The AMP (Al Mega Podcast) – Elizabeth Mikotowicz

The A.M.P (Al Mega Podcast)

This episode features Elizabeth Mikotowicz, an inspiring young woman who has overcome a variety of challenges, including prison, addiction, domestic violence, and traumatic brain injury. Elizabeth was born in Quincy, Illinois and given up for adoption at birth to a couple in Brooklyn, New York. Eventually, her father got a job at the University of Maine and the family moved to the Bangor area. Despite having a loving childhood, Elizabeth started to struggle with mental health issues at around the age of 12, which were often misdiagnosed. She has since persevered through her hardships and is currently in the process of writing a book, opening a fashion brand, and pursuing her passion for art.

Elizabeth recounts their experience of growing up high functioning autistic and struggling with bipolar medication that made them worse. At the age of late teens or early twenties, they entered into a domestic violence relationship and experienced a head injury so severe that the skull was showing and the muscle had to be sewn back together. The doctor warned them against any makeup or washing their hands near the wound due to the risk of blindness or brain death. They were prescribed opioids, but upon discovering they were pregnant with their son, they had to go to a pain clinic. The speaker recounts a traumatic experience in which she was forced to take opioids while pregnant against her will. She explains that she was treated differently by medical professionals due to being on state insurance, and was even threatened with Child Protective Services because her blood pressure kept skyrocketing. After she had her son, the trauma and abuse she was experiencing worsened, leading her to take more and more opioids in order to cope. She explains that this was due to the flooding of dopamines that opioids caused, and how it eventually made her body want more and more. In the end, this lead to an addiction.

Elizabeth shares her story of abuse at the hands of her partner. She experienced physical abuse such as being held captive, beatings, and strangulation. She attempted to leave after a year of abuse, but was held hostage and threatened. She eventually escaped and went to a battered women’s shelter, only to be told that she wasn’t crying enough and was not believed. She was eventually able to provide evidence of her abuse and was told that her situation was so dangerous that it put other women in the shelter in danger. She also discussed how some victims of abuse are turned away from shelters if they are not providing something of value, such as snitching out a pimp. This is a problem that needs to be addressed in order to better protect victims of abuse.

Website: www.legaleriste.com/Elizabeth.mikotowicz Twitter: EPM_art_1111 IG: EPM_art_1111

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Episode 16 in an unlimited series!

Timestamps

0:00:05 Interview with Elizabeth Mikotowicz: From Prison to Purpose 0:03:10 Domestic Violence and High Functioning Autism: A Personal Story 0:04:46 Conversation Summary: Refusal of Opioids During Pregnancy and Experiences with State Insurance 0:06:31 Heading: Domestic Violence Survivor Describes Traumatic Abuse and Inadequate Support from Shelters 0:10:18 Heading: Experiences of a Former Drug Dealer and Inmate in the US Prison System 0:14:58 Heading: Discussion of Abuse of Power in Prisons 0:16:47 “The Impact of Incarceration on Mental Health: A Conversation with a Former Inmate” 0:22:39 Heading: The Blame Game: Examining the Misrepresentation of Marginalized Communities in the War on Drugs 0:24:29 Heading: Investigating Institutional Corruption and Sexual Assault 0:26:19 Heading: Inmate Denied Access to Documentation of Complaint 0:29:09 Heading: Inmate Experiences Trauma and Injustice in Prison System 0:30:47 Topic: The Injustice of the American Prison System 0:32:51 Heading: Inmate Treatment in Prisons: A Discussion on Food, Security, and Rehabilitation 0:37:03 Investigating Inhumane Treatment of Inmates in Somerset County Jails 0:39:42 Heading: The Impact of Big Pharma on Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System 0:44:04 Heading: A Conversation on the Impact of Politics on Women’s Rights and the Bible 0:47:01 Conversation between Elizabeth and Host about Elizabeth’s Clothing and Art Brand 0:48:30 Interview with Elizabeth: Fighting for Human Rights and Creating Art 0:54:55 Conversation on Dealing with Abuse and Trauma 0:57:02 Interview with Elizabeth Mikotowicz: Exploring Mental Health, Self Reflection, and Success

Host: Al Mega

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* Edited/Produced/Directed by Al Mega