Positively Terrible

Mom Was Dead and Dad Did It - With Shelly

This week's Decent Human Being is author Shelly Edwards Jorgensen. Her story is about her mother's murder. Other topics include alcoholism, domestic violence, sexual assault, and arson. You can buy her memoir on Amazon.com [https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Ashes-Murder-Betrayal-Womans-ebook/dp/B09KNWK5MP].  Shelly knew trouble was brewing. Her dad was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51496.Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde] alcoholic, and on this day he was preparing dinner and drinking Manhattans [https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/] in his robe when he should have been getting ready for work. She ran interference when her mom came home from work earlier than expected, but that wasn't enough to save her life. Shelly's dad was a lot of things. He was smart, successful, and charismatic, and she remembers times when he was a fun and loving dad. He was also an alcoholic, an abuser, and after this night, a murderer. He'd been threatening to kill the family and burn the house down since she was at least 6 years old, so when her neighbor picked her and her sister up from basketball practice and told them there'd been a fire, they both knew.  Shelly spent the next two-and-a-half years living with a murderer. The initial autopsy said that her mother died of natural causes, but he was eventually arrested and she had to testify against him at trial. It was not ideal. After years of healing aided by therapy and her faith, Shelly wrote her memoir, Beautiful Ashes .  [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59581446-beautiful-ashes] More From Shelly * Read Shelly's blog [https://www.beautifulashesmemoir.com/blog/] * Follow on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/beautifulashesmemoir] * Listen to her other interviews [https://www.beautifulashesmemoir.com/interviews/] Mentioned in This Episode * Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich [https://www.eatthis.com/popeyes-chicken-sandwiches-first-time-taste-test/] * Wendy's biscuits and gravy [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug9cbXbdWW8] Follow our socials:   Instagram: @positivelyterrible [https://www.instagram.com/positivelyterrible/] Facebook: @positivelyterrible [https://www.facebook.com/positivelyterrible]   Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send us an email at podcast@positivelyterrible.com   Creators & Guests * Shelly Edwards Jorgensen [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/shelly-edwards-jorgensen] - Guest

I Have Dyscalculia - With Michelle Steiner

This week's Decent Fucking Human is Michelle. Her fucked up story is about growing up with a learning disability called dyscalculia. Other topics include bullying, shame, limited hand dexterity, and visual perception issues.  Michelle is a smart woman. That will become clear as you listen to the episode, but I need to say it because people with learning disabilities don't always get the benefit of the doubt. There were times when Michelle was told that she had a limited ceiling because she had dyscalculia, but all of those people were eventually proved wrong. Those people are what we sometimes call haters, and Michelle had no time for them. Michelle's life wasn't always easy, but I don't think that's what this episode is about. She was a misfit who was bullied, she struggled at school, and she had the haters I mentioned earlier, but she also had adults who did the right things for her. She was able to get assessed for a learning disability early, and her parents who did everything they could to support her.    More From Michelle * Read Michelle's blog [https://www.michellesmission.net/blog] * Follow Michelle on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Michelle-Steiner/] * Check out the other Podcast [https://www.michellesmission.net/podcasts-1/podcasts-that-i-have-been-on] appearances Mentioned in This Episode * The Taxpayers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN6SaPKbyxc] * Scott's Dog Bologna [https://www.facebook.com/BolognaChicago/] * Mortified [https://getmortified.com/audio/podcast/] podcast Follow our socials:   Instagram: @positivelyterrible [https://www.instagram.com/positivelyterrible/] Facebook: @positivelyterrible [https://www.facebook.com/positivelyterrible]   Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send us an email at podcast@positivelyterrible.com Creators & Guests * Michelle Steiner [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/michelle-steiner] - Guest

My Mother Was Brutal to Everyone - With Paula

This week's Decent Fucking Human is Paula. Her fucked up story is about being raised by a toxic mother who tried to murder her as an infant. Other topics in this episode include narcissistic abuse, alcoholism, and anxiety.   Paula's mother tried to kill her. She was only 3 months old the first time it happened, and five months old the second. It's taken her a lifetime to piece together and process what happened, and there are still friends, family, and acquaintances who don't believe her story. It's not surprising that people don't want to believe her. Mothers hold a special place in society, and many want to believe that even the most flawed ones are well-intentioned. They're often given the benefit of the doubt, and abuse is overlooked until either charges are filed or the funeral is scheduled. What makes Paula's story more complicated is that the only proof she has is her memory. It's hard to believe that anyone can remember anything from such a young age, but there is growing evidence that infants can remember traumatic events [https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/20/infant-trauma-stress-mental-health/]. Even if you're skeptical, I'd encourage you to reserve judgment and have a listen. There's still a story here about a woman who was raised by a toxic mother and has done a whole lot of work to heal.  More From Paula * Soft Skill Strategy Courses: softskillstrategycourses.com [http://softskillstrategycourses.com/] * More on DISC and behavioral styles: smilessparksuccess.com [http://smilesparksuccess.com/] * Soft Skills Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085109491014] Follow our socials:   Instagram: @positivelyterrible [https://www.instagram.com/positivelyterrible/] Facebook: @positivelyterrible [https://www.facebook.com/positivelyterrible]   Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send an email to podcast@positivelyterrible.com Creators & Guests * Terrible Scott [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/terrible-scott] - Host * Producer Dan [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/producer-dan] - Host * Paula Kramer [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/paula-kramer] - Guest

An Unexpected Gift: An Update From Amy Thurman

Warning: Producer Dan couldn’t make it to this episode, so please don’t turn it off when you hear Scott's voice first. Also, note that this is not our usual format - it's our first update interview. The updates are nothing but positive, but we revisit parts of Amy's story about her broken neck and sheared brain stem, and we also talk about the suicidal thoughts she was having at that time. Amy's book Finding My Hero Within: A Journey from Incapacitation to Empowerment [https://getamyshelp.com/book] is out now.  Dan and I first became acquainted with Amy in August 2023 when we interviewed her for our 17th episode, I Laid in Bed 23 Hours a Day for a Year [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/episodes/i-laid-in-bed-23-hours-a-day-for-a-year.com/book]. The episode was about the catastrophic injuries she experienced when she fell at home. Amy didn’t know it at the time, but she’d later learn she sheared her brainstem, and she lives with a broken neck to this day.  Amy’s episode was one of the first that made me think Positively Terrible could be something special. She was a great guest with a powerful story, and I had no idea why she trusted us enough to share with us idiots.  She was one of the first guests we booked who wasn’t a friend, family, or a friend of a friend. I immediately knew she was a great guest, but I didn’t realize Amy would become a special friend of the Podcast. We’ve followed Amy as she's continued her journey, and we never go too long without hearing from her.  Considering how much we appreciate Amy, we quickly agreed when she approached us to record an update. This one is a little lighter on the trauma aspect, though she does tell us about the fancy new plate in her neck. This one is more about a life achievement she wanted to share – she published a book! It's called Finding My Hero Within: A Journey from Incapacitation to Empowerment [https://getamyshelp.com/book], and it's being released for the 10th anniversary of her accident.   Creators & Guests * Amy Thurman [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/amy-thurman] - Guest

That's When My OCD Went Into Overdrive - With Simon

This week's Decent Fucking Human is Simon Rinne. His fucked up story is about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Other topics in this episode include alcohol abuse, parental divorce, anxiety, masculinity, and a very professional intro.  Simon suffered from undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder for 20 years before he learned what it was or that he had it. It started when he was eight and a schoolmate told him that he'd lose his voice forever if he went more than a minute without using it. It would have been a harmless 8-year-old kind of prank for most of us, but for Simon it triggered his first obsession and compulsion cycle. He started humming constantly to make sure he didn't lose his voice. Simon was raised the way a lot of boys were in the 80s and 90s. He watched WCW (that's wrassling [https://www.wordnik.com/words/wrassling] for those of you who don't know), was expected to be tough and strong, and knew it was an insult to be told he did something like a girl. He wasn't encouraged to discuss or seek help for his mental health, so he just sucked it up and did what men do - he suppressed his feelings with alcohol. The OCD Simon has is the clinical sort. It's the type that is disruptive, if not disabling. The people who say they're OCD because they check the locks an extra time before going to bed are not OCD - they're just using lazy language. Simon's compulsions made his life more difficult and were something that required treatment. He got that treatment and is now using his experiences to help others. I've got so much more to say about this interview, but just play the damn episode. Simon tells the story so much better than I do... More From Simon * Get in touch [https://mindful-men.com.au/contact/] with Simon * Join the Mindful Men Facebook Community [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus] * Listen to his podcast wherever you get podcasts (Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-mindful-men-podcast/id1604992311], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6LhecvPA5UUBAt7fS73Dto], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulmen/videos]) Mentioned in This Episode * Free online ordination [https://www.themonastery.org/ordination-form?keyword=united%20national%20church&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5v2wBhBrEiwAXDDoJceaOyixKp3aZYraV9qr22zKQw5q-zL7oICMuyFtZ2PrUnTLhdR4pBoCtDcQAvD_BwE] with Universal Life Church * Fix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jectI1Aisrk] a leaky P-trap * Scott's dog Bologna [https://www.instagram.com/reel/CznbLnegppF/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] * World Championship Wrestling [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Championship_Wrestling] (WCW) Follow our socials:   Instagram: @positivelyterrible [https://www.instagram.com/positivelyterrible/] Facebook: @positivelyterrible [https://www.facebook.com/positivelyterrible]   Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send us an email at podcast@positivelyterrible.com Creators & Guests * Terrible Scott [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/terrible-scott] - Host * Producer Dan [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/producer-dan] - Host * Simon Rinne [https://positivelyterrible.transistor.fm/people/simon-rinne] - Guest