What's Your Damage?

“A” kicks off the episode 16 with a second-trimester update and how she’s prepping for baby life—Little A is destined to be a bookworm, whether they like it or not. Then we rewind and get into breakups… the messy, formative, occasionally unhinged kind. “A” shares the story of her ex-boyfriend—an addict she met under chaotic circumstances (he literally couldn’t find his car). What followed was a wh...

AJ and AJ compare the wildly different ways they were raised. “J” talks about growing up extremely sheltered—so sheltered that when she had to choose a song for a rally in high school, she picked one without realizing what the phrase “midnight toker” meant. Her innocent mistake unexpectedly gave her a kind of credibility at school she’d never had before. “A”, on the other hand, had the opposite ex...

In this episode, AJ and AJ dive into the magical, chaotic world of high school theater—the place where many self-proclaimed theater nerds first found their people. "A" kicks things off by sharing how performing in Bye Bye Birdie helped her discover two important things: her love for acting and the kind of friendships that stick around long after the final curtain call (and yes, she’s sti...

This week, AJ and AJ get honest about advocating for your own needs in relationships. “J” unpacks how hard it has been to ask for help — even from her husband of 18 years. From lying sick on the floor but still struggling to say “I need you,” she recognizes the codependent habit of keeping score: doing good deeds in the quiet hope that someone will notice and reciprocate without being asked. &quot...

AJ and AJ talk about growing up in families where cutting the tension wasn’t optional — it was survival. They unpack what it meant to walk on eggshells in their families of origin and the roles they learned to play to keep the peace. “A” shares how she became the family tension diffuser, quoting The Simpsons at just the right moment to break the pressure in the room — unknowingly sharpening her ta...

In this week’s episode of What’s Your Damage? , AJ and AJ dive into their very different sexual awakening moments — and let’s just say, the vibes were not the same. “J“ spills about her lifelong devotion to Christian Bale (yes, even factoring in the infamous on-set rant) and how her love story really began with the Newsies . Something about scrappy newsboys in suspenders and fireman-adjacent outfi...

In episode 10 of What’s Your Damage? , AJ and AJ talk about the deep desire to escape into a different family. Growing up in traumatic family systems shaped how both of them turned to art—TV, books, and stories—as a way to survive the painful reality of their home lives.  “A” is 13 weeks pregnant at this point and reflects on her childhood, where the TV was always on. As a kid, she escaped into Fu...

AJ and AJ kick off Episode 9 with the choice of a generation: Edward Cullen or Jacob Black? From there, they dive headfirst into the teenage experience — from Levi Lovin’, ( dry humping ), going to parties, and the longing to be seen and find love and possibly made over! “J” talks about Can’t Hardly Wait and how, thanks to a strict Mormon upbringing (and the whole “appearance of evil” thing), she...

In Episode 8, AJ and AJ dive deep into what it means to break the cycle of abuse, especially when the harm comes from the people who are  supposed  to love you most—sisters, friends, and family. "A" shares the story of a friendship with a narcissist, beginning with intense love bombing and quickly evolving into something darker: becoming a supporting character in someone else’s carefully...

AJ and AJ get real about their first periods — including the awkward, traumatizing and even serendipitous moments that came with them. “J” shares how a trip to a waterpark turned into actual trauma when she was forced to wear a tampon way too early — locked in a bathroom with her mom and sisters, all of them screaming at her to just put it in — turning what should’ve been a fun day into total pani...

In this episode of What’s Your Damage , AJ and AJ confront the horrifying realization that sometimes… we are a little bit like our abusers. They dig into how art has a deeply rude habit of holding up a mirror, reminding us that everyone is capable of doing bad things—and that one bad moment doesn’t get to be the whole book. It’s a chapter. A messy one. But still just a chapter. "J” recounts l...

This week on  What’s Your Damage , AJ and AJ attempt to Marie Kondo their emotional baggage, unpack the chaos of messiness, and then hurtle straight back to 2020. The team opens up about how they coped with COVID, isolation, and deeply questionable living situations. “A” (who is definitely Anne Hathaway… probably) shares the true horror of being bubbled with her producer’s roommate and his girlfri...

AJ and AJ kick off episode 4 by debating which "Friends" characters they relate to, then dive headfirst into the messy, meaningful theme of belonging. "A" opens up about feeling disconnected in college before finding real sisterhood in her sorority—bonding over  Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights  and  The Butterfly Effect . "J" reflects on growing up without a close bond w...

What’s love got to do with trauma? In our very first episode, AJ and AJ dig into the theme of  love —romantic, religious, and deeply confusing. "J" shares the story of her first marriage straight out of BYU: a supposed eternal bond that fell apart while living above a truck stop in the middle of nowhere, and how binging  Ally McBeal  helped her believe in love again. "A" revisi...

AJ and AJ dive into the influence of ’90s queen,  Alanis Morissette  and how her music helped shape who they became. "J" talks about growing up without fitting the female stereotype her mother wished for—and how  Jagged Little Pill empowered her to show up as herself, from dressing in thrifted men’s clothes to embracing her own identity. "A" shares a stress-inducing dream about...

In this episode, AJ and AJ take on the theme of  obedience —who demands it, who survives it, and what it costs. "A" opens up about the abuse she endured as a child and a devastating Christmas Eve fight with her sibling that brought her to the edge, and how a single monologue line ultimately saved her life. "J" reflects on growing up with the foundations of Mormonism in her home...