With Kyle away on vacation, Sammi and Ashley welcome back our good friend Jess for a deeply personal and raw episode of Trauma Candy Salad. Today’s stories explore the tangled complexities of identity, survival, and friendship—told through the eyes of three storytellers who have lived them.

Grace shares her journey of growing up under the crushing weight of religious shame, learning to see love not as punishment but as grace.

Kacie reflects on twelve years in an emotionally neglectful marriage, and the moment she realized staying wasn’t the same thing as loving.

And Nurse D opens her heart about losing the rare kind of friendship she thought she’d always have—and the lingering fear of being “too much” for people.

These are stories of breaking free, finding truth, and learning to trust yourself again.

Trigger Warnings:

Religious trauma, internalized homophobia, emotional neglect, marital abandonment, grief, friendship loss, COVID-related stress, childhood instability, parental death, and themes of isolation.

Resources & Support:

• The Trevor Project – LGBTQ+ Support

• RAINN – Sexual Assault Support

• National Domestic Violence Hotline | Call/Text 988 in the U.S.

• NAMI – Mental Health Resources

If any of today’s topics resonate with you, please take care of yourself first. You are not alone, and help is out there.

Share Your Story:

Your voice matters. If you’d like to share your own experience, visit TraumaCandySalad.com/submit-a-story to submit anonymously or by name. We also hang out on Instagram and TikTok at @TraumaCandySaladPod—come connect with us.