Kayla Stoecklein - Fear Gone Wild: A Story of Mental Illness, Suicide, and Hope Through Loss

Praise for Fear Gone Wild

Kayla is a good friend of mine. She has a message for us not about loss, but about being real. Filled with honesty and vulnerability, Kayla doesnt just inform us about mental health, love, and loss; she invites us to actively participate in lives filled with greater purpose, authenticity, and awareness.

BOB GOFF, AUTHOR OF NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS LOVE DOES AND EVERYBODY, ALWAYS

Fear Gone Wild pulls back the curtain that shrouds mental illness in the church. With tempered strength and well-chosen words, my friend Kayla gently moves aside the heavy fabric so that we might see the pain up close and learn alongside her. This book transforms the beautiful love story of Andrew and Kayla into a vehicle of hope and rescue for others. I cried as I read her words, yet found myself strangely encouraged that their loss could mean restoration for countless others.

LISA BEVERE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Fear Gone Wild is courageous and honest; a timely message for all of us today. Kaylas story of navigating through Andrews death, and learning about the mental illness he walked through, is written with tenderness, bravery, and hope. Her heart and soul cover these pages with a passion to help us better understand mental illness and to have hope that God is with us every step of the way. We highly recommend getting a copy of this book!

CHAD AND JULIA VEACH, LEAD PASTORS OF ZOE CHURCH, LOS ANGELES

I cried while reading Fear Gone Wild. I cried not only for the devastation and sorrow Kayla and her family have experienced, but also because I recognize so much of my familys sorrow in hers. Weve both lost someone we dearly loved to suicide and share the crushing shock, horror, and pain that accompany such a death. But we also share the same rock-solid hope that God is at work in the losses; walking with us, carrying us when needed, gently reminding that he will never abandon us in our grief and is in the process of restoring the ruins of our lives. Kaylas beautiful way with words will comfort your aching heart.

KAY WARREN, COFOUNDER OF SADDLEBACK CHURCH

Absolutely powerful! Wow! I was so deeply moved by Kaylas words and story. Fear Gone Wild is filled with epic truth, wisdom, and practical insights that will forever change you and the way you see the struggle for mental health. This book is a precious gift to us all.

MIKE FOSTER, AUTHOR AND EXECUTIVE COUNSELOR

When Kayla Stoecklein speaks we all lean in. Her gentle strength is a force and her honest faith speaks to the most tender, hidden parts of the soul. She has chosen, right in the middle of her own personal grief, to walk openly through her unimaginable pain so that others around the world can find hope in the middle of their own tragedies. Her story has challenged the church at large to take a closer, more compassionate and educated look at the impact of mental illness and the reality of spiritual warfare. Andrews legacy is one of a man of faith who lived to serve others. As you read Fear Gone Wild, Kayla reveals that there is hope, even through the deepest loss, because of the God we serve.

DAWNCHER WILKERSON, PASTOR OF VOUS CHURCH, MIAMI

As a longtime mental health professional and fierce advocate, this book hits home and strikes a vital chord. The pain and power poetically shared through her raw truth and courage are so needed in the world today. Thank you, Kayla, for honoring your loss and using your story, wisdom, and heart in such a poignant and compelling way.

MILES ADCOX, OWNER AND CEO OF ONSITE TENNESSEE

Fear Gone Wild

2020 by Kayla Stoecklein

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ISBN 978-1-4002-1768-7 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-1767-0 (HC)

Epub Edition August 2020 9781400217687

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020939916

Printed in the United States of America

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To my Andrew,

May your life always be defined by the way

you lived, not the way you died.

This is just a small part of your story.

Love you forever,

Your girl

Contents

T his is a message of both/and. Its crucial we approach this message as both a love story full of life and a tragedy full of loss at the same time. When we leave room for both/and in another persons story, we start to leave space in our own life for both sorrow and celebration to coexist.