Fear Gone Wild by Kayla Stoecklein

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

What happens when faith collides with unimaginable grief?

In Fear Gone Wild, Kayla Stoecklein shares her heart-wrenching yet hope-filled story following the tragic suicide of her husband, Andrew—lead pastor of Inland Hills Church in California. On August 25, 2018, Kayla’s world changed forever. As she faced the unimaginable loss of her husband, she stepped into a journey of deep reflection, raw grief, and a renewed understanding of mental illness within the church.

This deeply personal memoir sheds light on Andrew’s hidden struggles with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks—battles that remained largely unseen behind the pulpit. Through Kayla’s honest storytelling, readers are invited into the often unspoken wilderness of mental illness, where questions about faith, healing, and God’s presence abound.

What You’ll Find Inside:

• A Grieving Wife’s Perspective: An unfiltered account of love, loss, and the courageous choice to keep going.
• Mental Health and Faith: A compassionate, biblically grounded perspective on depression, anxiety, and the need to break the silence in Christian spaces.
• Hope After Tragedy: A journey from darkness into light, offering comfort to those navigating their own valleys of grief or mental health struggles.
• A Call to the Church: A powerful reminder that pastors and leaders are not immune to mental illness—and that vulnerability and community are vital.

Why We Recommend It:

Fear Gone Wild is a brave and needed voice in today’s conversation on mental health and faith. Kayla Stoecklein offers readers more than a memoir—she extends a hand of empathy, grace, and truth to anyone who has walked through the wilderness of loss or loved someone struggling silently. Her story is an invitation to the Church to love better, listen deeper, and lead with compassion.

Perfect For:

• Christians seeking to understand mental illness and support loved ones with compassion
• Those grieving the loss of a loved one, especially through suicide
• Church leaders, youth workers, and pastoral care teams
• Book clubs, women’s groups, and ministry support networks

Tender, honest, and filled with unwavering hope, Fear Gone Wild is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, God is present—and He can bring beauty from even the deepest sorrow.