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. 4d ago

    When Bullying and Postpartum Depression Almost Stole Two Lives

    This week, we’re sharing two stories that remind us how invisible someone’s pain can be. First, Caitlyn opens up about experiencing severe postpartum depression after the birth of her third child. What began as overwhelming anxiety quickly turned into a life-threatening mental health crisis, and it was only because of a surprise visit from her mom that she’s here to tell her story today. Her message is one every new parent, partner, friend, and family member needs to hear: check on the moms in your life. Then, Baker shares the heartbreaking reality of relentless middle school bullying. Years of cruel words, isolation, and adults who didn’t recognize the seriousness of what was happening left lasting scars and nearly cost her life. Her story is a powerful reminder that bullying is never “just kids being kids.” Join us as we read these listener submissions, discuss the lasting effects of postpartum mental health struggles and childhood bullying, and remind each other that compassion can truly save lives. Trigger Warnings * Suicide attempt * Suicidal thoughts and ideation * Postpartum depression * Mental health crisis * Bullying * Emotional abuse * CPR and medical emergency If You Need Support If you or someone you love is struggling with postpartum depression, suicidal thoughts, or another mental health crisis, please know that help is available. Visit the resources on our website or in today’s show notes. If you’re in the U.S. or Canada and are experiencing an immediate crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Have a story you’d like us to read on the show? We’d love to hear it. Visit TraumaCandySalad.com to submit your story and maybe even join us as a guest. While you’re there, be sure to follow @TraumaCandySaladPod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook so you never miss a new episode, behind-the-scenes content, or ways to get involved. There’s always room for a little sweetness.

  2. Jul 20

    A Mother’s Unimaginable Loss & The Crosswalk That Changed Everything

    Some moments divide life into before and after. This week, we’re sharing two stories about the kind of loss that forever changes the people left behind. First, a mother honors the memory of her four-year-old daughter, Remy, who passed away after a courageous battle with DIPG, an aggressive childhood brain cancer. She opens up about the impossible reality of waking up each day without her little girl while continuing to move forward for her other children. Then, an anonymous submitter shares how an ordinary walk across a crosswalk turned into a life-altering accident when she was struck by a distracted driver. More than a year later, she’s still living with chronic pain, physical therapy, and the emotional weight of having her future unexpectedly put on hold. As always, we read these stories with compassion, sprinkle in our own conversations, and remind each other that even in life’s darkest moments, there’s always room for a little sweetness. Today’s Candy Salad Bowl: 🍬 Sweet Tarts – A mother’s grief after losing her daughter to DIPG. 🐟 Swedish Fish – A survivor’s story of recovery after being hit by a distracted driver. If today’s stories resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you. Visit TraumaCandySalad.com to submit your own story or apply to be a guest on the show. Be sure to follow @TraumaCandySaladPod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook so you never miss an episode. Trigger Warnings: • Child loss • Pediatric cancer (DIPG) • Grief and bereavement • Serious accident and trauma • Physical injuries • Chronic pain • Medical discussion If you or someone you love is navigating grief or recovering from a traumatic event, resources can be found on our website and in the show notes.

  3. Jul 13

    The Trauma That Never Ended: Eating Disorders, Abuse, and Surviving the Unimaginable

    Some wounds don’t end when the moment is over. They follow us into adulthood, shaping how we cope, who we trust, and how we survive. This week, Whitney brings Sour Skittles to the salad bowl and shares her heartbreaking journey with anorexia nervosa, beginning at just 14 years old. What started as a coping mechanism after trauma led to years of life-threatening hospitalizations, treatment centers, and the difficult reality of navigating an eating disorder alongside PTSD. She opens up about the fear, isolation, and lasting emotional impact of a mental health system that often struggles to treat both. Then, Maria brings Life Saver Gummies and tells a story almost impossible to comprehend. Growing up surrounded by sexual abuse, domestic violence, addiction, homelessness, neglect, and unimaginable loss, she reflects on the many adults who failed to protect her and the incredible strength it took to survive. Her story is one of profound resilience in the face of relentless trauma. As always, your hosts discuss the lasting effects of childhood trauma, the complexity of healing, and the resilience of those who continue moving forward despite impossible circumstances. Trigger Warnings: Eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, hospitalization, PTSD, childhood sexual abuse, child sexual assault, incest, grooming, domestic violence, rape, gang rape, child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect, addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, self-harm, suicidal ideation, death of a parent, medical trauma, grief, and trauma involving children. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, abuse, suicidal thoughts, or the effects of trauma, resources are available. Please visit TraumaCandySalad.com or check the show notes for support organizations and crisis resources. Have a story you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it. Visit TraumaCandySalad.com to submit your story or apply to be a guest on the show. Don’t forget to follow @TraumaCandySaladPod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook so you never miss a new episode. Trauma, candy, and chaos. There’s always room for a little sweetness.

  4. Jun 22

    Outed at Thanksgiving & Gone Too Soon | Coming Out, Family Fallout, and Motorcycle Loss

    This week on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re serving up Gummy Bears and Milky Ways in a bowl full of identity, family chaos, and grief. First, one listener shares the story of being outed by her own father during Thanksgiving grace after trusting her parents with something deeply personal. What follows is equal parts heartbreaking, chaotic, and unexpectedly protective. Then, we hear from Lacey, who honors her brother on the anniversary of his death after a devastating motorcycle accident. A reminder that grief doesn’t follow a timeline, and that one reckless moment can change everything. This episode covers what happens when deeply personal truths are taken out of your hands and how loss leaves its mark long after the dust settles. Trigger Warnings: • Outing / LGBTQ+ trauma • Religious conflict • Homophobia • Family violence • Death of a sibling • Fatal motorcycle accident • Grief and loss Resources: If today’s stories brought anything up for you, help is available. 🌈 LGBTQ+ Support: • The Trevor Project⁠ • PFLAG⁠ 💔 Grief Support: • GriefShare⁠ • The Dougy Center⁠ 🧠 Mental Health Support: • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline⁠ 🏍 Motorcycle Safety Awareness: • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Motorcycle Safety)⁠ Call to Action: Got a story to tell? We want to hear it. Submit your trauma, chaos, survival stories, or sweet little victories at Trauma Candy Salad⁠ for a chance to be featured on the show. Follow us for clips, updates, and behind-the-scenes chaos: 📱 Instagram⁠ 🎵 TikTok⁠ 📘 Facebook⁠ Trauma, candy & chaos. Real stories, sibling commentary, emotional whiplash. New episodes weekly. Because there’s always room for a little sweetness.

  5. Jun 15

    Bullied for Years, Haunted for Decades & The Birth Where the Baby Got Stuck

    This week in the Trauma Candy Salad bowl: 🍫 Tootsie Rolls for a story about the lasting impact of bullying. Anonymous shares how cruel classmates mocked her appearance, created fake social media accounts, and made her feel unwanted throughout high school. Now 31, she reflects on how those voices followed her long after graduation and the work it took to realize they never belonged to her. 🍬 Jolly Ranchers for a birth story packed with drama, fear, laughter, and one very stubborn baby. Jenna planned for a beautiful, empowering delivery. Instead, she got a 24-hour labor, a half-working epidural, a baby who got stuck in the birth canal, and a husband who unexpectedly became the world’s greatest motivational speaker. Somehow, through the chaos, they found their happy ending. In this episode, we discuss: • The long-term effects of bullying and social rejection • Anxiety, self-esteem, and healing from childhood trauma • Labor and delivery complications • Medical trauma during childbirth • The role supportive partners play during crisis • Finding humor in difficult experiences ⚠️ Trigger Warning: Bullying, emotional abuse, anxiety, medical trauma, childbirth complications, emergency medical situations. If you’d like to share your story or be a guest on the show, visit TraumaCandySalad.com. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod 🍭 Trauma, candy & chaos. Real stories, sibling commentary, emotional whiplash. #TraumaCandySalad #BullyingSurvivor #BirthStory #MedicalTrauma #Childbirth #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #Podcast #StorytellingPodcast #HealingJourney #LaborAndDelivery #Parenthood #TraumaPodcast

  6. Jun 8

    Three Ways to Lose a Parent: Suicide, Sudden Death & Cancer

    This week, we’re sharing three deeply personal stories about losing a parent, and the very different ways grief can change a life. 🍬 Twizzlers — Anonymous shares what it was like growing up with a mother whose struggles with mental illness led to multiple suicide attempts before her eventual death. It’s a story about complicated grief, anger, love, and remembering the person beyond their illness. 🐟 Swedish Fish — Becca remembers the ordinary Thursday afternoon that became the day her father was killed in a sudden car accident. A heartbreaking look at how quickly life can split into a “before” and an “after.” 🧸 Gummi Bears — Rachel reflects on losing her mother to pancreatic cancer, the long months of appointments and treatments, and the countless little pieces of life that disappeared along with her. Join us as we discuss the many faces of grief, the memories that stay with us, and the people we carry forward long after they’re gone. Trigger Warnings: • Suicide and suicide attempts • Death of a parent • Mental illness • Cancer and terminal illness • Fatal car accident • Grief and bereavement Resources: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 (U.S. and Canada) or seek emergency assistance in your area. Additional resources can be found on our website. Want to share your story? We’d love to hear from you. Whether your trauma is heartbreaking, unbelievable, messy, funny, or somewhere in between, submit your story at TraumaCandySalad.com. Your story could be featured in a future episode. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod 🍭🎙️

  7. Jun 1

    Love Scam in China, Pregnancy Loss & A Soldier’s Grief

    This week in the Trauma Candy Salad bowl: 🟫 Anna Keibler brought Zero Bars and shared the unbelievable true story behind her memoir. What began as a study abroad adventure in China turned into a five-year journey involving isolation, manipulation, coercion, betrayal, and heartbreak. Despite experiencing profound trauma, she found healing through telling her story. 🟩 Alex Hollan brought Sour Patch Kids and shared the devastating loss of her daughter after being told there was no heartbeat. Alongside her grief, she recounts the lack of compassion and support she experienced from medical professionals during one of the most painful moments of her life. 🟫 Old Man Joe brought Rolos and shared Ballad of the Last March, a powerful poem about war, brotherhood, survivor’s guilt, and carrying the memory of a fallen friend long after the battle ends. These stories discuss betrayal, pregnancy loss, grief, trauma, resilience, and the complicated paths people take toward healing. Content Warning This episode contains discussions of: * Pregnancy loss * Abortion coercion * Emotional abuse and manipulation * Mental health struggles * War and combat-related trauma * Death and grief * Survivor’s guilt Listener discretion is advised. Resources If you or someone you know is struggling, resources and support links can be found on our website and in the show notes. Share Your Story Have a trauma story of your own? We’d love to hear it. Submit your story at TraumaCandySalad.com/submit-a-story and it may be featured in a future episode. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook: @TraumaCandySaladPod Because no matter what you’re going through, there’s always room for a little sweetness. 🍬🥗

  8. May 11

    Bubble Guts, Goodbye Calls & Teenage Trauma

    This week’s Trauma Candy Salad is a brutal mix of horrifying, heartbreaking, and deeply human moments. A college party turns into a public gastrointestinal apocalypse in the middle of class. A daughter shares the grief and rage of losing her mother to Covid during the height of the pandemic without ever getting to say goodbye. And a teenager’s excitement over getting her license ends in a devastating accident involving the family dog. Today’s candy bowl includes Reese’s Eggs, Sweet Tarts, and Butterfingers. ⚠️ Trigger warnings: illness/death, grief, Covid-related loss, animal death, vomiting/body horror, graphic bathroom humor If you’d like to share your own trauma story or be a guest on the show, submit it at TraumaCandySalad.com.

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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
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Trauma Candy Salad
  • Show Website
    Trauma Candy Salad