The Survivors Podcast

The Survivors Podcast Two different kinds of suicide survivors. Two different lived experiences. We're changing the narrative on suicide & mental illness—one conversation at a time.

One powerful perspective on suicide, grief, trauma, mental illness, and everything in between.

He went to sleep on Christmas Eve surrounded by family and woke up five days later from a coma to a life that had change...
08/21/2026

He went to sleep on Christmas Eve surrounded by family and woke up five days later from a coma to a life that had changed forever.

Carbon monoxide poisoning killed four members of Wes Bruns’ family.

Wes survived.

This week on The Survivors, he shares what came after: the grief, the survivor guilt, the recovery, and the decision to turn unimaginable loss into purpose.

🎧 Listen to Wes' emotional story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silent-killer-a-christmas-tragedy-and-one-mans-fight/id1800321269?i=1000784250031

To learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning, contact the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association at (248) 266-1114.

08/20/2026

Imagine waking up from a 5-day coma and learning 4 members of your family were gone.

That’s what happened to Wes Bruns after carbon monoxide silently filled his family’s home.

But his story isn’t only about what he lost. It’s about what he did with the life he was given back.

This week on The Survivors, Wes shares an extraordinary story of loss, survivor guilt, second chances, and finding purpose after unimaginable tragedy.

🎧 Listen to the full, emotional episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silent-killer-a-christmas-tragedy-and-one-mans-fight/id1800321269?i=1000784250031

To learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning, contact the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association at (248) 266-1114.

08/19/2026

What does surviving abuse mean?

For some, it means making it through another day. For others, it means finding the courage to leave. And sometimes, surviving means discovering that your greatest pain can become your greatest purpose.

In Part 2 of our conversation with domestic abuse survivor-turned-advocate Beany Trapani on The Survivors, Beany reflects on what survival means to her after escaping a 10-year abusive relationship.

In this raw and honest episode, she's telling the truth about what she lived through and shares how she's helped thousands of women recognize abuse, break trauma bonds, and believe that healing is possible.

🎧 Listen to Part 2 with Beany here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-got-out-then-her-story-went-viral-beany-trapani/id1800321269?i=1000782899749

And if you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).

08/19/2026

The NEW episode of The Survivors just dropped, and this story is going to stay with you.

On Christmas Eve 1992, Wes Bruns and his family became mysteriously ill. They had no idea what was happening—or that carbon monoxide was silently filling their home while they slept.
Four members of Wes’s family would lose their lives overnight.
But Wes survived.

He woke up 5 days later in a hospital after being in a coma, to a life that would never be the same.

In this week’s emotional episode, Wes takes us inside that devastating night and shares what came after—the grief, survivor guilt, recovery, and the search for meaning that ultimately led him to turn his survival into purpose.

It’s a story about how quickly life can change. And what it means to keep living when it does.

🔗 Listen to the full story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silent-killer-a-christmas-tragedy-and-one-mans-fight/id1800321269?i=1000784250031

To learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning, contact the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association at (248) 266-1114.

08/18/2026

TUESDAY TEASER...

What do you do with a second chance at life?

On Christmas night in 1992, Wes Bruns went to sleep surrounded by family.

By morning, carbon monoxide poisoning had taken the lives of his mother, stepfather, and two brothers, and left Wes fighting for his own life.

But he survived.

And in this moment from tomorrow’s NEW episode of The Survivors, Wes reflects on something that's stayed with him ever since: Why am I still here? And what am I supposed to do with the life I was given back?

His answer is a powerful reminder that surviving isn’t just about what happened to us. Sometimes it’s about what we choose to do next.

Tomorrow on the pod, Wes shares his extraordinary story of loss, survivor guilt, recovery, gratitude, purpose, and turning unimaginable tragedy into a life of service, and now, a memoir, When Life Changes the Game.

🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the-survivors.../id1800321269

08/18/2026

What are you surviving? Because the truth is, we’re all surviving something.

And that’s exactly why The Survivors exists.

Cohosts Lisa Sugarman and Natasha J. Layton know survival firsthand. Because together, they’ve lost eight people they love to su***de. Lisa is a 3x su***de loss survivor, while Natasha has lost 5 brothers to su***de and is a survivor of sexual abuse, domestic violence, cult life, and three of her own su***de attempts. And together, they bring deeply personal lived experience to every conversation.

They talk su***de loss. Sexual abuse. Domestic violence. Mental illness. Childhood trauma. Grief. Addiction. And so much more. And on The Survivors, they’re making space for all of it.

Real people. Real stories. Real conversations about what it takes to survive and find hope on the other side. So whatever you’re surviving, you don’t have to survive it alone.

🔗 Click here to listen, to subscribe, and to join the community: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-survivors-podcast/id1800321269

How do you start breaking a trauma bond?For Beany Trapani, the answer isn’t theoretical. She lived it.After spending 10 ...
08/15/2026

How do you start breaking a trauma bond?

For Beany Trapani, the answer isn’t theoretical. She lived it.

After spending 10 years trauma bonded to an abusive partner, Beany had to learn how to create distance, rebuild a life centered around herself, navigate the triggers that pulled her backward, and surround herself with the right support.

Today, she’s helping other women do the same. And she created these 4 steps to start breaking a trauma bond as a reminder that getting free isn’t always one big, courageous moment. Sometimes it’s a series of small choices that slowly lead you back to yourself.

🎧 In Part 2 of our conversation on The Survivors, Beany shares how she finally escaped, what it took to rebuild her life after abuse, and how she’s now using her experience to help other women find own way forward.

🎧 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-survivors-podcast/id1800321269?i=1000782899749

And if you or someone you love is experiencing an abusive relationship and needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).

08/14/2026

One conversation can change the way you see your own life.

That's what domestic abuse survivor and advocate Beany Trapani hopes this one will do.

In Part 2 of our visit with Beany on The Survivors, she opens up about the mindset shifts that helped her break free from a decade of abuse, stop letting fear make her decisions, and finally start living life on her own terms.

Her story isn't just about surviving an abusive relationship. It's about rediscovering your voice, trusting yourself again, and believing you're worthy of something better.

🎧 Listen to Part 2 of our conversation with Beany here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-got-out-then-her-story-went-viral-beany-trapani/id1800321269?i=1000782899749

And if you or someone you love is experiencing an abusive relationship and needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).

08/13/2026

Sometimes the biggest turning point isn't changing your circumstances. It's changing how you respond to them.

On this week's episode of The Survivors, abuse survivor Beany Trapani shares the mindset shift that helped her reclaim her life after 10 years in an abusive relationship.

She opens up about finding the courage to leave, rebuilding her confidence, and transforming her lived experience into a mission that's helping women around the world recognize abuse, break trauma bonds, and believe that healing is possible.

🎧 Listen to Part 2 of our emotional conversation with Beany here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-got-out-then-her-story-went-viral-beany-trapani/id1800321269?i=1000782899749

And if you or someone you love is experiencing an abusive relationship and needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).

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