Traumatically Speaking

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.

Being twins is often romanticized. This episode is not that. In The Trauma of Being Twins, we talk about how growing up as twins impacted our family roles and emotional survival. We break down how scapegoat and lost child dynamics formed, how they followed us into adulthood, and why untangling them has been necessary for healing.

Dark humor included.Matching trauma not required.

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.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of child abuse, domestic violence, and divorce.

In this episode of Traumatically Speaking, Sloan shares her experience growing up as a Parentified Child and how being forced into emotional adulthood too early shaped the way she connected with people later in life.

She talks about feeling disconnected from her peers while carrying adult worries at a young age, and how that disconnect followed her into relationships, including a pattern of dating people significantly older than her.

Through stories of marriage, divorce, and the long process of unlearning survival roles, Sloan reflects on what it has taken to heal from a dynamic that taught her maturity was the same thing as safety.

This episode is for anyone who was praised for being “so mature” when what they really needed was to be a kid.

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

Remember: Write it in a story format, bullet points don't flow, and put it in a .pdf if ya nasty. 16 point, double spaced, .pdf's will receive accolades and consensual mouth kisses from Sloan.

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 talk about one of the most invalidating responses you can hear after sharing that you are no contact with your parents. “But they did their best.”

We unpack why that phrase minimizes real harm, shuts down honest conversation, and places the responsibility for healing back onto the child instead of where it belongs.

Through our own stories, we validate listeners who are tired of being told to forgive, understand, or minimize their experiences for the comfort of others.

We also offer very non professional advice from two traumatized twin sisters with microphones on how to remind yourself that someone’s “best” can still be harmful, and that it is okay to be angry about it.

This episode is for anyone learning that acknowledging what happened is not cruelty. It is clarity.

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,

Lex & Sloan

** 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.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of suicide, murder, domestic violence, death of a parent, mental illness, and incest.

In this episode of Traumatically Speaking, we crack open the inbox and immediately regret nothing.

We read listener submitted trauma dumps featuring a wildly unhinged ex husband, a dad who is absolutely convinced the world is plotting against him, and a friend of a friend confession that made us pause the recording.

We process these stories the only way we know how, with empathy, dark humor, and the shared understanding that sometimes laughing is the least unhinged response available.

Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Buckle up Chaos Cousins it's gonna get wild.

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

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

ok love you bye,

Lex & Sloan

** 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 Happy Birthday, Mom, we share two listener stories about mama trauma, one that confirms moms cannot marry their sons and another about a daughter whose earliest bully lived at home. Then we tell our own stories. Sloan discusses blame, manipulation, and real consequences, while Lex explains her decision to go no contact on her own accord. This episode is not a tribute. It is honesty with a sense of humor.

Names have been changed or omitted for privacy.

Want a chance to have your story shared on the pod? Send it to [email protected]

Don’t forget to write it in a story format and put it in a .pdf if ya nasty.

Also, wish “Donna” Happy Birthday in the comments! She will probably read every single one.

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.