Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

In this episode, Tina White shares the anonymous story of a young woman whose first love turned into her deepest trauma. What began as romance ended in violation, silence, and shame and the painful stigma that followed when she tried to go on as if nothing had happened.

This is not just her story. It’s a story that echoes for countless survivors of sexual violence in relationships: the weight of silence, the fear of not being believed, the stigma of victim blaming, and the long road toward reclaiming a voice.

• How sexual violence in relationships is often hidden behind masks of “love” and “normalcy.”
• The stigma survivors face when they try to break the silence.
• The impact of victim-blaming and disbelief on mental health and healing.
• The power of listening, believing, and supporting survivors without judgment.
• Why silence may feel safer, but breaking it—when survivors are ready—becomes an act of reclamation.

Your voice matters here. If this episode resonated with you, please:

• Share it with someone who needs to hear it.
• Rate and review The Trigger and The Truth wherever you listen—it helps this community grow.
• Call the show hotline at (715) 702-8845 to share your thoughts, reflections, or stories.

Nationwide Resource List – Mental Health, Legal & Crisis Support

A curated list of trusted, confidential resources across the U.S.:

Crisis Hotlines & Immediate Support

National

Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN)

Call 1‑800‑656‑HOPE (4673) or start a 24/7 chat at RAINN’s site.

Confidential, free support and referrals provided.(RAINN)

National

Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH)

Call 1‑800‑799‑SAFE (7233) or use their chat service. Available in 200+

languages—it also includes resources for dating violence (via Loveisrespect).(Wikipedia)

Specialized Support Lines

StrongHearts Native Helpline

For Native American and Alaska Native survivors: 1‑844‑7NATIVE (1‑844‑762‑8483)

or chat.(NIWRC)

National Deaf Domestic Violence Hotline

For Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard-of-Hearing survivors: 855‑812‑1001

or visit thedeafhotline.org.(NIWRC)

Legal & Advocacy Support

Take Back the Night - National Sexual Assault Legal Hotline

Free legal aid for survivors seeking justice and understanding their rights.

Call 567‑SHATTER (567‑742‑8837).(takebackthenight.org)

Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC)

Based in Boston; offers free legal services to sexual assault...

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

Episode 41: Cut Throat Committee – An Inappropriate Response to Reality

Some enemies come dressed like friends, coworkers, or family. But let’s be real, sometimes the most dangerous member of the cut throat committee is you.

In this episode, I get into the uncomfortable truth: self-deception. The lies we tell ourselves to make bad decisions feel safe. The way we pretend not to know the consequences of our actions. And how we sabotage our own peace by letting people cross boundaries we should’ve enforced.

I share a personal story about a close friend who has convinced herself to normalize betrayal, and how that example mirrors the way so many of us live in inappropriate responses to reality. From accepting lies to ignoring red flags, we cut our own throats when we choose comfort over truth.

What you’ll take away from this episode:

• Why self-deception is the most destructive form of betrayal.
• The difference between their truth and THE truth.
• How to recognize when you’re responding to feelings instead of facts.
• What appropriate responses to reality look like in everyday life.
• Why holding yourself and your friends accountable is an act of love.

This episode isn’t about judgment, it’s about alignment. Because until you stop pretending, the lies will always have meaning.

👉 Tune in now to The Trigger and The Truth Podcast.

#TheTriggerAndTheTruth #CutThroatCommittee #MentalHealthMatters #HealingJourney #RealConversations #SelfDeception #FaceTheTruth

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

Part Two: Sir, You’re Not On My Payroll – Entitled Energy is Expensive picks up where Episode 39 left off. This time, Tina dives deep into one personal story, when casual dating collided with financial entitlement, insecurity, and the audacity to try and cash in on someone else’s hustle.

It’s not just about a man asking for a cut of a commission check he didn’t earn, it’s about what that moment revealed: unspoken resentments, shifting dynamics, and how entitlement can quietly drain your energy if you don’t check it early.

This episode is a wake-up call about protecting your peace, your pockets, and your mental bandwidth from people who think being in your proximity gives them ownership over your effort.

"Welcome back to The Trigger and The Truth. This is Part Two of a conversation we started in Part Two: Sir, You’re Not On My Payroll – Entitled Energy is Expensive picks up where Episode 39 left off. This time, Tina dives deep into one personal story — when casual dating collided with financial entitlement, insecurity, and the audacity to try and cash in on someone else’s hustle.

It’s not just about a man asking for a cut of a commission check he didn’t earn — it’s about what that moment revealed: unspoken resentments, shifting dynamics, and how entitlement can quietly drain your energy if you don’t check it early.

This episode is a wake-up call about protecting your peace, your pockets, and your mental bandwidth from people who think being in your proximity gives them ownership over your effort.

"Welcome back to The Trigger and The Truth. This is Part Two of a conversation we started in Episode 39: The Lies We Tell Ourselves in Relationships That Should Have Been a One-Night Stand.

In this episode, we’re talking about one specific situation from my own life — a moment when casual dating got tangled up with financial entitlement. Let me paint the picture: You’re focused, you’re working, you’re building. Someone you’re dating sees your success and instead of celebrating, they start calculating. And suddenly, you’re not just managing the relationship — you’re managing their insecurity and sense of ownership over your hustle.

So today, I want to walk you through what happened, why entitlement energy is so expensive, and how to spot it before it costs you more than money. And I’ve got five key questions for you to ask yourself if you suspect someone is trying to live off your efforts without ever clocking in."

1. Does this person celebrate my wins or do they compete with them?
2. Have they ever implied they deserve a piece of my success without contributing to it?
3. Do I feel I have to downplay my accomplishments to keep them comfortable?
4. Are they adding value to my life or just attaching themselves to the benefits?
5. If this relationship ended today, would I feel relieved, or would I feel like I lost a true partner?

in Relationships That Should Have Been a One-Night Stand.

In this episode, we’re talking about one specific situation from my own life, a moment when casual dating got tangled up with financial entitlement. Let me paint the picture: You’re focused, you’re working, you’re building. Someone you’re dating sees your success and instead of celebrating, they start calculating. And suddenly, you’re not just managing the relationship, you’re managing their insecurity and sense of ownership over your hustle.

So today, I want to walk you through what happened, why entitlement energy is so expensive, and how to spot it before it costs you more...

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

21 Questions to Check If You’re Holding On to Something That’s Holding You Back

Some relationships were never meant to make it past sunrise — but somehow, here you are, years in, emotionally drained, rewriting history in your head, and calling it love.

In this episode of The Trigger and The Truth, Tina White takes you through 21 hard, candid, and eye-opening questions to help you see whether you’re holding on to a relationship that’s been holding you back. We’re getting honest about the lies we tell ourselves to justify staying, the red flags we try to manage instead of address, and why the longer you ignore the truth, the more expensive it becomes — emotionally, mentally, and sometimes financially.

You’ll hear:

Why “casual” can quietly turn into “complicated”

How ignoring early deal-breakers sets the stage for years of frustration

The real-life story of a relationship that lasted far longer than it should have — and the moment Tina knew it was over

The 21-Question Self-Diagnostic to see if you’re living in a relationship that should have ended long ago

The difference between giving grace and giving away your peace

💡 Truth to remember: Not everyone deserves the deluxe package. Stop upgrading people who were never supposed to stay the night.

This is just Part One. In Part Two: Sir, You’re Not On My Payroll – Entitled Energy is Expensive, Tina dives deeper into one specific story from this episode — a moment when casual dating collided with financial entitlement, insecurity, and the audacity to try and cash in on someone else’s hustle. You don’t want to miss it.

🎧 Part Two Dropping on Wednesday 8/13/2025 Stay Tuned!

#TheTriggerAndTheTruth #RelationshipTruth #BoundariesMatter #SelfRespect #DatingWisdom #LetGoToGrow #HealingJourney #EmotionalWellness #RelationshipRedFlags

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

Somewhere along the way, the movement to destigmatize mental health got… distorted.

We didn’t just normalize therapy — we turned it into a personality trait.

We didn’t just encourage self-awareness — we started diagnosing every feeling.

And now? Everything is a trigger. Everything is trauma. Instead of using mental health tools to build strength, some of us are using mental health language as a shield — justifying avoidance, self-sabotage, and emotional fragility in the name of “protection.”

But real mental health isn’t about staying comfortable. It’s about capacity.

It’s the ability to handle life as it comes — the good, the bad, and the messy — without falling apart every time something feels uncomfortable. That’s what I call cognitive range.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• What cognitive range really means and why it matters.

• How the mental health conversation got twisted along the way.

• The 5-question mental strength diagnostic to see where you might be hiding from growth.

• Why good mental health should be challenged, not coddled.

• How to shift from comfort to capacity in your mental health journey.

If your mental health work isn’t making you stronger, it’s time to ask why.

🎧 Listen now and let’s get back to what the mental health movement was meant to do help us heal, grow, and show up for life on all levels.

Resources & Links:

• Follow The Trigger and The Truth on Instagram: @thetriggerandthetruth

• Subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts

#MentalHealthMatters #CognitiveRange #EmotionalStrength #TheTriggerAndTheTruth #MentalWellness #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalCapacity

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

Some storms don’t pass in a day. Some storms don’t pass in a year. They change shape, slow down, speed up—but never truly disappear. And yet, life still demands that we live, parent, love, work, and keep showing up in the middle of them.

In this episode of The Trigger and The Truth, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it really looks like to keep moving when life doesn’t give you a pause button. I share my personal journey of raising children, running a business, grieving major losses, and navigating betrayal—all without a safety net, a break, or the luxury of healing in peace.

I call this state Processing—and it’s proof that living, building, and healing can happen at the same time.

Segment 1 – Defining “Processing”

• The truth about healing while in motion.
• How societal myths about “fully healing first” don’t match real life.
• My real-time reflections as a mother, entrepreneur, and woman moving her child into college while still carrying her own grief.

Segment 2 – Healing Without a Pause Button

• The daily grind of grieving while meeting responsibilities.
• How “background grief” quietly affects your mind, body, and energy.
• Small, realistic healing practices that can fit into a demanding life.

Segment 3 – The Weight of Being the Strong One

• The emotional toll of being the one everyone counts on—but no one checks on.
• How betrayal, loss, and lack of support have shaped my boundaries and choices.
• Why acceptance became the turning point in how I process pain.

Segment 4 – How to Keep Moving While You’re Still Processing

• Building your small circle of truth.
• Setting boundaries without apology.
• Finding joy and peace in the middle of chaos.
• Why you can’t wait for life to “calm down” before you start living.

💡 Key Quote from This Episode:

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Grab your copy of Pick Up the Pieces — [Link in bio]
• Listen to Episode 33: Healing Starts Here for your free national therapy directory.

If you’re in your own storm right now, know this—you don’t have to wait until it passes to start living again. Healing happens in the middle. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it, and let’s keep processing together.

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Mental Health Matters

What happens when the people closest to you are the very ones who harm you? In this episode, we unravel the heartbreak of betrayal by those we trusted the most—family. Tina White opens up about the deep mental health toll of hidden hate, the silence it forces, and the healing that begins when we stop making excuses for toxic loyalty. In today’s episode, Tina boldly confronts the painful truths of family betrayal—the kind that comes from within, wrapped in love and trust, yet driven by resentment and hidden agendas. Using her unmistakable voice, she shares how delusion cemented in her relationships, and how she finally reclaimed her name, her peace, and her boundaries. This is a powerful reflection on personal accountability, self-respect, and the courage it takes to walk away from someone you once called kin.

Key Topics:

• When love blinds you to danger
• The cost of proximity without integrity
• Why you must honor your gut, even with family
• Self-awareness: owning your part in relational patterns
• Removing toxic kin from your peace, even when it hurts

Listener Takeaways:

• And why "being naive" isn’t weakness—it’s gravity
• How to gently affirm: I’m not responsible for your chaos
• How to trust yourself without blame

Resources Mentioned:

• Pick Up the Pieces — Tina White’s book on reclaiming your story
• Episode 33: Healing Starts Here — National therapy directory for trauma recovery

👉 Final Thought:

Protect your dignity. If you’re tired of pretending toxicity is love, this is your clarion call. It’s not about hatred—it’s about valuing your peace.

#TheTriggerAndTheTruth #MentalHealthMatters #HealingStartsHere #PickUpThePieces #AugustReflections #TinaWhiteSpeaks #TherapyResources #BlackMentalHealth #NewMonthNewMindset #EmotionalWellness #TheHealingSeason

Podcast: The Trigger and The Truth

Host: Tina White

Series: Year of the Therapist – Grief, Truth, and the Unspoken

In this deeply reflective episode, Tina White explores The Broken Bone Theory, a powerful concept that suggests people who never physically break a bone may be wired to break in ways that aren't visible: emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically. But what happens when the emotional break happens and never truly heals?

We go beyond metaphor and dig into what it really means to live with internal pain that the world can’t see. Tina shares personal stories, family history, and the emotional reality of what it’s like to be close to people who harbor hidden hate. She also challenges the audience to confront what they’ve been taught to normalize.

This episode is a gentle but firm nudge to reflect, release, and reframe how we view strength, pain, and the invisible injuries we carry.

🧠 What We Discuss:

• What is The Broken Bone Theory—and why does it resonate?
• Real-life stories that challenge the theory, including a deeply personal one about Tina’s younger brother
• How unresolved trauma mirrors a fracture that was never properly set
• The emotional toll of being close to someone who secretly resents you
• The connection between stoicism, suppression, and emotional self-harm
• Strategies for healing emotional breaks that never got attention

🛠️ Mental Health Tools Shared:

• Recognizing symptoms of silent suffering
• Understanding stoicism and how it can both help and hurt
• Using discernment to protect your peace
• Reflection exercises: identifying emotional fractures in your own life

📚 Resource Mentioned:

• Pick Up The Pieces by Tina White – available now
• Episode 33: Healing Starts Here – featuring a national therapy directory

📣 Call to Action:

Don’t ignore your pain just because it’s not visible. Healing is possible—but only when you acknowledge what’s been broken.

👉 Tap the link in bio to grab your copy of Pick Up The Pieces

🎧 And if you're looking for help, listen to Episode 33 for access to a free national therapy directory designed for real people with real pain.

#TheBrokenBoneTheory, #InvisibleGrief, #EmotionalHealing, #MentalHealthMatters, #TriggerAndTruth, #StoicismAndHealing, #UnseenPain, #TinaWhite, #PodcastForHealing, #GriefAndGrowth, #HealingStartsHere

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