This Is Actually Happening 405: What if you were accused of murdering your mother?
After years of caring for her mother through a devastating decline, a woman helps ease her final suffering, only to be accused of murdering the person she loved most.
Today’s episode featured Rachel Waters. If you’d like to reach out to Rachel, you email her at RFosterWaters@gmail.com.
You can find Rachel on Instagram: @distinguishedheathen and TikTok: @distinguishedheathen, and on Reddit @notedheathen
To read Rachel’s story in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/07/rachel-waters-mom-morphine-murder
Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits
Content/Trigger Warnings: dementia, cancer, terminal illness, caregiving stress, end-of-life suffering, death of a parent, grief, accusations of murder, incarceration, family estrangement, bullying, corporal punishment, medical trauma, and chronic illness, explicit language
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Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com
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Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own personal journey in creating it.
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Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez
Music Bed: Ambient Themes
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National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988
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National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
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