Surviving-ISH Podcast
"Surviving-ish" is a podcast with a unique and purposeful dual focus. The "Surviving-ish" is our way of creating a space for lightheartedness—it’s about the everyday, petty grievances that are frustrating but also a source of shared, human comedy. These are the moments we survive, like when the laundry pod explodes all over the clothes, your morning coffee isn't quite hot enough, or a passive-aggressive text from a relative ruins your mood.
The core mission behind "Surviving-ish" is to show our audience that while we may have been victims of serious circumstances, that does not mean people have to walk on eggshells around us. We believe in the power of laughter and the importance of finding humor in life's small frustrations. By blending serious topics with these minor, everyday grievances, we aim to normalize the idea that it's okay to joke and laugh, even after enduring significant challenges.
For further inquiries or to share your own story, please reach out to us at survivingabusepodcast@gmail.com. Together, we can create a network of support and healing for survivors.
Episodes
207 episodes
From Workplace Transitions to BDSM: Everything We Aren't Supposed to Talk About-ISH
Navigating Trauma, Dating, and the Gay Agenda 🤪 | Surviving-ISHWelcome back to Surviving-ISH! In today’s episode, David sits down with the incredible A (you might recognize them from TikTok or their appearance on the Un...
Beautiful Ears" & Shower Stories: Why is Trump Obsessed with Other Men?
Is the 47th President acting a little... thirsty?" ☕️In this episode of Surviving Politics-ISH, we’re diving into the "Alpha" closet to see why the door is hanging off the hinges. We’ve heard the GOP scream about "traditi...
Spiraling Up: Why We’re All Traumatized Right Now (And How to Regain Control) w/ Lauren Tobey
Are you just "getting by" or are you actually living? 🌪️In this episode of Surviving-ish, we sit down with TikTok’s favorite trauma-informed coach, Lauren Tobey, to pull back the curtain on why modern life feels so heavy....
The ICE $50,000 Bonus Is a Lie (And the Hiring Standards Are Collapsing)
The episode argues that ICE’s rapid push to hire 10,000 agents is turning the agency into a “new normal” built on underqualified, poorly vetted recruits, while the advertised $50,000 sign-on bonus is largely illusory—partly limited to former em...
Dementia or Leadership? The Truth About Cognitive Decline in Politics-ISH
Is the "strong leader" image we see actually a mask for a deeper struggle?After a brief hiatus to get his voice back, the host is back for a powerful new "Politics-ISH" mini-episode. He’s addressing the whispers—literally—a...
Monsters, MAGA and Cults: From Church Pews to Political Rallies w/ Dr Sandra Cox & Jenny Smith
Have you ever wondered how seemingly normal people end up trapped in extreme religious groups or following a charismatic leader? It’s not about a lack of intelligence—it’s about a calculated psychological trap.In this powerful crossover ...
Is the Donald Trump Losing the Thread? | A Personal Perspective on the "Maga-Word Salad"
Is it courage or cruelty to let someone lead while they’re fading away?"In today’s episode, we aren’t just looking at the headlines; we’re looking at the biological baseline. I’m sharing a deeply personal story about a listener's g...
The Noem Reckoning: $220M Ad Scandals, Corey Lewandowski, and the Fall of the DHS Secretary
"I’m just a guy with a microphone... and today, that microphone is picking up the sound of my soul leaving my body."Welcome back to Surviving Politics-ISH. In today’s episode, David Keck dives into the chaotic "musical chairs" happening...
Surviving HOA Drama and Reinventing Lives in Florida-ISH
Surviving HOA Drama and Reinventing Lives in Florida | Featuring Schmitty and JennyJoin David, Jenny, and newcomer Ryan, aka Smitty, in this lively and unfiltered episode of Surviving Ish. They dive deep into HOA dramas, the struggles of...
RNC Broke Grindr?! The “Family Values” Hypocrisy Nobody Wants to Talk About
In this episode of Surviving Politics-ISH , the host calls out the repeated hypocrisy of anti-LGBTQ+ “traditional values” politicians and attendees who publicly push laws to keep gay people in the shadows while privately flooding Grindr at majo...
Eric Swalwell Accusations: Timeline, Resignation, and Criminal Probes | Surviving ish (Political Edition)
In this episode of Surviving ish (political edition), the host stresses that party loyalty doesn’t matter when it comes to sexual assault allegations, saying the platform believes and stands with victims regardless of whether the accused is Rep...
Surviving Ish: Politics — MAGA, “DEI,” ICE & Why This Isn’t Just Politics Anymore
In the first solo politics episode of Surviving Ish, host David Keck shares how he once felt detached from elections but says Donald Trump and the MAGA movement changed that, which he frames as a moral crisis rather than normal politics. He com...
Planting Roots in the Tumbleweed: A Legal Advocate’s Guide to Mental Health w/ Paula Yost
Welcome to Surviving-ish! In this episode, we dive deep into the intersection of legal advocacy and mental health with the incredible Paula YostPaula isn't just a high-level trademark attorney; she is also a licensed clinical ment...
She Ordered Room Service, Then Vanished. (The Merrian Carver Mystery)
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 D...
Surviving The Burn List-ish w/ Julie Cruse
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...
Diagnosed, Abused for It, Started over—Then Lost Her & His Job: Chris Carazas
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 ...
"I Drank The Juice": Alisha Is Spilling The Kool-Aid On Faith and Control
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 ps...
A Girl Hidden'...-ISH
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 conve...
The Purity Trap: Is Your Life Ever Truly Yours? (w/ Kristin Watson)
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 escapin...
“He Did the Same Thing as Hitler”: Xenophobia, Scapegoats, and the Epstein Files Fallout
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 peo...
Creating "Another World": How This Creator Uses Fashion & Pop Culture to Heal (w/ Alex)
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...
Tesla Stickers, TikTok DMs, and Emojis: The Modern Anxiety Crisis with Dr. Sandy Cox
🚀 THE TRUTH IS COMING OUT—AND IT’S MESSY. 🛑Dr. Sandy Cox on Surviving Ish: Politics, Trauma, Patriarchy, Community & the Emoji ProblemHost David welcomes psychiatrist Dr. Sandy Cox (who he jokes about calling “Dr. Sand...
Why I Stopped Hiding the Hard Parts: Disability, Debt, and Dark Humor with Cathy Brusk
"If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry." We’ve all said it, but Cathy Brusk lives it.From the terrifying moment a "stomach bug" turned into life-saving heart surgery, to navigating a world that wasn't built for her son, Cathy joins Survi...
Surviving the "Real World"-ISH; New Identity, New Chaotic Rules, Same YouTube Ads
The System Broke Him. He Broke Back. Ever feel like you’re living in two different worlds? In this episode of Surviving-ISH, we sit down with Daniel Alzate, a man who survived a high-control childhood only to realize that the "r...
The Prayer Closet: A Survivor Breaks Her Silence on Cult Abuse
"They told us it was God's will... but it was actually a nightmare."In this episode of Surviving Ish, David sits down with Heather Ford for a conversation that is as raw as it is heartbreaking. Heather finally shares the ...