources: Crisis Text Line 741741 RAINN 24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline&nbsp; 1-800-656-HOPE SAMHSA’s National Helpline&nbsp;(mental health and/or substance use) 1-800-662-HELP (4357 ) Beyond the Monsters Socials: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters &nbsp; https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters &nbsp; 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: CSA Survivor, Childhood Trauma, Grooming, Addiction Recovery, Trauma Recovery, Sobriety, Men’s Mental Health 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 beyondthemonsters@gmail.com for any business inquiries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #95

  95: Growing Up With Parents Struggling With Addiction and Dissociative Identity Disorder

  Aug 12, 20261h 9m

  Suzzette grew up in a family where addiction, mental illness, violence, and instability existed alongside a lot of love. Her father struggled with heroin addiction, her mother battled cancer and dissociative identity disorder, and much of what was happening inside their home became normal to her simply because it was all she knew. As a teenager, things reached a breaking point when her father and older brother were arrested, her mother disappeared, and Suzzette and her younger brother were left behind in a home that had been taken over by strangers. Years later, after losing her father, mother, and eventually her older brother, Suzzette began therapy and started looking back at her childhood with a completely different understanding. She had to untangle the complicated reality of loving her family deeply while also recognizing the ways their choices shaped her anxiety, relationships, coping mechanisms, and sense of what was normal. She opens up about the guilt she still carries over believing her father instead of her mother, the grief of losing so much of her family, and what it has taken to unlearn the patterns she grew up believing were normal. Suzzette’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/suzzettewrites https://msha.ke/suzzettewrites https://substack.com/@suzzettewrites Resources: Crisis Text Line 741741 Beyond the Monsters Socials: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters &nbsp; https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters &nbsp; 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: Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Childhood Trauma, Parental Addiction, Generational Trauma 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 beyondthemonsters@gmail.com for any business inquiries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #94

  94: Her Mom was Murdered by Her Ex-Boyfriend

  Aug 5, 202637 min

  Shavon was just 11 years old when she woke up to find her mother and her mother’s ex-boyfriend dead after a murder-suicide that unfolded while she slept in the next room. She shares the trauma of discovering the scene, the warning signs she now recognizes as an adult, and how losing her mother shaped every stage of her life.&nbsp; Shavon and Chell discuss domestic violence, intimate partner homicide, childhood trauma, grief, PTSD, healing, family support, and the lifelong impact of losing a parent to violence. Shavon reflects on carrying her mother’s memory through adulthood, navigating profound loss after later losing her grandparents, and why sharing stories like hers can help others feel less alone. She also shares the powerful spoken-word poem she wrote about the night her life changed forever, honoring her mother’s memory while encouraging others to speak openly about trauma and survival.&nbsp; Resources: Crisis Text Line 741741 Beyond the Monsters Socials: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters &nbsp; https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters &nbsp; 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, losing a parent, true crime, childhood trauma, grief and loss 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 beyondthemonsters@gmail.com for any business inquiries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #93

  93: Being Stranded at Sea During COVID and Escaping Coercive Control

  Jul 29, 20261h 33m

  Angela Harger Thompson moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting dreams, but soon after arriving, she was drugged, SAed, and strangled by a Hollywood producer who had offered her a job. Although she immediately reported the assault, underwent a forensic exam, and fully cooperated with law enforcement, prosecutors declined to file charges, leaving her to navigate the aftermath of SA, trauma, and a criminal justice system that offered no accountability. Hoping for a fresh start, Angela joined a sailing expedition across the Pacific Ocean just before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill. Stranded at sea for nearly 50 days before returning to a world in lockdown, she found herself trapped in an increasingly unhealthy relationship marked by emotional abuse, gaslighting, coercive control, and isolation. What began as an adventure quickly became another fight for her safety as years of harassment, legal battles, and a deeply personal documentary forced her to keep fighting long after reaching shore. Angela’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/messengeroftruth https://linktr.ee/angelaharger https://angelahargerproductions.com Angela’s Book - Worst Tits Ever: https://a.co/d/0ie9HuRB Angela’s Documentary - Quarantine at Sea: Trapped Halfway to Nowhere https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0D33BPJMN?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r Resources: Crisis Text Line 741741 RAINN 24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline&nbsp; 1-800-656-HOPE 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: SA, Coercive Control, Emotional Abuse, Gaslighting 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 beyondthemonsters@gmail.com for any business inquiries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #92

  92: Her Son's Biological Father Murdered Him Before Taking His Own Life

  Jul 22, 20261h 4m

  Brandi Morey-Pols shares the story of her six-year-old son, Rowan, who was murdered by his biological father just days before a custody hearing that she hoped would finally bring him to safety. She recounts years of coercive control, stalking, emotional abuse, repeated warnings that went unheard, and the devastating failures of multiple systems that left Rowan unprotected despite mounting evidence and escalating concerns. Brandi and Chell explore what happens when coercive control is dismissed, warning signs are overlooked, and systems fail to recognize the danger children can face during custody disputes. Brandi also shares how honoring Rowan's life has become her purpose through the Rowan Project and Rowan's Promise, advocating for greater awareness of filicide, stronger protections for children, and legislative change aimed at preventing other families from experiencing the same unimaginable loss. Brandi’s Links: https://www.instagram.com/dollbb55 https://therowanproject.org/ https://www.facebook.com/brandi.brennan.3 Resources: The Rowan Project - List of Resources https://therowanproject.org/?page_id=1989 Crisis Text Line 741741 National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-422-4453 – push 1 to talk to a hotline counselor Beyond the Monsters Socials: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonsters &nbsp; https://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonsters &nbsp; 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 beyondthemonsters@gmail.com for any business inquiries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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