March 04, 2025

The ACEs of Grief: Understanding Trauma & Healing with Honey Badger (Part 1)

31 minutes

🎙 Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is an award-winning podcast, honored as the 2024 People's Choice Podcast Award Winner for Health and the 2024 Women In Podcasting Award Winner for Best Mental Health Podcast! With over 1 million downloads, we’re building a community where mental health conversations are raw, authentic, and stigma-free.

💭 We’d love your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on this episode by leaving a written message or a voice note at https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Honey Badger, a fearless mental health advocate and educator, who opens up about grief, childhood trauma, and the long-term effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). She shares her deeply personal story, from navigating profound loss to understanding how early-life trauma shapes our mental health.

If you've ever struggled with grief, family dysfunction, or feeling unheard, this conversation is for you. Honey Badger’s raw honesty, humor, and wisdom create a safe space to break the silence on loss, healing, and resilience.

Mental Health Quote of the Episode

"You never know the story behind somebody else. Be kind. You don’t know if a single moment of compassion could change their entire day—or their life." – Honey Badger.

Meet Our Guest: Honey Badger

Honey Badger is a passionate educator, mental health advocate, and storyteller who isn’t afraid to dive into life’s most challenging conversations. With a background in education and a deep personal journey through grief, trauma, and resilience, she brings raw honesty and insight to every discussion.

Having experienced profound loss and complex family dynamics, Honey Badger shares her story with humor, wisdom, and a no-nonsense attitude—just like the fearless animal she’s named after. Whether breaking down the stigma of mental health, discussing the impact of childhood experiences, or simply keeping it real, she’s here to inspire and connect with those who need it most.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

1️⃣ The Impact of ACEs – How Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of mental and physical health struggles and why it’s crucial to understand your own ACE score.

2️⃣ Grief & Family Dynamics – How unresolved grief and family dysfunction can make healing even harder—and why setting boundaries is necessary.

3️⃣ Breaking the Silence – The importance of talking about grief, loss, and trauma, even when it’s uncomfortable, to foster true healing.

Important Chapters

🕒 [00:00] - Welcome to the show! Introduction to Honey Badger

🕒 [02:40] - Why we don’t talk about grief & loss in our society

🕒 [04:45] - The ACEs questionnaire: Understanding childhood trauma

🕒 [10:04] - How childhood experiences shape adult mental health

🕒 [16:09] - The reality of losing a loved one & navigating family dynamics

🕒 [22:03] - How humor and setting boundaries help with grief

🕒 [29:25] - Wrapping up: The power of sharing your story

Resources & References

📌 Take the ACEs Questionnaire – https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

📌 Mental Health Support Resources – https://www.nami.org/Support-Education

📌 Books on Grief for Children & Adults

Grandma's Breath—Written by Mother Moon and illustrated by Anastasiya Kanavaliuk. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, this story follows a young girl, Kaiah, whose grandmother taught her to use breathing techniques during anxiety attacks. When her grandmother passes, Kaiah gives back by supporting elderly patients. Ages 5-10.

Ida, Always – Written by Caron Lewis and illustrated by Charles Santoso. A touching story of two best friend polar bears and how one copes with the loss of the other. Ages 4-8.

The Invisible String—Written by Patrice Karst and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, this book explains the unbreakable connections between loved ones. It is highly recommended among social workers and therapists. Also available in Spanish. Ages 3-7.

Join the Conversation!

💬 What resonated with you the most? Leave us a comment or a voice message at https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a

🔔 Don’t Miss Part 2! Stay tuned as Honey Badger continues this eye-opening discussion in our next episode.

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#MentalHealthMatters #PodcastForMentalHealth #GriefJourney #HealingThroughTrauma #ACEs #MentalHealthPodcast #BreakTheStigma #GriefSupport #ChildhoodTrauma

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If You Need Support, Reach Out

If you or someone you know is facing mental health challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a crisis hotline in your area. Remember, it’s OK not to be OK—talking to someone can make all the difference.

United States: Call or Text 988 — 988lifeline.org
Canada: Call or Text 988 — 988.ca
Worldwide: Find a Helpline
Mental Health Resources and Tools: The Help Hub

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