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How does a person vanish from a massive cruise ship in the middle of the ocean without a single witness?

In this special crossover episode, we’re heading over to the Speculating Wildly About Crime (SWAC) studio. Join Jamie, Kristy, and David to dive deep into one of the most unsettling maritime mysteries in history: The disappearance of Merrian Carver.

In 2004, Merrian booked a last-minute Alaskan cruise, told absolutely no one, and boarded the ship in Seattle. By night two, after a strange interaction with her cabin steward and a massive untouched tip, she was gone. No CCTV, no splashes reported, and a cruise line that allegedly told staff to "just keep working." #truecrimestories #missingatsea #MerrianCarver #UnsolvedMysteries #CruiseShipCrime #survivingish #SWACPod #coldcase #alaskancruise #PodcastCrossover #documentary

https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@SWACPOD⁩

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On Surviving Ish, host David talks with Julie Cruse, creator of AcademicAbuse.com and author of the memoir The Burn List, about how a hostile university workplace exit in 2023 and a long COVID recovery led her to write 180,000 words and uncover a through line of abuse from home to higher education. Julie explains building AcademicAbuse.com as a searchable dashboard aggregating global media reports of harassment, discrimination, Title IX issues, bullying, and more, noting thousands of stories and hundreds of implicated universities. She shares experiences of academic retaliation, intellectual property theft, coercion, stalking, and multiple sexual assaults by professors, and discusses how complaints can be buried and weaponized. They explore bystander abandonment, vulnerability after trauma, DEI being misused in practice, and Julie’s call for anonymous, double-blind Title IX reporting.

https://www.academicabuse.com/

https://a.co/d/0gnAPgWV

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Chris Carazas shares how growing up across South America, Africa, and Europe as a “third culture kid” left him socially awkward until an autism diagnosis at 35 finally gave clarity—and then became a doorway to escalating psychological abuse from his mother-in-law and then-wife, including daily suicide encouragement that led to two attempts. After getting treatment with the support of insurance and an understanding boss, he rebuilt, was promoted, and met a partner who accelerated his healing; he began writing a confessional to her that became his book, “Now That I’m Still Here,” but she died while he was writing and he was also laid off after USAID changes. They discuss trauma triggers, “no deadline” for healing, reclaiming life in small moments, stigma around therapy and hospitalization, men’s mental health, and how Chris stays alive through therapy, attempt-survivor groups, and caring for his dog, while planning book proceeds to support suicide prevention, autism support, and eating-disorder access. #author #autism

https://chriscarazas.com

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In this episode of the Surviving Ish Podcast, David is joined by Alisha Marie, who shares her compelling journey from being in a high-control religious cult to finding her own path. The conversation delves into the complexities of faith, the psychological effects of religious teachings, and the struggle to balance friendship and personal growth. Alicia opens up about her experiences with manipulative church leaders, the concept of the rapture, and the importance of intention and belief. Tune in for an eye-opening discussion that blends humor, insight, and raw honesty. #CultSurvivor #ReligiousFreedom #FaithJourney #SurvivingIshPodcast #SpillingTheKoolAid #IntentionAndBelief #MentalHealth

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-holier-podcast/id1800066919?i=1000719588995

https://youtu.be/32YHqDoXLdU

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Surviving Ish: Trauma Triggers, Toxic Positivity, and the Relief of Losing an Abusive Mother (with Jesse, author of Girl Hidden)

Host David welcomes Jesse Gibbs (author of the memoir Girl Hidden) to Surviving Ish for a wide-ranging conversation on how scent and the body can trigger trauma responses, referencing The Body Keeps the Score and the difficulty of trusting intuition. They discuss “solving” feelings instead of feeling them, gentle self-parenting, and rejecting labels like “survivor,” “resilient,” or “hero” when they’re used to shut down vulnerability. Jesse shares her current “ish” about shoppers abandoning meat in non-refrigerated aisles and how small kindnesses matter. The conversation turns to Jessie learning her abusive mother has died, prompting reflections on relief, grief, and closure, plus a brief overview of her childhood abuse, kidnapping, and estrangement. They critique forgiveness as “clean slate,” talk about autonomy, appearance, purity culture, and end with support, validation, and Jesse’s thoughts on possibly writing another book. #books #author #podcast

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59856769-girl-hidden

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/surviving-ish-podcast/id1572182113?i=1000626284084

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How do you reclaim your life when it was never truly yours to begin with?

In this episode of Surviving-ISH, David sits down with the incredible Kristin Watson to peel back the layers of a much deeper, darker reality: surviving and escaping a restrictive religious cult.

Kristin opens up about her time at Crown College, exposing the toxic "purity culture" that systematically blamed women for men’s actions and stripped individuals of their basic autonomy. From the physical "armor" women were forced to wear to the psychological weight of constant monitoring, Kristin shares the raw truth about what it takes to break free.

We’re diving deep into:

• The Rules of Control: The disturbing reality of privacy bans and "purity" policing at Crown College.
• The Road to Recovery: How to navigate marriage growth and self-rediscovery after trauma.
• Breaking the Stigma: Deconstructing the shame around mental health and medication in religious circles.
• Personal Sovereignty: Why reclaiming your voice—and your vote—is a vital step in taking your power back.

This isn’t just a conversation; it’s a masterclass in empathy, human connection, and the resilience required to build a life on your own terms. #purityculture #deconstructing #religioustrauma #crowncollege #cultsurvivor #survivingish #spiritualabuse #religiousfreedom

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The episode the host sits down with social Medias DeeDaw and discusses how a political figure is using the same tactic as Hitler by exploiting prejudice and xenophobia—shifting targets from Jews to immigrants—and escalating attacks on trans people, drag queens, gay people, people of color, and others to unite hateful supporters. It claims this scapegoating kept people from noticing what was being done to them. The script also says he spent years building expectations around the Epstein files since the 2016 election, referencing Hillary Clinton, Pizzagate, and promises to expose Democrats, but once in power hesitated because he knew he was implicated in the files, then dismissed supporters as “stupid.” #politics #epsteinfiles #pizzagate #2016election #xenophobia #scapegoating #immigration #lgbtq #transrights #dragqueens #civilrights #conspiracytheories

https://www.tiktok.com/@deedaw19601?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

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What happens when the world isn’t safe? You build your own.

In this powerful episode of Surviving-ISH, we sit down with Alex—a TikTok creator who has turned a childhood of bullying, social exclusion, and a complex adoption story into a vibrant "Another World" of fashion and art.

From crafting Lady Gaga-inspired props out of recycled materials as a teen to designing "fashion armor" for Melanie Martinez fans, Alex’s journey is a masterclass in using creativity as a survival mechanism. We dive deep into how he reclaimed his identity after years of body dysmorphia and surviving toxic environments.

We also get real about the "Survival-ISH" moments of everyday life, including:

• The "Apple Tax": Why the host is currently at war with MacBook upgrades and dongles.
• Adult Collecting: How transforming your bedroom into a sanctuary can heal your inner child.
• Safety vs. Style: The reality of wearing bold fashion in "safe spaces" like concerts vs. the vulnerability of a local gas station.
• The Art of Moving On: What happens when a past abuser tries to crawl back into your life through social media?
• Adoption & Identity: Alex’s story of being adopted from Russia at 16 months and finding his "chosen family."

Whether you’re a fellow "black sheep" looking for your community or someone trying to turn your own trauma into a masterpiece, this episode is a reminder that you don't just have to survive—you can create something beautiful along the way. #SurvivingIsh #MentalHealth #TikTokFashion #InnerChildHealing #AdoptionStories #LGBTQPodcast #TraumaRecovery #MelanieMartinez #LadyGagaFashion #AlternativeStyle

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