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The Escape Pod Traumedy
A traumedy about the trials and tribulations of people in their journeys of “escape”.
Escape what, you ask? ALL the things!
From trauma, crime, and unhealthy family cycles, to traffic and good deeds not going unpunished.
Like we said—all the things!
(Just tune in…you’ll understand.)
Co-hosted by Charity Doyle and Karabeth Borresen --The Escape Pod aims to connect, educate, entertain, and humanize through the lens of lived experience.
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Charity
If there’s a challenge to tackle or a heart to lift, Charity Doyle is usually in the thick of it with an idea (or five) ready to roll. Engineer by degree, leader by nature, Charity’s career has been a whirlwind tour from building water systems to building up people. She didn’t just help create OneHeart—she project-managed it into existence, then turned around and became its first CEO, steering the mission with equal parts grit and grace.
When she’s not dreaming up new ways to make communities stronger, Charity is busy founding startups like FOQUS, designed to help employers and jobseekers alike cut through the hiring noise—because everyone deserves a shot at meaningful employment. Her resume reads like a playlist of “let’s make things better,” from tutoring youth detainees to serving on executive boards in the health, professional student life, and entertainment industries.
You’ll find her in the EscapePod studio, too—mixing big laughs with big ideas, and making even the heaviest topics a little lighter. Whether she’s wrangling chaos or building a better world one human at a time, Charity brings the heart, the hustle, and a healthy dose of “let’s do this.” Buckle up: when Charity’s around, ordinary is never on the agenda.
KB
Karabeth "KB" joins the EscapePod studio alongside Charity on Season 2 to navigate the weird, wild, and often wounded stories of life with heart, humor, and a healthy dose of awkwardness.
KB wears many hats (and sometimes a headset): she’s the Brand & Marketing Director for OneHeart and its family of mission-driven ventures—including this podcast, HomeBrew Coffee Shop, and FOQUS, a smarter hiring platform. She’s been with OneHeart since day one, helping to shape its voice, share its impact, and spotlight the resilience of the humans it serves.
Known for her thoughtful creativity, overflowing optimism, and knack for finding the funny—even in the messy stuff—Karabeth is a natural storyteller and a relentless cheerleader for the underdog. She believes laughter really is medicine (second only to coffee), and she’s here to ask the questions, make you smile, and maybe even cry-laugh along the way.
Episodes
Friday Aug 23, 2024
Friday Aug 23, 2024
Fight. Flight. Freeze. Fawn. In the 21st century, most of us know these as very real responses to trauma and fear, but sometimes the laws of the land don’t recognize them as such. In cases of sexual assault, for example, victims often freeze because their brain doesn’t allow them to fight back, even if they want to.
For years in the state of South Dakota, prosecuting such cases was a futile effort. But not anymore. On this episode of The Escape Pod, co-hosts Julie and Charity welcome in a special guest: Pennington County’s top prosecutor, who advocated for changing state law and – ultimately – changing how survivors who “freeze” are perceived.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of rape and other forms of sexual violence.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 2:35 Escaping irresponsible drivers ... and crazy calendars
Topic #2 15:55 Topic o’ the Day: “Freezing” as a recognized trauma response
Topic #3 28:30 Other cases keeping Lara up at night
Topic #4 37:51 Escapism, family-style!
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Aug 16, 2024
Friday Aug 16, 2024
Ever respond to someone or something in a way that you recognized later as being completely irrational and over-the-top? Maybe your amygdala was hijacked! Yep – that pesky and primal part of the brain that makes us back away from a hot flame so we don’t get burned can also play a role in impulsive decisions and bad behaviors. Want to escape the effects of amygdala hijack, often referred to on the Escape Pod as “crisis brain”? Jump into this week’s episode to learn about the signs of a hijacking and helpful hints to come out of crisis mode!
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 3:45 Escaping proper punctuation? No, thank you.
Topic #2 18:50 "Crisis brain” explained
Topic #3 39:28 10 signs someone in your life is in crisis brain mode
Topic #4 38:16 Short-term strategies to escape the effects of crisis brain
Topic #5 1:01:12 Long-term strategies
Resources & Links
https://psychcentral.com/health/amygdala-hijack#the-amygdala
https://www.simplypsychology.org/amygdala-hijack.html
https://www.verywellmind.com/toxic-stress-signs-symptoms-effects-stress-relief-tips-6504391
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/crosswords/texting-punctuation-period.html
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Aug 09, 2024
Friday Aug 09, 2024
On this episode we take the Escape Pod across the pond and back in time to England in the 1800s, when being an unwed mother was frowned upon, but women in this situation had limited options to give their babies a better life. “Baby farmers” were like early versions of adoption agencies, but one such “farmer” was both greedy and mentally disturbed – a dangerous combination for the children entrusted to her care.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of crimes against children.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 3:35 Escaping projectile vomit
Topic #2 13:25 Introduction to Amelia Dyer
Topic #3 22:30 Amelia’s true crime revealed
Topic #4 37:12 The co-hosts escape, stock show-style!
Resources & Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Dyer
https://www.serialkillercalendar.com/Amelia%20Elizabeth%20DYER.php
https://the-line-up.com/amelia-dyer-baby-farmer
https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/amelia-dyer/
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/amelia-dyer-34349.php
https://www.historynaked.com/amelia-dyer/
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
In June 2003, police in the UK respond to a report of a stabbing in an alleyway. The victim is a 14-year-old boy, the reporting person is his 16-year-old friend, and the perpetrator is described as a man in a hoodie, but video evidence later proves no such man exists.
The events leading up to this true crime are more bizarre than most soap opera story lines – with tales from a teen chatroom that include love, spies, secret codes, kidnapping, murder, and much more. Did anyone escape alive? Find out on this edition of The Escape Pod!
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 1:33 Escaping a fast ... and slow traffic
Topic #2 9:37 Introduction to a “bonkers” of a story
Topic #3 19:22 Introduction to best friend “Mark”
Topic #4 26:30 Red Flag #1: A person claiming to be a spy joins the chatroom
Topic #5 36:02 Mark gets his first big “assignment,” and it’s a doozy!
Topic #6 52:26 Escapism, co-host-style
Resources & Links
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2005/02/bachrach200502
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/3758209.stm
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/boy-planned-own-murder-on-internet-1110229
Casefile Presents 12/22/2018. Case 104: “Mark and John” https://podscripts.co/podcasts/casefile-true-crime/case-104-mark-john
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Kids say the darnedest things? So do people coming out of crisis mode! Back by popular demand, podcast guest and OneHeart Transformation Director Chad Ratigan returns to the Escape Pod to share several true – and truly hilarious – comments he and his team have heard that came right out of left field.
DISCLAIMER: Content and language in this episode intended for a mature audience only. Also, these stories and comments are not shared to demean anyone, but – rather – to find a little “funny” in the extremely challenging work that is the human services field.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 2:13 Escaping heavy traffic, hurricanes, and “bugs”
Topic #2 8:27 Out of left field
Topic #3 28:09 Ghostly guest in the building? Leave no pregnant woman behind!
Topic #4 43:12 Raining cats and dogs? Not today!
Topic #5 50:25 Escapism, co-host-style!
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Friday Jul 19, 2024
In 2023, 92% of people responding to a survey on road rage said they had witnessed at least one act of road rage during the previous year. Some of these incidents end without consequence; others have fatal results.
On this episode of The Escape Pod, co-hosts Charity and Julie try to keep their cool as they take on a topic that gets almost every driver revved up at one point in time or another!
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 9:23 Scary road rage stats
Topic #2 11:32 June 2017: A man jockeying for position on a Pennsylvania highway fires a gun at a teen driver
Topic #3 17:52 Co-hosts become “mama bears” when dealing with dangerous drivers
Topic #4 25:39 A woman waiting to make a left turn honks at the person in front of her and gets an unusual – but pretty hilarious – response
Topic #5 37:35 Road “rouge” explained!
Resources & Links
Vince Lattanzio. 12/13/2018. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/man-killed-teen-road-rage-shooting-sentenced/206687/
Ron Shaffer. 04/02/2000. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/04/03/a-strange-case-of-road-rage-with-a-lesson-learned/cc408818-59c8-4841-904b-ea64999a9dda/
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/road-rage-statistics/
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Friday Jul 12, 2024
A child plays dead to escape his mother’s abusive grip; a woman plays dead and likely escapes a serial killer; a student plays dead to escape a gunman in her classroom. Conscious decision or simply the body’s primitive response to danger? On this episode of The Escape Pod, the co-hosts discuss true stories of people who “played possum” - pretending to be dead – to escape horrific situations and how, in these cases, that response was likely their key to survival.
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 6:08 Co-hosts shares story of “freezing” in traumatic situation
Topic #2 16:53 10-year-old boy plays dead to escape his mom’s abuse
Topic #3 21:12 Shop owner plays dead to escape gunman
Topic #4 31:11 11-year-old plays dead to escape school shooter
Topic #5 37:55 Escapism, co-host-style!
Resources & Links
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/10-year-old-boy-decided-to-play-dead-after-mom-allegedly-doused-him-with-bleach-and-tried-to-drown-him-in-bathtub-cops/
https://people.com/boy-played-dead-survive-alleged-drowning-attempt-mother-police-say-8639764
https://www.waaytv.com/news/sheffield-woman-indicted-on-aggravated-child-abuse-charge/article_18a8e744-117a-11ef-8ee2-b7485c7176c7.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-70_killer
https://nypost.com/2023/07/16/i-70-serial-killers-lone-survivor-played-dead-to-save-her-life/
https://www.firstalert4.com/2022/02/28/news-4-exclusive-possible-lone-survivor-i-70-serial-killer-speaks-up-after-30-years/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/27/us/robb-shooting-survivor-miah-cerrillo/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/uvalde-school-shooting-survivors-miah-cerrillo-khloie-torres-awarded-for-courage/
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more.
http://www.escapepod.live
Want to ask a question, tell us a story or just general feedback? We would love to hear from you!
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
Friday Jul 05, 2024
Friday Jul 05, 2024
A teenager confesses to shooting a man outside a nightclub. A woman confesses to stabbing her elderly landlord to death. A man confesses to killing his father, even though he can’t remember doing it. Different situations, different cities, different years – all with one thing in common: in every case, the confession was coerced. Call it “crisis brain” in full force!
So ... how did these suspects escape their own false confessions? And how long did it take for the truth to come out? Find out in this episode of The Escape Pod!
Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:
Topic #1 00:54
Escaping weird tics and terrifying drivers!
Topic #2 12:20
Wisconsin, 2018: An 18-year-old becomes a shooting suspect
Topic #3 18:15
New York, 1995: A tenant and would-be informant becomes the suspect in her landlord’s fatal stabbing
Topic #4 28:19
California, 2018: Man’s father goes for a walk but doesn’t return
Topic #5 38:01
Co-hosts' final thoughts on coerced confessions
Resources & Links
Tony Saavedra. May 23, 2024. https://www.sbsun.com/2024/05/23/fontana-pays-nearly-900000-for-psychological-torture-inflicted-by-police-to-get-false-confession/
KC Baker. May, 28, 2024. https://people.com/man-coerced-confessing-murdering-father-father-was-alive-8654832
https://www.birdsall-law.com/false-confessions-the-eddie-gill-case
https://www.forensicmag.com/609996-Coerced-Confession-Evidence-Withholding-Renay-Lynch-is-Exonerated-26-Years-Later/
https://innocenceproject.org/renay-lynch-is-exonerated-after-nearly-26-years-of-wrongful-conviction-in-buffalo-new-york/
Sign up to be a Patron today! Get access to the Patron-Only Facebook Group, Bonus Episodes, and more at http://www.escapepod.live
Want to share your story? Have a Question for us?
General mail: justbecause@escapepod.live
Submit listener stories: escapeartist@escapepod.live
EscapePod
Join co-hosts Charity and KB, along with occasional guests, as they laugh (and cry) their way through past traumas and give tips to getting through tough times.
Life is full of ups and downs and it takes you to crazy places and we need each other to make it through.
Are you an escape artist? Consider becoming a patron and supporting the show!
Your support will help our small 3-person podcast team offset the costs associated with writing, producing, and promoting the show. Any amount is sincerely appreciated. What's more, your support will help us do what we do best: help others escape and break unhealthy cycles on their way to better lives.
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The EscapePod podcast and content posted is presented solely for general information, educational, and entertainment purposes.