Finding a Voice: One Father’s Battle Against Parental Alienation

In a recent episode of Disruptarian Radio, host Rod shares a deeply personal account of his struggles with parental alienation, custody battles, and his creative journey using AI. The March 11, 2025 episode offers listeners a raw glimpse into the challenges faced by many fathers in today’s complex family court systems.

The Hidden Crisis of Broken Fathers

Rod opens his podcast with some sobering statistics: men complete suicide at rates 400% higher than women, with about 80% of all suicides being male. Many of these tragedies, he notes, are connected to custody battles and parental alienation. It’s a crisis that often goes undiscussed in mainstream conversations about mental health.

“There are thousands of support groups and millions of men participating in these groups, particularly on Facebook,” Rod explains. This widespread issue prompted him to create his own support group called “Action Against Parental Alienation.”

The podcast host’s interest in this topic isn’t merely academic. He details his personal experience with his daughter Casey in Ireland, where he faces an ongoing struggle to maintain a consistent relationship with her. Rod describes a frustrating pattern of on-again, off-again access to his daughter, something he feels is harmful to both him and Casey.

“It’s tragic for my daughter, it’s tragic for me, it plays with both of our emotions,” he shares, explaining how the inconsistent contact has led him to request a formal declaration of co-parenting rights – a common form in the Irish legal system that would provide more stability in his relationship with his daughter.

The Path to Music and Creative Expression

Amid these personal challenges, Rod has channeled his experiences into creative outlets. He discusses his recently released album “Broken Oath and Buried Treasure,” which features a song called “Ballad of Broken Fathers” addressing the epidemic of male suicide related to custody battles.

Released on March 9th (just after his 48th birthday), the album represents Rod’s efforts to process his pain while also raising awareness about fathers’ rights issues. His hope, as he explains in the podcast, is that his music and advocacy might eventually help “change the law on parental custody and visitation and father’s rights in general.”

Embracing AI as a Creative Tool

One particularly interesting segment of the podcast addresses Rod’s use of AI in his creative process. He tackles what he identifies as the “false dilemma” logical fallacy in discussions about AI and creativity.

Rod argues against the binary thinking that AI will either completely replace human work or have no impact at all. Instead, he positions technology as a tool that has enhanced his ability to create music and content, particularly as a retired person with limited resources.

“What it does for me is it allows me to reach a new audience, and it allows me as a retired person who doesn’t have a large investment to not have to pay licensing fees to play other people’s music,” he explains.

Rod points out that he’s been creating content since long before AI existed – doing radio since 2002, writing approximately 7,000 blog posts (5,000 without any AI assistance), and publishing books. For him, AI represents an evolution in his creative toolkit rather than a replacement for his human creativity.

Navigating Personal History and Perception

The podcast also touches on Rod’s experience with what he calls “gaslighting versus green lighting” regarding his support for the LGBT community. He expresses frustration that his children have suggested he wasn’t supportive of LGBT issues, when he has documented evidence to the contrary.

Rod details how he’s been publicly supportive of LGBT rights since at least 2002, opposing California’s Proposition 8 (which sought to ban same-sex marriage), addressing LGBT youth suicide rates, and regularly driving his children to their LGBT friends’ homes. This disconnect between his documented actions and how they’re being characterized by family members clearly pains him.

Life in the Philippines and Moving Forward

Throughout the podcast, Rod mentions that he’s currently living in the Philippines, where his youngest daughter from the US has visited him. He explains that after a car accident in 2013 left him “rebuilt with titanium from head to toe” and on disability, he still attempted to continue working until further injuries in 2024 made that impossible.

“Now it’s to the point where I’m going to kill myself if I continue to work, so I don’t work anymore. I’m just here in the Philippines relaxing and enjoying retirement,” he shares.

A Voice Against “Shadow Banning”

Rod also touches on his experiences with what he calls “shadow banning” on social media platforms. He describes how his reach on platforms like Twitter dramatically decreased following content violations, dropping from “31 million views a month to… 31,000 views a month.”

As a self-described conservative, Rod sees this as part of a larger pattern of “deplatforming conservatives” that also affected figures like former President Donald Trump. He expresses hope that under Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter, these issues might improve.

The Road Ahead

Despite the personal challenges and setbacks Rod describes, the podcast concludes with a sense of determination. He states that he plans to continue creating content “whether I get paid or not” in order to provide “a counter to the current culture which I believe is one-sided and toxic.”

Rod’s story is ultimately one of resilience in the face of personal tragedy. Through his music, podcasting, and advocacy, he’s working to transform his pain into purpose – hoping to shine a light on issues like parental alienation while continuing to develop his creative voice through both traditional and AI-assisted means.

His podcast serves as a reminder of the complex, often hidden struggles many parents face in custody situations, while also highlighting how creative expression can provide both personal healing and a platform for broader social change.