When Trauma Tries to Silence You: A Memoir, Suicide Survival & Self-Worth with Amy Sadd cover art

When Trauma Tries to Silence You: A Memoir, Suicide Survival & Self-Worth with Amy Sadd

When Trauma Tries to Silence You: A Memoir, Suicide Survival & Self-Worth with Amy Sadd

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 ⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Please listen with care and use your discretion. Crisis support resources are listed below.In this powerful, deeply honest conversation, Heather sits down with author and Marine Corps veteran Amy Sadd, whose memoir "I Know a Girl" traces her journey through poverty, abuse, military trauma, depression, and multiple suicide attempts — all the way to a studio apartment on an island in Mexico, where she has finally found community, safety, and joy.Amy shares what it was like to grow up selling cookies to pay rent, survive assault in the Marine Corps, parent two daughters while breaking generational patterns, and eventually move to Cozumel with two suitcases and a decision: either finally figure out how to die… or figure out how to live. Today, she’s choosing life, found family, and radical honesty — and she wants every listener to know: you don’t have to stay broken, and you don’t have to do it alone.Key Themes & Takeaways:✅ Trauma doesn’t get the last word – Your story can be about your healing, not just what was done to you.✅ Mental health is real health – Depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation are illnesses, not character flaws.✅ You don’t have to stay where you’re hurting – Sometimes healing means leaving the town, culture, or country that keeps you stuck.✅ Found family is still family – The people who stay, support, and choose you are as real as blood relatives — sometimes more.✅ Parenting without a blueprint – You don’t have to repeat the parenting you received; you can learn and do it differently.✅ Identity can be rewritten – You can move from being “the girl everything happens to” to the woman who calls herself “princessa” and expects to be treated with respect.✅ Boundaries are holy – Walking away from abusive relationships is an act of self-respect, not failure.✅ You are allowed to choose joy – A studio apartment, a scooter, neighbors who bring oranges, and sunrise over the sea can all be more than enough.✅ There is always another chapter – The sun keeps rising; as long as you’re here, there is room for another page in your story.Mental health is real health – Depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation are illnesses, not character flaws.✅ Found family is still family – The people who stay, support, and choose you are as real as blood relatives — sometimes more.✅ Minimalism as medicine – Letting go of stuff (and the stories attached to it) can create literal and emotional space to breathe.✅ Parenting without a blueprint – You don’t have to repeat the parenting you received; you can learn and do it differently.✅ Identity can be rewritten – You can move from being “the girl everything happens to” to the woman who calls herself “princessa” and expects to be treated with respect.✅ Boundaries are holy – Walking away from abusive relationships is an act of self-respect, not failure.✅ You are allowed to choose joy – A studio apartment, a scooter, neighbors who bring oranges, and sunrise over the sea can all be more than enough.✅ There is always another chapter – The sun keeps rising; as long as you’re here, there is room for another page in your story.Amy wants you to know you are not alone, and your story is not over.CALLS TO ACTION:Get Amy’s book – I Know a GirlAmy's InstagramAmy's FacebookAmy's TikTokConnect with Amy HEREConnect w/ Heather HEREHeather's Happy, Healthy, Whole programBook a free 60-minute call with Heather HEREJoin the weekly email list for tips, life hacks, and podcast HEREIf this episode helped you breathe a little deeper, please:• Like the video and share with a friend• Subscribe to the channel• Leave a comment CRISIS SUPPORT (U.S.)• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741If you’re outside the U.S., please search “suicide hotline [your country]” to find support in your area. You are not a burden. You are needed here.
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