Jesse Perez is a friend of Paul’s, a cancer survivor, a podcaster, and a Latino man navigating life under the current administration. Look for his podcast, Equanimity, which focuses on this experience.
Chris Grace (@ChrisGraceComedy) is a comedian and actor who shares his stories of love, tragic loss, and growing up as the child of an immigrant. He discusses grief and racial dynamics in both comedy and the gay community.
Nate Berkus (@NateBerkus) is an interior designer and a NYT best-selling author (look for his new book, Foundations: Timeless Design That Feels Personal) who joins Paul to share his story of growing up, his challenges with authenticity, and the trauma he endured while being stuck in the middle of a natural disaster, where he witnessed death on a massive scale, including that of his own partner.
Anna Runkle, aka @CrappyChildhoodFairy joins Paul to share her experience of growing up in a commune, living with CPTSD, and finding new ways to heal when talk therapy wasn’t working. Look for her new book Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People and Feel (At Last) Like You Belong.
Fellow support group member Derek shares about growing up in extreme poverty and isolation. Recently he has been learning how to connect and practice boundaries but is still struggling with being attracted to women who treat him badly.
Tyler Smith was paralyzed from the neck down after contracting the West Nile virus. He and his wife, Jenny, join Paul for the second time to open up about the rage, shock, and loneliness of having become paralyzed as well as the stress and emotional toll it takes on Jenny to caretake someone with Tyler’s condition.
Amanda Uhle is a journalist and nonfiction writer who shares her story of a loving but turbulent childhood and what it was like to grow up in a house of hoarders. Look for her new memoir, Destroy This House.
Robert Suttle joins Paul to share his experience with the criminalization of HIV. He talks about the unexpected arrest related to his diagnosis, his experience in prison, and living with HIV in the modern day.
Our second installment of the darkest surveys filled out anonymously by listeners.