Trauma Candy Salad

Trauma Candy Salad
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Biweekly

Trauma Candy Salad is a show where host Sammi, and her siblings Ashley and Kyle, dive into real stories of trauma, healing, and resilience—then sweeten the journey with candy. 🍬 Each episode features anonymous listener submissions or personal stories, paired with favorite treats to build a “candy salad.” It’s raw, it’s messy, sometimes hilarious, and always human. No therapy licenses here—just big feelings, sibling chaos, and a little sugar to help the hard stuff go down.

  1. 1d ago

    The Weight of Surviving: Suicide Attempts and Unimaginable Loss

    TW: Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, overdose, seizures, psychiatric hospitalization, alcohol use, car accidents, graphic descriptions of death, sudden loss, grief, and survivor’s guilt. What happens when surviving something traumatic becomes its own kind of trauma? This week on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re sharing two deeply painful stories about survival, loss, and the experiences that stay with us long after the worst day of our lives. Mary J shares her lifelong struggle with suicidal thoughts, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, and a nearly fatal suicide attempt that was far more terrifying than she ever imagined. Then, Excuse Me shares the devastating story of a night out that turned into a life-altering tragedy. Two stories. Two unimaginable experiences. And two reminders that surviving trauma doesn’t mean walking away unscathed. We’re so grateful to Mary J and Excuse Me for trusting us with their stories. ❤️ If today’s episode brings up difficult feelings, please take care of yourself and remember that support is available. You don’t have to navigate the hard stuff alone. 🍬 Want to share your story? Visit TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out our submission form. Your story matters, and there’s always room for you here. 🎧 Enjoying the show? Follow, rate, and leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps more people find our little corner of the internet. 📱 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook at @TraumaCandySaladPod. 💗 Find helpful resources and support links on our website and in the show notes. And as always, no matter what you’re going through, there’s always room for a little sweetness.

  2. Sep 28

    Grief, Abuse, and Marital Duty

    Today on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re talking about what happens when the people who are supposed to protect you become the people you need protection from. Halee shares the story of losing her dad at just seven years old, struggling to process her grief, and being punished instead of supported.  Then we hear from an anonymous listener who recently left a marriage where she was expected to carry the weight of the household, the children, and the emotional labor while her husband treated sex like a marital obligation. Two stories. Two very different kinds of trauma. And a conversation about grief, abuse, control, boundaries, sexual coercion, and what it means to finally decide that enough is enough. As always, take care of yourself while listening. Resources are available in the show notes and on TraumaCandySalad.com. And if you have a story you’d like to share, visit TraumaCandySalad.com and submit yours. You never know who might need to hear that they’re not alone. There’s always room for a little sweetness. 🍬

  3. Sep 21

    The Relief of Grief & The Difference Between Being Wanted and Loved

    What happens when grief and relief exist in the same heart? And what does it feel like to realize the person you loved never truly loved you in the way you needed? In today’s episode of Trauma Candy Salad, we’re sharing two stories that explore the complicated emotions of love, loss, addiction, and the painful realization that being desired isn’t the same as being cherished. Our first submission comes from a young widow who became a single mother at just 32 after losing her husband to suicide.  Our second submission takes us into the heartbreaking realization that being wanted physically doesn’t always mean being loved emotionally.  Two stories about complicated grief, emotional neglect, addiction, self-worth, and learning that you never had to earn the love you deserved. Because being desired isn’t the same as being cherished. And you were worthy of love long before anyone ever touched you. 🩷 Trigger Warnings: Suicide, suicidal death, alcoholism, addiction, grief, emotional neglect, sexual exploitation, self-worth, and relationship trauma. 🍬 Want to share your own story or be a guest on Trauma Candy Salad? Visit TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out our submission form. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod Remember, no matter what you’re going through, there’s always room for a little sweetness.

  4. Sep 7

    Growing Up Too Soon, Healing Too Late

    In today’s bowl, Kate shares what it was like to lose her mom to osteosarcoma at just 16 years old—and to be more than a daughter during her mother’s final days. Then Megan brings us back to May 22, 2011, when she survived the devastating EF5 tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri. But surviving the tornado wasn’t the end of the trauma. Years later, severe weather can still bring Megan right back to that night. Sirens, tornado warnings, and approaching storms can trigger intense fear and panic, reminding us that trauma doesn’t always understand that the danger is over. Two stories. Two very different kinds of loss. And one painful reminder: Sometimes surviving something is only the beginning of learning how to live with what happened. 🍬 Today’s candy: Gummy Bears & Blow Pops ⚠️ Trigger warnings: Death of a parent, childhood grief, osteosarcoma/cancer, caregiving, traumatic loss, natural disaster, tornado/EF5 tornado, destruction of homes, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD/trauma responses. If today’s stories resonate with you, you’re not alone. And if you have a story you’d like to share with us, visit TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out our submission form. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod Because no matter what you’re going through… there’s always room for a little sweetness. 🍬

  5. Aug 31

    When Trauma Changes the Way You Love Yourself

    This week on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re talking about the complicated ways trauma can change our relationship with our bodies, food, sex, love, and even ourselves. Anonymous brings Twizzlers to the salad bowl to share her experience with postpartum depression, body dysmorphia, extreme calorie restriction, and compulsive exercise. What started as an attempt to cope with how she felt after having a baby ultimately landed her in inpatient treatment at 5’7” and 105 pounds, severely anemic and with her liver struggling. Her road to recovery took more than two years—and she’s honest about the fact that healing still isn’t always easy or linear. Then Lana brings Sweet Tarts and shares a deeply painful story of childhood sexual abuse, a mother who refused to believe her, and the ways that trauma has continued to affect her relationships and attachment as an adult. She opens up about abandonment issues, hypersexuality, favorite-person relationships, ethical non-monogamy, and the intense emotional highs and lows that can come with feeling wanted, rejected, and pulled back in. Two stories. Two very different coping mechanisms. And one big question: How much of who we become is shaped by what we had to survive? ⚠️ Trigger warnings: Eating disorders, body dysmorphia, postpartum depression, extreme calorie restriction, compulsive exercise, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, BPD, abandonment, hypersexuality, and emotionally unhealthy relationship dynamics. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of the topics discussed in this episode, please check out the resources in our show notes or on our website. 💌 Want to share your own Trauma Candy Salad story or be on the show? Visit TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out the submission form. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook at @TraumaCandySaladPod! 🎧 Listen, share, follow, and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. Because no matter what you’re going through… there’s always room for a little sweetness.

  6. Aug 24

    When Everything Falls Apart at Once

    Sometimes it only takes one unexpected moment for everything to come crashing down. This week on Trauma Candy Salad, Ashley and Sammi are diving into two heartbreaking stories about the kind of loss that doesn’t always come with a warning. First, one woman watches a storm literally change the course of her life when a falling tree totals her car, leaving her without transportation, financial security, and potentially even her job. Because apparently, being one emergency away from financial disaster is the American dream. 🙃 Then, we hear from a submitter who lost two of the beings she loved most in the entire world on the very same day: her grandmother and her beloved cat. Her grandma and cat were inseparable, and now she’s left grieving both of them while hoping that somehow, somewhere, they found their way back to each other. From financial devastation to unimaginable grief, we’re talking about what happens when life hits you with more than you feel capable of carrying—and how sometimes, all you can do is take it one day at a time. ⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Financial hardship, job insecurity, death, grief, loss, pet loss, and emotional distress. Need help or resources for anything discussed in today’s episode? Visit TraumaCandySalad.com or check out the links in our show notes. Want to share your own story and be featured on Trauma Candy Salad? Head to TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out our submission form! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook at @TraumaCandySaladPod. Because no matter what you’re going through, there’s always room for a little sweetness. 🍬

  7. Aug 17

    When You’re Tired of Being Second Choice

    In this episode of Trauma Candy Salad, we’re talking about the quiet relationship hurts that can leave you questioning yourself—and whether you should have to. First, a listener opens up about her boyfriend consistently liking another woman’s pictures while barely acknowledging hers, and the excuses that leave her wondering why she even has to ask for the same attention. Then, a broken engagement after realizing her fiancé was still emotionally stuck on his ex. Because there’s only so long you can pretend you’re not competing with a relationship that ended before you ever came along. Two stories, one big question: What happens when the person you love keeps making you feel like someone else is more important? Sometimes the red flag isn’t one big betrayal. Sometimes it’s the pattern that makes you finally realize you deserve better. ⚠️ Trigger/Content Warning: Relationship insecurity, emotional hurt, jealousy, infidelity-adjacent behavior, breakup, and broken engagement. Have a story of your own? Submit it at TraumaCandySalad.com and follow us @TraumaCandySaladPod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Listen, share, and remember: there’s always room for a little sweetness.

  8. Aug 10

    When the People You Trust Let You Down

    This week on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re talking about the kind of hurt that doesn’t always come with a clean ending. First up, Jay The Great brought Snickers to the bowl with a story about a nearly ten-year friendship that turned out to be a whole lot faker than she realized. When the person you trusted is the one talking behind your back, sometimes the best thing you can do is let the trash take itself out. Then, Baby Blues and Pinks shares the heartbreaking story of choosing adoption at 19. In the middle of an abusive relationship and an unstable life, she made the incredibly difficult decision to put her baby’s future ahead of her own heartbreak. She opens up about the grief, guilt, love, and complicated emotions that can exist alongside knowing you made the best decision you could. Finally, Sarah brings Peach Rings and tells us about losing her beloved grandpa during what she thought was just another weekend visit. It’s a story about sudden loss, the guilt of wondering what you could have done differently, and finding comfort in knowing that their final day together was filled with love. Three stories. Three very different kinds of heartbreak. And a reminder that sometimes there isn’t a perfect ending, just the realization that you did the best you could with what you had. Trigger Warnings: Emotional abuse, abusive relationship, adoption, grief, death of a loved one, sudden death, hospitalization, loss of a grandparent. 💌 Want to share your own Trauma Candy Salad story? Visit TraumaCandySalad.com and fill out our submission form. 🎧 Like what you hear? Follow, subscribe, rate, and review Trauma Candy Salad wherever you listen to podcasts. 📱 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod And remember: no matter what you’re going through, there’s always room for a little sweetness.

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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Trauma Candy Salad is a show where host Sammi, and her siblings Ashley and Kyle, dive into real stories of trauma, healing, and resilience—then sweeten the journey with candy. 🍬 Each episode features anonymous listener submissions or personal stories, paired with favorite treats to build a “candy salad.” It’s raw, it’s messy, sometimes hilarious, and always human. No therapy licenses here—just big feelings, sibling chaos, and a little sugar to help the hard stuff go down.

Information

  • Creator
    Trauma Candy Salad
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Trauma Candy Salad
  • Show Website
    Trauma Candy Salad

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