Beyond the Monsters

Jess Patz was 18 when she entered an abusive relationship that quickly escalated from love bombing into domestic violence, coercive control, and manipulation. The first physical assault happened during her first pregnancy, followed by years of emotional abuse, gaslighting, sexual assault, and financial control that caused her to question her own reality. She breaks down what intimate partner violence actually looks like behind closed doors, including how someone can be conditioned to stay, how abuse escalates over time, and how early warning signs are often missed or dismissed. After leaving, she was pulled into a 10 year custody battle where family court systems failed to recognize patterns of abuse, allowing continued exposure for her children. During that time and years after, her body began to break down with severe health complications, including recurrent pulmonary embolisms, chronic pain, autoimmune disease, and eventually a stroke that forced her to relearn how to walk. Jess shares the reality of post separation abuse, child custody in abusive relationships, and how trauma doesn’t just stay mental, it shows up physically in ways that can change your life. She is now a speaker, advocate, and TEDx presenter using her story to raise awareness about domestic violence and its long term impact.Jess’ Links:https://www.instagram.com/_jesspatzhttps://www.tiktok.com/@_jesspatzhttps://www.jesspatz.comResources:Crisis Text Line741741National Domestic Violence Hotline800-799-7233Find local resources: https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/domestic-violence-local-resources/Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Centerhttps://dvsacenter.orgBeyond the Monsters Socials:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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, coercive control, family court system, SA, trauma recovery, narcissistic abuse, autoimmune disease, lupus, stroke recovery, chronic illness

Sean Tobias Ambriz joined the Army at 18 and was deployed to Afghanistan early in his military career, where he was unexpectedly assigned as a combat medic in an active war zone. With accelerated training, he was responsible for treating wounded soldiers during intense firefights, navigating Taliban ambushes, sniper fire, and life-or-death decisions in the mountains.He describes being surrounded during combat, running toward gunfire to reach injured soldiers, and working through mass casualties with limited medical supplies. He also speaks on how experiences like his are often overlooked, as attention is typically focused on special operations forces, despite conventional Army units facing the same level of danger and loss. The trauma of war, loss of fellow soldiers, and repeated exposure to combat carried into multiple deployments, PTSD, and the long-term reality veterans face after surviving combat. Sean’s links:https://www.instagram.com/chief_pinkmisthttps://www.seantobiasambriz.comResources:Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSDhttps://www.ptsd.va.govBeyond the Monsters Socials:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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: combat medic, Afghanistan war, military PTSD, war trauma, Army veteran

Jori lost her fiancé to an overdose after trying to save him from a hidden addiction to pills that began before they met. Kyle came into her life on New Year’s Eve and quickly became someone she saw a future with, outgoing, magnetic, and deeply loved by everyone around him. As their relationship grew, so did the life they were building together, but behind it, he was quietly battling a pill addiction. It quickly turned into the reality of loving someone struggling with substance abuse, relapse, and the cycle of recovery attempts that didn’t last. Jori found herself questioning the signs of addiction in real time, trying to make sense of behavior changes, secrecy, and the emotional weight of being in a relationship affected by addiction.After losing her fiancé to an overdose just eight months after having their son, Jori was left navigating grief, trauma, and the lasting impact of sudden loss. She was now facing life without her partner and the father of her child, a loss that reshaped everything moving forward. She shares what it’s really like to love someone through addiction, the moments that don’t make sense at the time, and the ones that stay with you long after they’re gone. She also opens up about the loss of her best friend in a car accident she witnessed at 10 years old, a moment that stayed with her and shaped how she processes grief, trauma, and emotional attachment.Jori’s Links:https://www.instagram.com/jorikinneyJori’s Podcast - Shattered Silence:https://www.youtube.com/@ShatteredSilencePodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shatteredsilencepodhttps://linktr.ee/shatteredsilencepodResources:Crisis Text Line741741SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)1-800-662-HELP (4357)Beyond the Monsters Socials:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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.Topics: addiction, overdose, grief, relationships, mental health, loss, trauma healing, substance abuse

Tressa was 21 years old when she attended a company party expecting a normal night with coworkers. Within minutes of taking a shot, she began to lose control of her body. She was drugged, taken out of the bar, carried to an apartment, and left alone with a man she had never met. What followed was hours of rape and violent assault that resulted in severe, permanent physical injuries and long-term medical complications that still impact her life today.In the aftermath, Tressa was forced to repeatedly recount what happened to law enforcement, medical staff, and investigators while navigating an invasive forensic exam and a system that questioned her account. She shares the reality of what happens after rape, including the physical trauma, the psychological impact of sexual assault, and the way these cases are handled behind the scenes. More than two decades later, Tressa is now working with state and federal lawmakers to reform the sex offender registry, using her experience to advocate for change and bring awareness to the long-term impact people live with after sexual violence.Resources:RAINN24/7 confidential support, online chat & hotline 1-800-656-HOPEhttps://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/Crisis Text Line741741Suicide and Crisis Lifeline988SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)1-800-662-HELP (4357)Beyond the Monsters Socials:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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.Topics: violent crime, date rape drug, sexual assault (SA), true crime, victim advocacy

Ember grew up surrounded by manipulation, addiction, and instability that shaped her life long before she had the ability to understand or escape it. With a father in and out of prison for organized crime and a mother struggling with severe alcoholism, she was forced into survival mode early. By her teenage years, she was already raising her younger sister while navigating emotional abuse, financial exploitation, and constant instability. The environment she was raised in shaped how she viewed love, trust, and safety, making her vulnerable to repeated patterns of manipulation in adulthood. As an adult, those patterns escalated into domestic violence, coercive control, and a situation where she was held in a motel for weeks under psychological and physical abuse. She eventually escaped by using the same manipulation tactics she was raised around. Even after getting out, the cycle didn’t immediately end. She continued to encounter people who exploited her trust, including someone she lived with for years who was secretly struggling with addiction and deception. Ember is now in the process of rebuilding her life, setting boundaries, and working in crisis support to help others, while actively breaking the patterns she was conditioned to accept.Ember’s links:https://www.instagram.com/survivorsalchemyResources:Crisis Text Line741741SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)1-800-662-HELP (4357)Beyond the Monsters Socialshttps://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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.Topics: human trafficking, domestic violence, trauma recovery, narcissistic abuse, coercive control, childhood trauma

Tony was once a talented BMX athlete with a promising future before addiction took over his life in his early twenties. What followed was a rapid descent into homelessness, drug addiction, and eventually prison. But prison became the turning point that forced him to confront everything he had been running from and rebuild his life from the inside out.After his release, Tony returned to BMX racing, competing professionally and eventually coaching at the Olympic level. He went on to become a nationally recognized speaker and the founder of multiple addiction treatment centers dedicated to helping people stabilize during the earliest and most dangerous stages of recovery. His work is built on a simple belief: people are not defined by their worst chapter, and with the right tools, accountability, and support, transformation is possible. Tony’s links:https://www.instagram.com/tonymhoffmanwww.tonyhoffmanspeaking.comResources:Crisis Text Line741741SAMHSA’s National Helpline (mental health and/or substance use)1-800-662-HELP (4357)Beyond the Monsters Socialshttps://www.instagram.com/beyondthemonstershttps://linktr.ee/BeyondtheMonstersDisclaimer: 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.Topics: addiction recovery, prison transformation, recovery story, substance abuse, personal growth