Grief, Grit, and Getting Through It

🖤 This week on Trauma Candy Salad, we’re joined by a new guest host, Ivy, while Kyle is off on vacation. Sammi, Ashley, and Ivy bring three deeply personal stories to the table—each one a window into survival, resilience, and the quiet work of rebuilding after trauma.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear:

• A woman’s harrowing first date that ended in an assault—but also introduced her to the man who would later teach her what safe love feels like.

• A young Latina woman’s experience with racism, xenophobia, and the weight of being made to prove her right to exist in the only country she’s ever called home.

• A man still grappling with the death of his little sister, years after her passing, and how grief carved silence into every corner of his life.

These stories are raw, tender, and powerful—reminders that healing doesn’t happen all at once, and sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is keep showing up.

🧁 This week’s candy bowl includes Snickers, Blow Pops, and Reese’s.

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⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This episode contains discussions of:

• Sexual assault and date rape

• Racism and xenophobia

• Childhood cancer and sibling loss

• PTSD, anxiety, and grief

• Family trauma and emotional neglect

Please listen with care. If any of these topics are sensitive or activating for you, consider skipping sections or returning when you feel safe and grounded.

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🧰 Resources for Listeners

If you or someone you love is struggling, here are some resources that may help:

Sexual Assault Support

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | www.rainn.org

• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: www.nsvrc.org

Mental Health & Grief

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) | www.nami.org

• The Dougy Center (Grief support for children, teens & families): www.dougy.org

• Therapy Matcher (via Open Path Collective): www.openpathcollective.org

Racism & Immigration Support

• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): www.raicestexas.org

• United We Dream: www.unitedwedream.org