Trigger warnings: childhood trauma, parenting, OCD, and mental health.

Episode 14 of Traumatically Speaking flips the script as Sloan steps into the interviewer seat and puts Lex in the hot seat for a conversation about parenting, healing, and what it actually looks like to break cycles in real time. This episode centers on Lex’s experience as a parent and the intentional choices she makes every day to not become the people who raised her.

They talk openly about what it means to raise kids while still actively healing your own inner child, and how those two things often collide in ways no one really prepares you for. Lex shares how her OCD shows up in her parenting, the ways it challenges her, and how she navigates those moments without passing down the same patterns she grew up with.

Throughout the episode, Sloan and Lex unpack the pressure of trying to do it right when you did not have a healthy example to follow, and the reality that healing does not happen before parenthood. It happens alongside it. They also read a trauma dump from a Chaos Cousin that adds another layer to the conversation, reminding listeners just how deep these cycles can run.

It is honest, self aware, and a look at what it means to parent differently while still being human, because breaking generational patterns is not about perfection. It is about showing up, taking accountability, and choosing something better over and over again.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod?

Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:

https://https//www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

Trigger warnings: chronic illness, medical gaslighting, reproductive health, and discussion of systemic barriers to care.

Episode 13 of Traumatically Speaking continues the conversation as Sloan and Lex dive into part two of their endometriosis series, picking up where things left off and getting even more real about what happens after you start searching for answers. Sloan finishes sharing her story, bringing listeners deeper into the lived reality of navigating pain that never fully lets up, and what it means to exist in a body that is constantly asking to be taken seriously.

This episode shifts focus into the systems that are supposed to help but often make things worse. From insurance companies labeling necessary procedures as “exploratory” to delays that stretch suffering out for years, Sloan and Lex unpack how access to care is often determined by red tape instead of need. They talk about the emotional and financial toll of fighting to be approved for treatment, and how exhausting it is to have to prove your pain over and over again just to receive basic care.

Beyond the physical, they get into the psychological weight of chronic pain, especially when it becomes so constant that it starts to shape your identity. When pain becomes your baseline, it changes the way you move through the world, the way you advocate for yourself, and the way you see your own body. They explore what it means to unlearn the normalization of suffering and how difficult it can be to trust yourself after years of being dismissed.

Between personal experiences, statistics, and the kind of dark humor that makes heavy things feel a little lighter, they break down just how many people are affected by endometriosis and why awareness still is not enough. This episode is a reminder that your pain is real, your experience is valid, and you deserve care that does not require you to fight this hard to receive it.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod?

Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:

https://https//www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

Trigger warnings: chronic illness, medical gaslighting, and discussion of reproductive health.

Episode 12 of Traumatically Speaking shifts the chaos into the medical system as Sloan and Lex talk about something that has shaped both of their lives: endometriosis. In honor of Endometriosis Awareness Month, this is part one of a conversation about what it’s like living with a condition that affects millions of female-bodied people while somehow still being wildly misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and frequently dismissed by the very people meant to treat it.

In this episode, Sloan and Lex share pieces of their own stories — the symptoms that were minimized, the years spent wondering if the pain was “normal,” and the exhausting reality of trying to advocate for yourself in rooms where your pain is treated more like a personality trait than a medical condition. Along the way, they unpack the uncomfortable overlap between childhood trauma and medical gaslighting, and how growing up in environments where your reality was denied can make it dangerously easy to internalize the same dismissal from doctors later in life.

Between personal stories, statistics, and the kind of dark humor that makes unbearable things slightly more survivable, they break down what endometriosis actually is, the symptoms many people are told to ignore, and why it can take years — sometimes nearly a decade — for people to finally receive a diagnosis.

It’s educational, it’s personal, and it’s a reminder that sometimes the hardest part of being sick isn’t the illness — it’s convincing someone to believe you.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod?

Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:

https://https//www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

Trigger warnings: suicide, child abuse, molestation, kidnapping, and extreme neglect.

Episode 11 of Traumatically Speaking is not for the faint of heart, because this week our Chaos Cousins came in swinging with stories that prove family dysfunction can escalate from messy to criminal real fast. In this episode we share Debbie’s unbelievable story of being locked in a chicken coop as a child, kidnapped during a supervised visit, and witnessing her father get run over during the escape—because apparently some parents hear “custody dispute” and think the appropriate response is vehicular assault. We also hear from Angie, who recounts the moment her entire family imploded when the truth about her predator grandfather finally surfaced, resulting in a drunken uncle chasing him around a dining room table like the world’s darkest episode of tag. Kimberly shares the devastating reality of growing up as the child responsible for repeatedly saving a suicidal parent, carrying a weight no kid should ever have to hold. And finally, one Chaos Cousin walks us through a lifetime of narcissistic abuse so absurd it includes being dog-leashed to a bed, almost being given away as a live-in house cleaner, and later discovering that surviving it all somehow prepared her perfectly for managing an ER.

It’s dark, it’s heavy, and it’s another reminder that sometimes the most dangerous place a kid can grow up isn’t a bad neighborhood—it’s inside their own family tree. As always, we laugh where we can, rage where we need to, and hold space for the Chaos Cousins who survived things they never should have had to.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod?

Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

In this very emotionally stable installment of Traumatically Speaking, Episode 10: “Live, Laugh, Leave Early,” we gather ‘round the casket (metaphorically… mostly) to read funeral trauma stories sent in by our beloved Chaos Cousins—because nothing builds community quite like processing grief with a sharp sense of humor and impeccable side-eye.

This episode has everything: a Step Witch so diabolical she's asking d to be haunted by her late husband, a poem so heartbreakingly beautiful it will bring you to tears—the cathartic kind, not the “I’m trapped at a wake making awkward small talk” kind—a dad who didn’t just emotionally distance himself but truly leaned into his absent parenting style, and Lex sharing a deeply personal story about what happens when the Golden Child dares to need attention.

It’s grief, it’s chaos, it’s generational trauma dressed in funeral black with just a hint of petty, and as always, we remind you that when the vibes get weird, you can live, laugh, and absolutely leave early.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

In this episode we’re running through the questions we get all the time — about where we’re from, our family dynamics, being twins, sibling arguments, relationships, and whether humor is a coping mechanism or a personality trait.

There are strong opinions. There are vague explanations. There are answers that raise more questions.

Welcome to The FAQs We Give.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Email us: ⁠[email protected]⁠Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

This week’s episode started with a simple question on TikTok: “Drop your hamster stories.” The comments did not disappoint.

In Hamster Tales, we read through listener submissions that range from mildly chaotic to deeply concerning — tiny cages, dramatic escapes, suspicious deaths, and the kind of childhood negligence that only makes sense in hindsight. It’s unhinged, it’s nostalgic, and it’s proof that none of us were equipped to own a rodent at age eight.

Want your story shared on the pod? Email us: [email protected]

Write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

ok love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:

⁠⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

In this episode of Traumatically Speaking, we read some of the worst (and weirdly most relatable) things your parents said to you straight from our social media comments.

The backhanded compliments.The comparisons.The “I’m just being honest” speeches.
The lines that stuck with you way longer than they should have.

We react in real time — laughing, cringing, and occasionally staring into the abyss.

If you’ve ever realized one sentence shaped your entire personality… this one’s for you.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Email us: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions

okay love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

This episode is exactly what it sounds like. Episode 7 is a compilation of short listener stories centered around one shared theme: shitty moms.

From a mother who thought a lit match was an acceptable teaching tool, to one who guilted her kid into funding a Def Leppard concert, to the quiet grief of going no contact, to a mom deep in her ho phase outsourcing childcare via food stamps — these stories are raw, absurd, painful, and somehow still funny in the way only survival stories can be.

There’s no moral of the story and no tidy resolution. Just lived experiences, nervous laughter, and the collective realization that some people should’ve come with a parenting permit.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Email us: [email protected]
Remember: write it like a story — bullet points don’t flow — and send it as a .pdf if ya nasty.

ok love you bye,
Sloan & Lex

We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit:
⁠⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.

This episode is a little different. In The Things That Keep Us Up at Night, we step away from trauma work and into the quieter chaos of overthinking. Lex shares a story about an interview where she accidentally exceeded expectations, while Sloan recounts an identity crisis that almost led to a Megan-worthy phone call. There are no deep dives, just honest stories, nervous laughter, and the things your brain refuses to let go of at 2 a m.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Email us: [email protected]

Remember: Write it in a story format, bullet points don't flow, and send it in a .pdf if ya nasty.

ok love you bye,

Sloan & Lex

** We support and encourage therapy. If you are looking for a licensed therapist visit: ⁠⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists⁠⁠

We are not here to heal you, just to keep you company between sessions.