Mental health, suicide, and rebuilding after a tragedy - With Kayla Stoecklein

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Oct 15, 2019

Kayla Stoecklein, widow of Pastor Andrew Stoecklein, shares her poignant journey through grief and mental health after her husband's tragic suicide. She addresses the common misconceptions around mental illness and emphasizes the importance of compassion and support. Kayla openly discusses the impact of losing her partner on her family, including her three young boys, and confronts the stigma surrounding mental health, especially within faith communities. Her raw honesty and insights aim to inspire understanding and open dialogue.

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ANECDOTE

Drew's Story

Drew Stoecklein, a 30-year-old pastor, died by suicide after battling depression and anxiety.
His struggles began with panic attacks, initially attributed to hyperthyroidism, but later diagnosed as depression.

INSIGHT

Faith and Mental Illness

There's a stigma connecting faith and mental illness, often misinterpreting depression as a lack of faith.
Depression is a physical illness, a chemical imbalance, not a spiritual failing.

ADVICE

Seeking Help

Seek professional help, including medication and therapy, when dealing with mental illness.
Finding the right medication and treatment approach requires experimentation and expert guidance.

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You are NEVER alone.

You will never forget this conversation

This may be the most important interview we have ever released

Kayla is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. She is the wife of Pastor Andrew Stoecklein who died by suicide just over a year ago.

In this deeply emotional interview, we hear Kayla's story of losing her best friend, husband, and father of her beautiful children to mental illness.

She’s honest about the time before and after this tragic loss and what it was like to tell her 3 beautiful boys that daddy is gone.

Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide in the world each year, that’s one death every 40 seconds and 90% of suicide attempts are impulsive.

Kayla discusses with great emotion the impact that this tragedy has had on her family and on her. She also discusses in detail different strategies that should be employed when someone is suffering from mental illness

There’s a stigma around mental illness, especially towards people of faith. We often think that suicide is selfish. Kayla will tell you that this is a college falsehood and something she is passionate about correcting.

Kayla is very raw and honest about her experience and the grief that sets in each and every day. She also shares what she wishes she would have said and done differently which I believe will help you or someone you love that is dealing with this.

This interview is near and dear to my heart and I was beyond moved by the superhuman power this amazing woman has, she is evidence to me that God can give you the strength to keep going through the hardest of times.

Mental Illness is a broad term. Just like physical illnesses and injuries, there is a wide spectrum. Physical injuries can range everywhere from a broken bone to something as serious as cancer or a heart attack.

Mental illness can range from something like anxiety to anger all the way to clinical depression, bipolar disorder, etc. etc. it is a very broad term

The truth is, most people I know suffer from some form of anxiety, fear, anger, all the way to depression and some cases of severe depression.

There are so many things you can take from this conversation, but the most important thing I want you guys to hear is that you are NEVER alone. You are LOVED and SUPPORTED by so many people, more than you know.

If you are struggling or just need someone to talk to please call suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255 or you can text home 471741 for crisis help.

If you guys can do anything for me, it would be that you not only watch/listen to this video but to please SHARE it as I know it could save someone's life. Let’s break the stigma together and continue the conversation. God Bless you all.

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