While the Nobody Should Believe Me team is hard at work on season 5, we’re revisiting the first episode of our third season, which covered the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Children's trial, also known as the Take Care of Maya Case.  Next week, we have a brand new miniseries coming to your ears, so stay tuned. *** As the Maya Kowalski case heads to trial, we dig into the massive trove of documents about this case and begin to unpack what we know about what really happened during Maya...

In this episode, Andrea and Dr. Bex discuss mitochondrial disorders, which Dr. Bex has seen first-hand in her pediatric patients, and their connection to medical child abuse, most notably in the Justina Pelletier case. Like most illnesses seen in Munchausen by Proxy cases, while there are tests that doctors run, mitochondrial disorders present challenges in distinguishing genuine cases because of the array of symptoms they present. They discuss how support groups and websites–while so...

Dr. Bex joins Andrea for the final installment of our Justina Pelletier miniseries. They pick up by giving an overview of the court case, and the eerie similarities to the Kowalski case. They chat about the experts who were brought in by both the Pelletiers and Boston Children’s, and the importance of looking into the background of expert witnesses. Dr. Bex and Andrea break down the connection between somatoform disorder and prolonged Medical Child Abuse, and how it may affect the recovery of...

In part 3 of our Justina Pelletier mini-series, Andrea and Beau pick up where part 2 left off, with the topic of mitoaction.org. They then get into the side story of Martin Gottesfeld, a hacker who did not know the family, but took on the mantle of saving Justina by hacking into the Boston Childrens’ system to pressure them into releasing her. Beau talks about the last time he was contacted by the Pelletiers, Lou Pelletier’s reaction to the media attention, and how Justina is doing...

On this show we talk a lot about how Munchausen by Proxy cases are covered in the media, and today we’re getting the inside scoop from the reporter who broke one of the most high profile MBP stories. Beau Berman began covering the Justina Pelletier case back in 2013 as a young reporter and watched over the years as the case evolved and got stranger and stranger. He tells Andrea about how the story came across his desk and the complexities of trying to keep the balance on both sides while...

Case Files is back with the first episode of a multi-part series on the Justina Pelletier case. Andrea and Dr. Bex covered this case in the subscriber feed, but, due to popular demand, decided to bring it to the main podcast. Justina Pelletier was a 14-year-old girl whose hospitalization at Boston Children's Hospital sparked a significant legal and media frenzy. Andrea and Dr. Bex’s discussion covers the medical background of Justina's condition, including mitochondrial disease and...

Welcome to the first episode of Case Files, our new series for episodes between seasons! Andrea, either solo or joined by guests, will be taking listeners through additional Munchausen by Proxy cases, updates on previously covered cases, and the broader societal impact of this form of child abuse. In this conversation, Andrea and Dr. Bex (our secret Florida doctor friend from season 3) delve into the growing popularity of ketamine usage and the public perception of the role that it played in...

Welcome to our Season 4 Mailbag Episode! We’re so excited to officially introduce our fabulous producer Myrriah Gossett, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the many moving parts of Nobody Should Believe Me on track.  Andrea and Myrriah reflect on their experiences reporting for season 4, ethically navigating survivor stories, and the considerations involved in sharing the intimate details of someone’s real life. They also address questions about the show’s coverage of...

On this week’s unabridged interview from season 4, Andrea chats with trauma therapist Carly Ostler. The two of them dive into what complex trauma is, the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD, and the co-dependent nature of abusive families. Carly explains why abuse from parental figures affects survivors so deeply, as well as the complexity of grieving an abuser.  * * * Links/Resources:  Learn more about Carly: https://www.carlyostler.com/ Preorder Andrea's new book The Mother Next...

This week, we are bringing you our full interview with Jade Miller, founder of Peer Support for Multiples and a multiple herself. This incredibly informative and demystifying conversation, goes into Jade’s journey to becoming a peer support mentor and the limitations of therapy for those with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Andrea and Jade also dive into practical ways to support those with DID, the spectrum of dissociation to multiples, and the realities of being a Multiple. * *...

We are working hard on season 5 of Nobody Should Believe Me, but in the meantime, we’re bringing you a series of unabridged interviews from the experts we talked to during the making of season 4! This week Andrea chats with Jackie Rodriguez, LMSW, who specializes in dissociative identity disorder and complex trauma. Jackie and Andrea discuss the complexities of DID and the stereotypes that have been exacerbated by popular media. Jackie talks through what therapy looks like for someone with...

Law professor, nurse, and president of Munchausen Support, Bea Yorker, shares what first got her interested in working with Munchausen by proxy cases, and remembers the first time she was exposed to medical child abuse. She recounts how she first met Jo in the Munchausen by proxy Committee of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children. Bea and Andrea talk through the positive psychological effects of peer support groups for those coping with trauma and how to create a safe...

In our season four finale, we talk about what justice looks like for survivors of abuse and how to recover from the loss of an abusive parent. We examine the importance of confronting the reality of what happened as a crucial first step in a survivor’s healing and ask what feels like an impossible question–when the systems fail, as they so often do–what do you do about someone like Jo’s mom Donna?  *** Links/Resources:  Preorder Andrea's new book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception,...

In the aftermath of Donna’s death, Jo returns home to Hutchinson to plan their mother’s funeral and clean up her mess one final time. As Jo and their sister Crystal sort through the detritus of the filthy, overstuffed apartment where Donna spent her final days, they come across strange artifacts, including letter from Jo’s childhood self.  We also talk to therapist and Complex PTSD specialist, Carly Ostler about the complexities of grieving for an abusive parent and why they can have an even...

Just as Jo has made huge personal strides in the spring of 2023, Donna slides into a coma and Jo returns to Hutchinson to say what they will believe to be their final goodbyes. However, even Donna’s “deathbed” isn’t what it seems, and she ends up pulling through: leaving Jo to manage the complicated process of setting boundaries with their mother after yet another dramatic brush with death.  Over the next year, Jo continues to thrive and heal their relationship with their sister: just in...

Jo starts to make big strides within their personal life. From building community and finding friends, to finally being able to take care of themselves in a way that feels safe. They’ve even rediscovered their love for cheerleading. But just as they’re starting to forge a new relationship with their body, an injury causes a major setback. We talk to two of Jo’s closest people–their therapist Angie and their roommate Spencer–about watching Jo struggle through this difficult time, and gain...

When Jo begins sharing their experiences online, they get a request from the producers of nationally broadcast television show “The Doctors” to tell their story to an audience of millions. During their dramatic confrontation on air, Donna continues to gaslight Jo and deny the abuse; Jo nonetheless finds healing and release in opening up about the truth. But even as Jo begins to break away, Donna finds ways to pull them back in and distort their reality.  *** Links/Resources:  Watch Jo’s...

Today we look back at Jo’s revelation in their twenties that they’d been a victim of Munchausen by proxy abuse: a moment that turned their world upside down. As Jo forges a path forward – reviewing their medical records and even confronting their childhood pediatrician – they discover how complex healing from this abuse truly is. Jo also opens up about their experiences with Dissociative Identity Disorder. We speak to Jo’s therapist, Angie, about their complicated system of coping mechanisms....