I Woke From a Coma to a Man Claiming to Be My Boyfriend

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Woke From a Coma to a Man Claiming to Be My Boyfriend"

Podcast: What It Was Like (Episode aired April 25, 2026)
Guest: Brooke (sharing her lived experience)
Host(s): Laura Richoli (host of 'The Sex that Changed My Life'), with intro by Julian Morgans of Superreal

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode tells the harrowing, bizarre, and at times darkly humorous true story of Brooke, who suffered a traumatic brain injury, fell into a 10-day coma, and awoke to a man at her bedside claiming to be her boyfriend. Through vivid, unflinching storytelling, Brooke explores memory loss, vulnerability, manipulation, trauma, and the long road to self-trust and healing. The episode is a layered exploration of identity, recovering from trauma, and the way unhealthy relationships can thrive in moments of weakness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Context

• [05:34] Brooke’s Background:
  • Raised in a military family, moved frequently.
  • Works as a content strategist and a writer, with a love for horror (ironic given the story's direction).
• [06:08] Scene Setting:
  • Age 23, attending UC Santa Cruz, a self-described “mess,” drawn to horror writing and films.

2. The Day of the Incident & Waking Up

• [03:42, 06:31]
  • In 2015, Brooke fell 20–25 feet from a redwood tree, resulting in a 10-day coma.
  • Upon waking, she's disoriented, vision is doubled and rotated ("the second image...stacked and rotated" [07:04]).
  • A man she barely recognizes is at her bedside.
  • He tells her, “I’ve been telling the doctors and everyone that you’re my girlfriend. Is that okay?” ([03:42], [07:29])
  • Her response: “I was like, yeah, I guess so. Is that what has been happening between us?”
• [09:03]
  • Neither her mother nor her best friend could fully verify the nature of this relationship in the immediate aftermath.

"It sounds like 50 First Dates, but instead of a romantic comedy...it turned into more of a horror film." — Brooke [03:42]

3. Early Recovery and Manipulation

• [10:25]
  • Brooke's memory is severely impaired; she struggles to follow conversations or events.
  • The “boyfriend” exploits her confusion, dropping in and out, making inconsistent commitments, and relying on her inability to track his lies ("Does he just rely on the fact that I’m not going to remember?" [10:25]).
  • He criticizes her independence and body:
    • Urges her to focus on appearance instead of cognitive recovery (“You should focus on shaving and getting rid of body hair.” [13:19])
• [14:50, 16:06]
  • He moves with her family to San Diego, pressures her for beauty treatments, and discourages brain exercises.
  • Obsessed with the reality show 'Naked and Afraid,' he imposes his interests as a bizarre substitute for intimacy or support.

“He was the worst part and the most traumatic part of this. Like, I feel like if I had just fallen out of a tree and just woken up from a coma, like I would have handled that fine. But he was unhappy with everything I was doing.” — Brooke [13:19]

4. Lack of Affection and Emotional Manipulation

• [16:06]
  • No real boyfriend behavior—no affection, intimacy, or genuine care.
  • He deflects, isolates, and emotionally criticizes, mirroring abusive patterns from her past relationships.
• [17:03–18:52]
  • Brooke reflects on her history with unhealthy, psychologically abusive partnerships.
  • Family and friends, used to her non-affectionate nature, do not visibly intervene.
  • The pattern is normalized, making her vulnerable to further manipulation.

“I was primed. I was the perfect person for him to pull this with...because I was so relaxed about everything.” — Brooke [17:56]

5. The Complexity of Recovery & Isolation

• [19:38, 21:43]
  • The “boyfriend’s” support is conditional; he fixates on her body and fitness, not her cognitive recovery.
  • He undermines her efforts, e.g., forcing her to run up a mountain despite physical disabilities from her injury.
• [23:40, 30:10]
  • Her mother and family reinforce similar norms (focus on appearance, femininity), compounding the pressure to change.
  • Autonomy is stripped away: “I just felt like this is just what I have to do now” ([30:10]).
  • Friends drift away, and the man becomes her main social lifeline—even as his presence is emotionally taxing.

6. Revelation and Confrontation

• [38:20–43:24]
  • After five to six months, a friend returns from abroad and provides the missing context:
    • Brooke did NOT want the man involved; in fact, she’d asked him to leave.
    • The man had sexually assaulted this friend about a year prior.
    • His presence was motivated by a need to look like a “good guy” amidst possible accusations.
• [42:40]
  • When confronted, he admits (inadvertently) that his goal was to protect his own reputation, not help Brooke.

“Is that why you have stuck around because you’re still scared about that whole situation? ...His response was, ‘That’s crazy. I can’t believe you would turn yourself into the victim in this situation.’” — Brooke [42:40]

• [43:00]
  • Brooke’s mother also reveals that, while Brooke was in the coma, the man suggested it might be best to “pull the plug” if things didn’t improve within two days:

    “That’s just too much.” — Brooke [43:11]

7. Aftermath, Boundaries, and Recovery

• [47:12]
  • Once the man leaves, Brooke’s recovery “skyrockets”; she can finally progress without his interference.
  • He continues to contact her, motivated by fear that her friend might press charges for the assault.
• [49:23–56:28]
  • Brooke describes a long journey of therapy and self-work.
  • She continued to be attracted to unhealthy relationships, but ultimately pursued therapy and abstained from romantic involvement until much later.
  • Describes meeting a new, healthy partner, and setting clear expectations and boundaries from the outset.

8. Reflection and Lessons Learned

• [54:04–56:28]
  • The core message is about trusting instincts, especially when others attempt to gaslight or undermine.
  • Healing happens within and outside of relationships; a good partner is not a cure-all.
  • “The self is hard coded, and you should, like, trust that self and not let people try to convince you to be something else...” — Brooke [21:38]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On memory loss and confusion:

  “Sometimes even when I was saying something, before I reached the end of the sentence, I would forget what I was trying to say.” — Brooke [12:08]

• On manipulation:

  “I don't think that's how that works. I don't think it's passed down through the DNA.” — Brooke (on ex’s claim of medical authority) [11:50]

• On recovery after he left:

  “After he left, my progress skyrocketed because he had been stressing me out just for so long.” — Brooke [47:12]

• On self-trust:

  “You are you...The Self is hard coded, and you should, like, trust that self and not let people try to convince you to be something else or that something else is going on.” — Brooke [21:38]

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Important Timestamps

• 03:42: First memory after coma, introduction of the man as "boyfriend"
• 06:31–09:48: Hospital confusion; mother and friend try to piece reality
• 10:25–14:42: Manipulation, appearance-focused criticism, pressured outings
• 19:38–23:40: Forced physical recovery, family dynamics, self-doubt
• 38:20–43:24: The shocking revelation of the man’s true motives
• 47:12: Brooke's mental and physical recovery accelerates after he leaves
• 54:04–56:28: Lessons on intuition, healing, healthy relationships

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Final Reflection: Tone and Impact

Brooke tells her story with honesty, deadpan humor, and striking self-awareness, even in recounting trauma. She’s candid about her past, her family’s role, and ongoing struggles with boundaries and healthy relationships. The episode is less about victimhood and more about agency lost and reclaimed, ending on a message of compassion for oneself and the necessity (and eventual inevitability) of trusting one's own intuition.

Memorable closing note:
“I think that healing can occur outside of a relationship. And just because you’re in a healthy relationship, that doesn’t mean the end of that. ... It’s just going to take time and a lot of co pays for therapy.” — Brooke [56:28]

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For further reading or to connect with Brooke:

• Find her comedy and writing on TikTok ([see show notes]) and her website.
• Follow the podcast @ChangeMyLifePod on Instagram and TikTok for more.

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[End of Summary]

Transcript

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[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

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[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Super.

[Podcast Host Introducing Episode]

Hello and welcome back. This week we're doing something a little different. I'm bringing you an episode from our other show. It's a podcast that's all about sex, relationships and intimacy. It's called the Sex that Changed My Life and it's hosted by a sex writer and my girlfriend, Laura Rasholi. Now, you might have heard me talk about this show before. It's been running a few weeks now. It is fantastic. And I was in the room for this latest episode and I remember thinking, wow, this, this is an amazing story. So today we're going to run this episode and here's the setup. Okay, here's what it's about. A woman suffers a severe head injury and she wakes up from a 10 day coma and there's a man standing by her bed who tells her, I'm your boyfriend. And it doesn't feel right, but he also seems kind of familiar. So she goes along with it. And from there it gets darker. I'm not going to say any more. Let's just do it. And also, actually, before we start, a quick heads up, there's no subscriber episode this week. We're taking a short break on the subscriber apps and we're just going to line up some big stories for you. So for now, please enjoy this very wild episode of the Sex that Changed My Life.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

But in 2015, I fell about 20, 25ft out of a redwood tree and ended up in a 10 day coma. The first thing I do remember is I woke up, I was in a hospital bed and there was a man claiming to be my boyfriend by my bedside. And he was like, hey, I've been telling the doctors and everyone that you're my girlfriend. Is that okay? I was like, yeah, I guess so. Is that what has been happening between us? And he was like, well, we were never like, together together, but we are. So, you know, I'm just telling everyone you're my girlfriend now. And like, I felt weird about it. It felt strange. It sounds like 50 first dates. But instead of a romantic comedy with Adam Sandler, Andrew Barrymore, it turned into more of a horror film.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Hi, I'm Laura Richoli and this is the Sex that Changed My Life. The show that looks at how intimacy and relationships can shape our lives and uncover who we really are.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

It was absolutely magical. Yes. I wanted this for so long. Right there. Don't stop.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Okay. Brooke, welcome to the show.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Hi. There.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Hi. Let's start off by telling the listeners a little bit about yourself.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, so I was born in Coronado Island. It's not technically an island, but military family. So moved around quite a bit. And then for work right now I am a content strategist for financial technology companies and then I do writing on the side pitching pieces to various outlets.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yes, me too. It's the, it's the industry of sending emails and not getting replies.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Oh yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

So this story really starts when you're in college. So maybe can you set the scene a little bit for us?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

I was 23 years old and I was a bit of a mess as a lot of 23 year olds are. At that time I was predominantly writing fiction and taking a bunch of horror writing and horror movie classes. So I would say that's my main interest. I love horror films.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

That's kind of ironic given what happened to you. Oh yeah, let's get straight into that.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, definitely. So 2015, I fell about 20, 25ft out of a redwood tree and ended up in a 10 day coma. And to backtrack I would climb the redwood trees a lot with my. It was a pretty common pastime for UC Santa Cruz students. Everyone would climb the redwood trees. We would sometimes have like one or two beers and then do it. But we were all pretty skilled climbers and this night was no different. I actually have no memory of the day of or weeks after and before. The first thing I do remember is I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. I had double vision, but the second image of my double vision was rotated so it was like vertically stacked and the top image was rotated and. And odd. Yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

How disconcerting.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, that lasted quite a while. And like the next thing I know, my mom came in the room and there was this guy with her. And I knew that I knew him somehow. Like he felt familiar but I didn't know exactly how. And finally he, when it was just me and him, he came in and he was like, hey, I've been telling the doctors and everyone that you're my girlfriend. Is that okay? I was like, yeah, I guess so. Is that what has been happening between us? He said, you didn't know how you knew me, but if you'll remember, we met each other at Santa Cruz. We've been kind of involved for a couple years. And the last thing that happened was I was renting out room in a house and he was like, I moved some of this stuff into that room. And I was like, okay. He was like, so you know, I'm just telling everyone, you're my girlfriend now. I was like, all right. And, like, I felt weird about it. It felt strange. Like, even the way he was, like, telling me about the clipped version of our interactions, I was like, okay, so there's something more to this. But all right, at that point, I did remember, like, certain interactions with him from the past, and it did corroborate with what he was saying, that we had been, like, kind of involved, you know, and at that time, too, my mom and I, we. We didn't talk about any of that kind of stuff. So she had no idea who I was. Like, she knew there was no one

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

there to, like, back it up for you.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, yeah. And then my friend, actually, my best friend at the time, she did. She did know more of the context, and she. She knew more of the story, but she was like, maybe something happened between. You know, so she didn't say anything, didn't point out anything, because she was like, hey, you know, I hadn't talked to Brooke in, like, a couple weeks before this. You know, maybe things changed. Yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

So by the time you sort of came to, so to speak, there was this guy who you kind of knew. You're like, yeah, you're familiar, and he essentially told your story back to you, but ended on, like, a. But we're more serious now. Like, we're girlfriend, boyfriend. Is that okay that I'm telling people that?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And my mom had mentioned. I was talking to her about, you know, the stuff I didn't remember from the hospital, and she was like, yeah, every time that he walked in for the. About the first month, you would just, like, sweep your arm and go, I guess I have a boyfriend now. We all laughed because we were like, oh, typical Brooke. You know, cranky jokes like that.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah. I want to, like. Like, go into how that relationship then sort of progressed, because you mentioned that you felt a bit uncomfortable about it, but you obviously couldn't put your finger on it at the time because you were, like, just coming to.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yes, definitely. Because my memory was so bad initially, it kind of plays back into what I was saying before that people were re. Explaining things to me and just getting kind of sick of it. And I think that he was using that to his advantage, because when I started remembering things, he would come in the morning for a little bit and then tell me he would be back later in the afternoon and then just not come back. And, like, the first time it happened, I was like, okay, something came up, I guess. And then the next day the exact same thing happened. And I was like, does he just show up in the morning and tell me he's going to come back later and then just not come back and just rely on the fact that I'm not going to remember? He just was not really like all that there. He was just like in and out. And my mom did not like him and was just telling me how they were like feuding and then he was telling me that from his point of view, he was like, your mom is just not being accommodating at all. And then she was like, yeah, she just hated him too and was just like, he is so naggy. He's telling the doctors how to do their job. Later I was like, yeah, my mom mentioned that you were telling the doctors how to do their job. And he was like, well, my mom was a trauma nurse and then my stepdad was a physiatrist working with, you know, people with traumatic brain injuries. That basically makes me a doctor. And I was like, what? I don't think that's how that works. I don't think it's passed down through the DNA.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah, I don't think that the medical board would agree with him. But like, what were you feeling in that moment?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

So it's difficult to explain because my memory, if you've ever seen the movie 50 First Dates and there's 10 second Tom that like every 10 seconds his memory starts over. It was very similar to that, just with like a slightly longer time span. But sometimes I, even when I was saying something before I reached the end of the sentence, I would forget what I was trying to say. Like it was, it was pretty bad and pretty debilitating. So I was having difficulties even expressing myself and understanding what was happening in my direct presence. Like even comprehending the, the little feud going on between my mom and this guy. And just like everything outside of that was, it was conceptually just so foreign. I couldn't even, I couldn't even wrap around my mind that anything existed out of a 10 foot space from me.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

From what you can remember, can you describe his behavior during this time towards you? Like, I want to get a bit of an image of like how he's behaving.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

He was the worst part and the most traumatic part of this. Like, I feel like if I had just fallen out of a tree and just woken up from a coma, like I would have handled that fine. But he was unhappy with everything I was doing. From the moment that, you know, my memory starts to stick in the hospital he was just. Whatever I was doing, it wasn't enough or I wasn't focusing on the right things. When I was trying to do logic puzzles to try to make my brain work again and like, reading and stuff. He was like, maybe you should focus on shaving and like, getting rid of body hair. Because I am a. Oh, my God. Yeah, naturally I'm a very hairy chicken.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Me too. I'm Italian.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

So, yeah, I don't have that excuse. Well, I. Scottish. I mean, that's hairy, right? Because I couldn't shave. Like, I just woke it up from a coma. So obviously they weren't like, shaving with me. But looking back at it now, it's like he couldn't have cared about me at all. Because if you care about someone, you're more interested in them getting better. Not these, like, aesthetic choices that really don't affect recovery at all in any way. And when I was discharged, I was going back to San Diego with my family, and he decided that he was gonna come with us. To San Diego and.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

What, to support you?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, to. To. Yeah, to support me. And I was like. I was like, okay, did he like,

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

move in with you or what?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

He was renting his own place, but he was trying to like, browbeat my mom into letting him stay. Stay at their house. And she, you know, put her foot down and was like, no. But he, he stayed nearby. And then whenever he got off work, he would come over to my parents house and like, pick me up and take me. He would take me to like, salons and ask them to wax my face. And yeah, it was, it was terrible. And then I have, I'm very pale. I have very sensitive skin, so my face would just be like, swollen. And then they would hold the mirror up to be like, how do you like this? And still a double vision. Because I had an eye surgery, I'd be like closing my eye, being like, good, you know, but literally in your

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

own horror movie, like, I can't, I can't. But wait, so just before we, before we carry on with this like, like show of a boyfriend, like pretending to be boyfriend, like, just terrible misogynistic vibe. I just want to understand a little bit more about, like, when he was in hospital, when, when he was there, like, I'm your boyfriend now. Was any like, affection? Did he like, hold your hand or did you kiss or did anything intimate happen? Like, did he act like your boyfriend at all?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

No. I'm laughing because, like, the closest thing to that was he. He was obsessed with the show naked and Afraid, which I had never seen. Every time I was trying to do brain exercises or something, he would throw on Naked and Afraid on the TV and then sit next to me and be like, you don't need to do those. Watch this show. And he would just, like, over and over again, be like, I would love to go on one of these shows. I'd have to be with somebody who would be able to be on Naked and Afraid. I was like, I am kind of naked and afraid right now. You know, does that count? And. But so that was like, the closest to, like, affection, I guess, is that he would. We would watch Naked and Afraid together, which I had kind of forgotten about.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

That strike you as weird? I like, were you, like, why, if this is my boyfriend, why isn't he, like, being, like, affectionate to me? Why is he being a dick?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

I don't have a great history with dating and being involved with people. I always joke around and say, I'm a battered woman because I've been in relationships with people that were abusive in a different sense than this, which is heavily psychological. And so that type of interaction, to me at the time seemed healthy. It didn't seem bad. And also, I'm just. In general, I'm not really an affectionate person, so the fact that he wasn't super affectionate didn't strike me as strange. And then those kinds of jokes I feel like we would make with each other. Like, I could never be with a person who did, you know, stuff like that.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Right.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

But I did feel, given the context and the situation. That's a weird thing to say right now, too.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah. A little on the nose to the.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. To this person who can't walk, you know, who can't shower, I feel like I was primed. I was the perfect person for him to pull this with, in a way, because I was so relaxed about any everything.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

And you're also just unaware, like.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Just, like, in a world of, like, relearning how to, like, human.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

So that's another reason why I think no one in my family, no one at my friend, they all were kind of like, this is weird, because we didn't hear anything about it. But also, they know that I'm not very affectionate. So they were like, okay, this seems like kind of normal behavior for Brooke, but also normal in this sense that she's never been in a good relationship, and she's never actually behaved well with, you know, someone before. Like, we don't know what that would look like.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Right, Right. That didn't have Anything to sort of like compare it to necessarily.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Exactly. And that's because I had already had that established history of having relationships like this. People weren't all that surprised or didn't press on it too much, but. But I. I was drinking a lot. I had had at that time, like a couple different boyfriends, like three, I think. And every single one of them fell into the pattern.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah. So how did the relationship progress then? So once he came, moved back to San Diego with you, got a job and was really set on being your like quote unquote boyfriend, how did that relationship kind of expand?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Well, I spent a lot of time trying to get my mind back. I was trying to finish a book. It took me one month to read a novella. I was working on myself that way. And then he would come and pick me up, take me to, as I mentioned before, get my face waxed. Or. His big thing too was that he wanted me to work out. He kept wanting me to work out. So he would take me to. Yeah, he would take me to like, there's this mountain called Mount Palomar. And he'd be like, we're gonna practice running up this mountain. And I was like, I just stopped using an arm crutch. I don't know about this. And yeah, it was just. And he kept doing stuff like that. He kept taking me on long hikes that the Mount Palomar when I ended up throwing up. And then he sat down next to me while I was throwing up. And by way of like explanation, he was like, my dad was really hard on me as a kid. I just like looked at him, you know, he's all, I'm all cross eyed cause I still have double vision. And I hear just like vomits hanging out of my mouth. And I'm like, that must have been hard. It's just like, you know. But so. So all of that is going on. And then meanwhile, the friend I was with when I fell out of the tree, she left on a study abroad sometime while I was in the hospital. So she was out of the country. And I had messaged her on Facebook. I wanted to know what happened. I had no memory. I didn't know, you know, what had happened or anything. And she finally messaged me back, you know, basically was like, hey, glad you're doing okay. Because I had mentioned that the guy had come down to San Diego. She was like, oh, that's interesting. I didn't know he was, you know, so involved. Like, how's that going? I was like, well, he seems way more interested in Focusing on me learning to shave and run up mountains. You know, my, like, physical condition than rehabilitating my brain.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

He made me run up a fucking mountain.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Like, well, yeah, work by you.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

And I said, yes. He keeps telling me not to work on mind puzzles and mind games or whatever and to focus on, like, strengthening my body. And she was. She responded back and was like, well, maybe there's something he doesn't want you to remember. And I was like, at that time, I didn't read too much into that. I just laughed. Like, maybe he doesn't want me to remember, like, how I was before my. My mom was doing it, too. As I mentioned before, I'm not the most feminine. And my mom, the whole time that I was in the hospital kept talking about that I should be born demure. Like, when I was relearning to walk, they were suggesting I should swing my hips more. You know what I mean? And I. At one time. Yeah, yeah, one time, the medical social worker came in because they decided to have an intervention because of my drinking. And she was, like, showing me photos of when I was in the coma. And I started laughing because I had a giant, like, blood dread because my hair was super long and they had to shave it off. And I started laughing because it was a ridiculous photo. And the medical social worker was like, it's okay. This is just the brain damage. She's just having an adverse reaction. Sometimes people with brain damage will think things are funny when they're not. And my mom just so angrily was like, no, this is just Brooke. And she was like, you could just try to be, like, nicer. And that was, like, a constant thing. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, that was the consensus. Like, everyone was like, oh, maybe we can, like, have her be human now. Like, the human we want. So. And my mom was guilty of that as well. So when this guy was doing that type of stuff, like, she knew that he was taking me to get my face waxed and making me, like, do all this stuff, and she kind of just didn't engage with it and was, like, fine with that happening. So I. When my friend messaged me, maybe there's something he doesn't want you to remember, my first thought was, yeah, maybe he just doesn't want me to remember, like, how I am and who I am, which, you know, I get. Everyone's trying to reprogram me right now. One of the lessons and maybe the biggest lesson I took away from this is that when it comes down to it, you are you. You know. Yeah. The Self is hard coded, and you should, like, trust that self and not let people try to convince you to be something else or that something else is going on. And had I listened to that earlier on, then, you know, maybe things wouldn't have got us out of hand. And after I read that message from her, he showed up because it was like after he got off work and I made the mistake because I thought it was funny. So I said to him, oh, I'm messaging with the friend I was with, you know, when I fell out of tree. She's finally gotten back to me. And she said this. She said, oh, maybe there's something he doesn't want you to remember. And I'm laughing because I think it's funny. And he did not laugh the opposite. He freaked out. He was. He was like, what? Why would you say that to her? Why would you say that? That I don't care about your mind getting better? Why would you say that? And he. He didn't, like, shake me, but he put his hands on either side of my face, and we're like, shaking his hands like this and was like, why would you say that? Why would you say that? And I was like, I don't know. I didn't think it was a big deal. I was like, I don't. I don't know. And then he left, and I just, like, walked inside and my mom was like, are you okay? You do not look okay. And I was like, I don't know what is happening.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

You know, we're going to take a quick ad break, but please stick around. We'll be back soon with more. The Sex that Changed my life.

[Podcast Host Introducing Episode]

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[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Really?

[Autotrader Advertiser]

At a playground?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, really. Look at these listings from dealers.

[Autotrader Advertiser]

Wow, your search can really get that specific.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Really?

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And you just put in your info and boom. Cars in your budget.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Mom needs a second.

[Autotrader Advertiser]

Honey, you can really have it delivered.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Really? Or I can pick it up at the dealership. One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car. Mommy.

[Autotrader Advertiser]

Uh, I think your kid is walking up the slide.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Kyle. Again?

[Sarah Gibson Tuttle (Olive and June Founder)]

Really?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Auto trader. Buy your car online. Really?

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[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Oh, my God. Okay, wait. I really want to know what he wanted you to forget because this is like a plot twist, right? I'm so curious. Let's get to that in a sec. But I really just want to sit for a second on the bit about, like, how in relationships I think it's really common for people to try to change each other. Like, it's just a part of what we do as human beings, I think. And I feel like, I mean, I've been in relationships like that. And I just want to sit on the fact for a moment that it must have been so hard to maintain your sense of self in this moment because people who have wanted you to change, maybe for a while, like your mum, for example, but then also this guy are like trying to enact this in a moment when you are at your most vulnerable. Like, how did you manage that? That sounds really, really hard.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

So that had kind of been going on for a while, as you alluded to, with my family. So it was almost like I was used to that. And instead of it like hurting my feelings or feeling completely disconnected with myself, I just thought it was funny. And maybe this was, you know, the injury too, that I always joke around and I say, in a way it's good I was as brain damaged as I was because then I didn't know how messed up everything was. Because now looking back at it, I'm just like, I'm angry with everyone. I'm angry with myself. So many things. But at the time I was just kind of pleasantly amused. So them actually trying to change me and go through that, that itself didn't bother me. I was like, this is how it always has been. But then the reason why I went along with it, I was like, I have no autonomy. There's no, I can't even. I still can't drive. I. I couldn't ride a bike. Like, the first time I rode a bike was like three years after my accident. I couldn't go anywhere by myself. So I kind of just felt like this is just what I have to do now. This is what I do now. Wherever someone will take me, I go on the little outings. And this is, like, my activity. And it just so happens that my activity for the day is getting the hair ripped off of my face or being forced to run up a mountain.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

It's really sad to me that in a moment when you clearly needed help finding yourself again, because it sort of almost like took you back to ground zero. Like, you can't do basic things all of a sudden. And in that moment, it just makes me sad that people's instinct was to utilize that to their advantage rather than to help you get back to yourself. Instead, they thought, we'll take control now. Finally we can have control over what she's doing, how she looks, whatever. Yeah. I just find that sad. Like, it's not a great comment on, like, human nature, you know, these particular humans. I don't know.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

The behavior definitely was the norm for my mom. The other reason why I wasn't so weirded out by him always worrying about my body hair and trying to remove my body hair is that my mom, she was, like, modeled when she was a kid. So she's very into that world and pretty vain. And I remember when I was, like, 12 or 13, because I was very tomboyish. I had my dad's old members only jacket from, like, the 80s, and I liked it, so I wore it all the time. And she thought that I wore it all the time because I was embarrassed about my arm hair. I'm like, no, I don't care about that. But she, like, didn't believe me. So one time she took me to a waxing studio and asked the waxer to wax my. And I didn't know it was a waxing studio or what was going on. You know, I was horrified. I was like, I don't want my arms waxed. And the waxer, like, looked at me and looked at my mom and, like, horror and was like, I'm not going to do that if she doesn't want it. That's how I learned about consent.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Nice.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. So that's always been kind of a pattern for me, is that everyone's always wanted me to change, like, my appearance and stuff, and just was always so strange to me because I. I know that women are always just judged by their appearances and that they. They're supposed to meet these certain, like, parameters of appearance. But I just never was interested in, like, wearing makeup or taking care of my body hair or anything like that. Yeah. So even after. So they had to shave my head after the coma. And just with everything I have the bowls and take the Bolt out. That didn't bother me. That was fine. But this guy hated that. And so that was another outing we did is he took me to get my hair cut and. And he was like, described what he wants. And I just hear her go, I can't make hair grow any faster. And I was like, did you really take me? He just hated the short hair so much. So he bought me a beanie and I had to wear the beanie anytime I was around him.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

It just keeps getting worse.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

So was there any part where you felt like you were just a bit like lonely as well, where you were kind of like, well, he's here and he keeps showing up. And there's like something about that that feels better than no one.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. Yes. Because on one hand my family was infantilizing me, deciding that I was too disabled to do certain things, but not disabled enough for other things. And, you know, life goes on. So all my friends and everything, they had jobs and lives to go back to. So he was like, by outing, I had to choose between being at home with my parents, who I love them, but they're recovering alcoholics. And at that time they were still active in that. And my brother was going through his own mental health thing during that time. And he's living in the back room. It wasn't exactly an enjoyable place to spend time.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

So you offered somewhat of an escape. Like, even though it wasn't necessarily better, it was something different.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Exactly. And he would. Not all of them were good, the loudings. But in the other times, he would take me to like the beach or something. He took me to the Beit's nut farm, like around Halloween or Thanksgiving. Ish. And that was nice. I got to just walk around. It's like taking your little brain damaged girlfriend on little outings. Like, that's cute.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

I mean, it's cute. Sometimes it's like the nut farm's cute, but I don't know about like the getting waxed in the hair, extension cut, like.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, well, that's the other thing too is that for every moment that it was like, I was like, okay, this is nice, this is pleasant. Then like an instant later we like after one of those occasions, we're driving by the beach and there's, you know, very attractive people jogging and stuff. And he like looks over and then looks at me and goes, you have a lot of competition. And I'm just like, I close my eye, look at him, and I'm like, I'm gonna lose

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

this guy. Makes me so angry hearing about him. But I feel like this is also total textbook manipulation. Emotional manipulation. Like, they do nice things enough that it makes you question whether or not you're being fussy or you're not seeing the good intention in what it is that they're doing. It's like every time you get angry, they'll find a way to make you question yourself. And I can only imagine that at a time like that where you really do need somebody to, like, physically take you out and help you do basic things like that, you know, would be a really hard sort of, like, tug of war in your brain because you're like, I kind of need him more than I hate him.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. Yeah. He yelled that at me once. He was like, you don't seem appreciative that I'm just like, I'm helping you be normal. I'm helping you be normal. And then he used the R slur. He was like, we all thought that you were going to be her, you know, forever and that you would never get better. And then here I am, like, helping you, and this is how you thank me. You're messaging her. And I always thought. Because just this is kind of how I'm wired. I just thought that if I said, well, that's not true. You're being ridiculous. If I just, like, point this out to him, then he'll realize how ridiculous he's being. And if only. Yeah. And that would be. It did not go that way. And so he would always, you know, do that. And then, like, one time he. He grabbed my face, like, after the first waxing. But I guess they didn't do a good job getting all of it or something. And he. He, like, looked at it and was just, like, disgusting. We're gonna have to go back another time. Yeah. And I was just like, what a thing to say. What a thing to say. Why doesn't he just realize that I am not the person for him?

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

What's he doing this for exactly? Like, what's he getting out of this? You know? And I guess, like, for manipulative, like, narcissists, potentially, they're getting out, like, a feeling of control. But you did say, just before that there was something that your friend said that he didn't want you to know. And I feel like it's a good time to revisit that because I'm so curious. Like, did you find out?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Like, yeah, so. So I thought that maybe he just has a hero complex and just wants to be, like, the hero. And then I was like, why? Why is this happening? He obviously doesn't like me. And that was about five or six months from my accident. And my friend had come back from South America from her study abroad, and I asked her if I could call her because I still didn't know what had happened that night or what had happened at all, really. And she was like, yeah, of course. So we talked. And the night of my accident, we had had a couple beers. We were talking about him because he had moved his stuff into my room. She was all, but you told him that he needed to buy a plane ticket. Like you were making him buy a plane ticket. You told him, buy a plane ticket and show it to me because I, I want you gone.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

The opposite of what he said. He said that you guys were dating, so you actually wanted him to leave. Okay. So, yeah, we're starting to find out the truth. Okay.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yes. And then she was like, yeah. And then we decided to climb the tree. You'd only had a couple of beers, you weren't drunk or anything. And then we were at the top of the tree, like 80ft up. And then you just turned to me. You're like, I got to get down right now. And you started climbing down really fast. And then a couple minutes later, I just heard two thuds and then, then a boom. So she was like, after that had happened, we called an ambulance. You're getting taken to the hospital. That was the piece that I was like. But then how did he find out that you know the guy? Because he showed up before my parents ever did. So I was like, how did he find out? And the friend who had come back from South America, the one who had been with me, I asked her and she was like, I called him. He was at that time the closest person to you that I knew. Even though what had happened between he and I made it so I'd never wanted to contact him again. And I, at that time, I was like, oh, yeah. And then as soon as she said that, I remembered all of it. He had sexually assaulted her like a year before, and he had gone on a study abroad. And then when he came back from it, UC Santa Cruz has a trailer park on campus, and it's a tight knit community that lives there. And I guess he was trying to get a place there, and someone had responded, sorry, we don't want any sexual assaulters in her community. So he flipped out. He knew what happens because she had lived in that community and had told people there what had happened. She had also told me what happened, but I didn't remember any of that. This Whole time, like, I knew something was off, knew something was off. But it wasn't until she said that that I was like, I remember all of this, like the months leading up to my accident. She and he had been having arguments and stuff. And I was like mediating. And the last conversation, it had ended where she said verbatim to him, I could get you in a lot of trouble. You did something very wrong, very bad. But I'm not going to. I just want you to take this and understand that you shouldn't operate this way. And then he, instead of like, hearing that, internalizing it, just kept like, brow beating me. And that was the reason why he was staying with me and was because he was just like, you, you don't think she's going to change your mind and press charges against me, right? You don't think she's going to do anything about it? Right. And I was just like, that makes so much sense now, especially why he got so angry, but that maybe there's something he doesn't want you to remember because there was something that he didn't want me to remember. And I confronted him and said like, hey, I remember this. This happened. I know this happened. I remember this happened. Is that why you're here? Is that why you have stuck around because you're still scared about that whole situation? Is that why you're here? And his response was, that's crazy. I can't believe you would turn yourself into the victim in this situation. That is not why I'm here. I'm trying to make sure that you're getting better. And yeah, if she hears that I am sticking by you and being a good person, then she'll realize that I didn't do anything wrong and that I'm not a bad person. And I was like, you just told on yourself that you literally are saying right now what you're doing and this is terrible. And then he was like, but I'm pulling it together. It's, you know, it's fine. But I do think that I should leave. I was like, it's probably a good idea. And that was around the time too, when I told my mom that he was gonna leave. She's drinking her champagne and she's like, yeah, I mean, he did also try to pull the plug on you. And I was like, what? And she was like, when you were in a coma, he came to me and he said, if things aren't looking good, we should not be afraid to pull the plug on her. And it was like two days into the Coma. And she's like, people are in comas for. And I was like, that's. That's just too much.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

So let me get this straight. He was pretending to be your boyfriend and then supporting you through this experience of recovery, which, to be clear, he wasn't. But anyway, he was pretending he was in order to vindicate himself of sexual assault.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. Yeah. And then. And then during it all, he was like, but it might be a good idea if she dies, because then that all looks super sympathetic, you know? I don't know. But it was just. Yeah, the whole thing was insane. And then finally he left, and for good.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Like, see you later.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, he left San Diego. He decided we should stay in contact and we should keep seeing each other. Like, we're not done. This is. Okay. You're just misunderstanding what is happening. I told this story to a group of writer friends, and they said, he's like a little boy playing dress up. Like, okay, well, I tried this, and it didn't work to make me feel better, because then he was like, I'm gonna go work on a boat. So he. He dumped me.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

But, like, question quickly. Like, when you figured this out, like, and you confronted him, and no judgment, but I'm just curious, like, why wasn't your immediate response, like, this guy is bad news. Like, why did you feel like staying in contact with him was a good idea?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, that's a great question, because I think it goes back to, like, my messed up psychology. I can't even blame this one on the brain damage. I've just. I've always been in relationships that are unhealthy, and I haven't had the healthiest relationships mirrored to me. So in my mind, even after all that was explained, I was like, he's acknowledging it. And I wanted to believe. I wanted to believe him. And then in that moment, he broke up with me. And I was telling my friend again about it. She was like, this is the best thing that could have happened. Let it go. Let it go. Stop. And I did. And it was the best thing that I could have done is just, like, let it go. But then, of course, that wasn't the end because he started then calling me. A few months would go by, and it was always the same thing that he was like, you don't think she's gonna try to press charges? You don't think she's changed her mind? And I would always be like, who is this? Like, no, dude, stop calling me. Then he emailed me, and he was just talking about how depressed he Was. And how he couldn't move on with his life because he was always in fear that he was gonna have charges pressed against him. And at this time, you know, my senses had come to me, so I responded. I was like, this isn't innocent behavior. Like, a guy who didn't do anything wrong wouldn't be so afraid of this. And especially it. Literally, it lined up. It was right when Kavanaugh just got confirmed to the Supreme Court, too. And I was like, look at what is happening on the political stage, my guy. You are not in danger. Come on.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

We're going to take a quick ad break, but please stick around. We'll be back soon with more the sex that changed my life. When he left. Because. Right. So the whole way through, he's adamant that, like, he's helping you. Like, he's something savior. Like, I am the one that's, like, picking you up, and you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. Whatever. When he left, did you find the recovery process easier?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

100%. After he left, my progress skyrocketed because he had been stressing me out just for so long. At the time that I talked to my friend on the phone, I could barely string sentences together. And the first time he called me, I had missed the call. And then I called him back, and he was like, hey, I didn't think you would call me back. And I was like, I want to know why you feel that you can call me. You made my recovery process so much more difficult. The first few months are when you make the most progress with the neuroplasticity, rebuilding everything. I feel like that you stole from me. Months where I could have made so many more advances, and my recovery could have gone a lot smoother. And as I'm ranting to him about this, he interrupts me, and he goes, wow, your speech sounds really good. And I'm like, yeah, it's literally been one month that I could talk like a normal person now that you've left. And he, like, disregarded everything I said and was all, well, I took mushrooms last week and had a bad trip and knew I had to call you to make sure that everything was gonna be okay. I was like, this is insane. It was just. It was just insane.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Wow. This story is so wild that it, like, doesn't even feel true just because there's so many layers to it. Like, I mean, the falling out of a tree and not remembering everyone is one thing, you know, very 50 first dates, very. The vow, Especially waking up with, like, A boyfriend you don't remember. But then there's also this added element of his actual reason for being there and his need to kind of show the world that he's a good guy, but also his need to be in control of you. And, like, his idea of being a good guy is to, like, change you, undermine you. It's just like. It's just so many things in one story, in so many ways, I imagine has affected your life, but how has it affected the way that you've gone about, like, relationships? Have you struggled with that? Or, like, where are you at with that? Big question. Sorry.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

The short answer is, yes, I have struggled. Well, I did want to touch really fast. So the friend that he sexually assaulted and all of that, I wouldn't be talking about that if I hadn't talked to her first and made sure. So I've actually written about this story for outlets, and I've always changed her identity. And I talked with her on the phone, too, and we met a person and debriefed about it, and she said that she thought it'd be helpful for people to know the full extent of everything.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

I appreciate you asking her, like, yeah, it's super important, especially when we're talking about such delicate things, that the person involved is okay with it. And I'm so glad she is.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. Yeah. So after that situation, I did end up getting involved with a person that I had known for, like, 10 years. He was a. I thought he was a good friend of mine because I was like, I don't think I can be in, like, a committed relationship. Like, I need all these things, and I need to go slow and all this. And he was like, yeah, yeah. And I thought he was being accommodating about it, and it was like, no, really. He was, like, doing stuff on the side with other people and just. Which we hadn't, like, okayed or anything first. And then he ended up. He also dumped me through text messages and then blocked me. And then I found out that he had moved a much, much younger girl into his apartment. But. And I was just. I was like, oh, boy, this is

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

not a podcast episode that's going to bode very well for men.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

I was like, you have to laugh at this point because it's that old saying, you know, if things like this keep happening, maybe it's you. And I was like, yeah, it's. This is a pattern. I keep getting involved with guys who keep being, like, heinously bad, villainously bad. I'm just like. I'm like, okay. I obviously have to go therap therapy. So I did. I went to therapy for a long time, and I didn't date. I didn't get involved with anyone. I was like, I don't think I should be doing that anyway. I would definitely say I am on the asexual spectrum for sure. So since then, I do write comedy, and I do comedic bits sometimes on, like, TikTok and stuff. I bring that up because I posted a TikTok video making fun of the guy who left me for the much younger woman because I would run bits by him and, like, tell him jokes and stuff. One bit that I used to do is I used to say that my vagina was a lounge singer named Marlene and would do covers, but only of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. And I. I really did. I was like, I think that would be a funny bit. I'm gonna try to do it. So I made my vagina lip sync to a Tom Waits song, and it went semi viral, like, viral for me, you know, And a lot of people were tagged in it. A lot of people were commenting on it. Someone tagged another comedian on there. I responded to that comment, and I was like, oh, is he a Tom Waits fan? And. And he started following me, and we started following each other, and then he followed me on Instagram, and we were messaging on Instagram just, like, keeping it real casual. And then I proceeded to spy on him for six months because I'm. I have a vetting process now. And so after six months.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Totally wise.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, right.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Totally wise.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah. So then we ran in a lot of the same circles. Like, we knew a lot of the same people in the comedy world. And then finally, after six months, we were flirting a little bit more and then exchanged numbers. So that was last December. So since then, we take it very slow, but I've been seeing him, and he's been a gentleman and very nice. I told him right off the bat. I was like, I am a terrible alcoholic. I have very severe brain damage. And a guy pretended to be my boyfriend while I was in a coma. And he was like, that's a lot. And I was like, yes, it is a lot.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I really think that this whole story is such a. Such a story for following your instincts, because even though you were working with, you know, family trauma and your own struggles with alcohol, and you had all of these things going on wired in your brain, making it hard for you to listen to your instinct, I want to make it clear that you still had an instinct that he was not. Like you were like a bit off him from the start. So, like, I think it's really interesting, you know, that I feel like this whole story is just about you can always trust your instinct. Your instinct is like, almost like bigger than you, you know?

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Definitely, definitely. And I really feel like after so long, repeatedly, so many people telling me that I'm wrong, the way I think is wrong, the way I behave is wrong, who I am is wrong. Being told that over and over again, then when I did have these instincts and these feelings, they have to be wrong, I must be so damaged that I just can't realize that they're wrong. And I think that had I just, you know, trusted myself, then a lot of this would have been circumvented a bit.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

I think it's just part of the human experience. Like, we try to kind of over intellectualize and if we did this, if we did that. But I really believe that the only way that we really learn in a way that kind of sticks to us is to actually experience something bad. And then you're like, oh, yeah, okay, maybe I can trust my instinct. But I do really want to know if. If you're feeling like this relationship is more where you want to be.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Like, it's definitely the healthiest relationship I've been in. I actually touch him. Like, it's actually affectionate. You know, it wasn't ever that I felt like I chose a relationship or I actually wanted to be in one with this one. I actually feel like it was like an agreement. Like, we both were on the same page and he's just genuinely a nice guy, which is nice, and like, we're really respectful to each other. Like, I even told him because I have a lot of trauma, I have a lot of issues that come up. And I told him. I was like, hey, I think I need to have like a standing weekly phone call where we just talk about things because I don't feel like I can be a burden and I don't feel like I can just bring things up when I have these feelings. I need to know that something is on the count calendar and that time is set aside for me and that I'm allowed to say what I want and I won't feel like an inconvenience for doing it during that time. And I was really nervous to ask him that because I was like, that's asking a lot. This is such a big deal and stuff. And he was just like, yeah, I think that's a great idea. We should have done that weeks ago. And I was like, this is normal. This is healthy.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah, that's amazing. It sounds really good. And I'm really happy for you because you've really been through the ringer, like to learn a lesson. You've gone through so much. So I'm happy for you. That's great.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

And I feel like also, because there's always this narrative that if you go through some sort of relationship trauma, then you have to have, like, a good relationship to show that you've overcome it or something like that. But I think that healing can occur outside of a relationship. And I also think that just because you're in a healthy relationship, that doesn't mean the end of that. I way, way far to go to be, like a healthy partner. And that's why I really appreciate this guy being patient with me. But I also want to drive home that I think that healing can happen outside of relationships. That whatever avenue you go through to pursue it, it's just going to take time and a lot of co pays for therapy.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Yeah, totally. Thank you so much, Brooke. This has been, like, such an interesting conversation. I've really thoroughly enjoyed it. So thank you.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

[Laura Richoli (Sex That Changed My Life Host)]

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Sex that Changed My Life. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to hear more from Brooke, she's an incredible writer and comic. You can see just how funny she is over on TikTok and you can jump on her website for her written pieces. We'll pop both links in the show notes. You can follow us @ChangeMyLifePod on Instagram and TikTok. And if you enjoyed today's episode, hit, follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss out on the next one. We'll see you next week. The Sex that Changed My Life is produced by Rachel Tuffrey and Julian Morgans. This episode was edited by Ali Dickey. Our cover art design is by Rich Akers, photography by Ali woods, and our theme music was produced by Jimmy Saunders. And this whole thing has been a super real production.

[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Super real.

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[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Really? I can get super specific with dealer listings and see cars based on my budget.

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[Brooke (Injured Woman Sharing Story)]

Really? Autotrader, buy your car online? Really?

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