In this episode of I’ll Start, Daniel shares his story of growing up under the weight of comparison and the deep fear of never being “enough.” From early academic struggles to internalized shame, Daniel opens up about how those beliefs followed him into adulthood and shaped his relationships, self-worth, and sense of identity.

With honesty and courage, Daniel reflects on what it cost him to stay silent and what it took to finally speak. This conversation explores rejection sensitivity, comparison, trauma’s long echo, and the quiet bravery it takes to let yourself be seen.

As always, we hold Daniel’s story with care and respect, offering space for listeners to reflect on their own experiences of fear, belonging, and healing.

Listener Reflection Questions:

• What story have you been telling yourself about your worth?

• Is it possible that the struggle you’re facing isn’t a personal flaw, but a signal?

Gentle Note to Listeners:

This episode contains discussion of emotional pain, shame, and dark thoughts. Please listen at your own pace and take care of yourself as needed.

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

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One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

In this week’s episode of I’ll Start, Victoria shares her story of depression, anxiety, and the quiet belief that she is a burden. A season of college transition left her feeling disconnected from friends, failing classes, and stuck in a cycle of numbness, panic, and loneliness. On the outside she kept showing up, but on the inside she wondered if anyone saw her, or if she even mattered to God.

One night in church, a sermon left her feeling exposed instead of comforted. As she tried to slip out unseen, a woman stopped her to pray and spoke specific words of truth that confronted the lies in her mind, “You are seen. You are loved. Do not give up.” After Victoria’s story, Heather talks about attachment ruptures, how loneliness and broken connection can register as danger in the brain, and why that can create a perfect storm of depression, panic, and withdrawal. Morgan reflects on how we often transfer our experiences with people onto God, what Scripture says about truth setting us free, and the courage it takes to let ourselves be truly seen in community.

Key Takeaways

• Attachment ruptures and changing relationships can fuel loneliness and become a setup for anxiety and depression
• Our brains can interpret emotional disconnection as physical danger, which can trigger fight, flight, or freeze responses
• Shame says “I am the problem,” and often makes truth feel exposing instead of comforting
• God often uses safe, courageous people to “co-regulate” us and speak truth into the lies we carry
• Healing usually starts with one brave step, telling the truth about what we are feeling and letting someone in

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

In this week’s episode of I’ll Start, Adam shares his honest story of anxiety, depression, loss, and the pressure to “hold it together” when life comes apart. What began as childhood fear became a quiet companion in adulthood, and a miscarriage brought every unspoken worry to the surface. As a pastor, Adam felt the weight of being strong for everyone else while silently unraveling inside.

After his story, Heather unpacks how fear and grief live in the body—and why naming our experience is a crucial step toward relief. Morgan reflects on the “why, God?” moments of faith and reminds us that God meets us in our honesty, not in our performance.

Key Takeaways

• Childhood fear often resurfaces in adulthood when life hits hard • Grief that goes unspoken can turn into anxiety, shame, or withdrawal • Naming your experience is a powerful first step toward healing • Anger, confusion, and “why” questions do not disqualify your faith

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

In this episode of I’ll Start, Hannah shares what it’s like to live inside a mind that won’t turn off. From childhood panic attacks to compulsions that made everyday moments like church, Target runs, and dinners with friends feel impossible, she names the shame, fear, and exhaustion of living with OCD. Heather unpacks radical acceptance and the Both/And mindset—learning to say, “This is hard, and I’m not alone.” Morgan reflects on Psalm 34:18 and reminds us that God is close to the brokenhearted, even when the struggle doesn’t go away.

Key Takeaways:

• Radical acceptance asks us to name our pain as the starting point for growth. • The Both/And mindset helps us hold two concepts at once: “I’m struggling, and I can still take a step forward.” • God’s presence is not measured by our circumstances; He meets us in the middle of our reality, not after it’s all resolved.

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and new episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

In the Season 2 premiere of I’ll Start, Dustin shares his honest journey through addiction, recovery, and faith. A high-school injury led to years of alcoholism and secrecy, but connection and grace changed everything. Heather unpacks shame resilience—the mental-health tool that helps us move from hiding to healing—while Morgan reflects on Psalm 40 and reminds us that confession is for our hearts, not God’s memory.

Key Takeaways:

• Shame cannot survive empathy.

• Healing begins in safe, judgment-free connection.

• God meets us in the pit and lifts us out.

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going!

Follow @illstartpodcast on Instagram and Facebook for behind-the-scenes moments, listener reflections, and new episode updates.

Together, we share, listen, and connect.

X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.

We’re back! Season 2 of I’ll Start launches October 21! Join Heather, Morgan, and Fred as they share what’s ahead: more stories of mental health and faith, honest conversations about courage and healing, and a reminder that your story matters.

This sneak peek dives into what it means to integrate Scripture and psychology, to hold both faith and evidence-based tools with integrity, and to build a bridge where hope lives in both. If you’ve ever heard “you just need to pray harder” or “mental health struggles mean weak faith,” this season is for you.

What to look for this season:

1. Real stories of anxiety, OCD, trauma, and addiction
2. Faith-filled conversations that don’t shy away from hard questions
3. Hope, empathy, and a safe space to say “I’ll start.”

Season 2 premieres October 21. Follow I’ll Start wherever you listen to podcasts and be part of the community that’s sharing, listening, and connecting faith and mental health — one story at a time.

Connect With Us: X: @illstartpodcast Instagram: @illstartpodcast Facebook: I’ll Start Tag us and share your thoughts using #IllStartPodcast

One of the most difficult parts of mental health struggle is feeling alone. Shame, fear, and stigma keep us isolated and reinforce the belief I am the only one who struggles with mental health. When someone shares their struggle with us, suddenly we have hope. Even when pain is present, there is something so healing about being in community. How do we build a community in the middle of our struggle?

Someone needs to start the conversation.

Most of the time we are hoping someone else will be the one to do it. What if we stopped waiting on others and told our story. What if we said, “I’ll start.” “I’ll Start” is a podcast where individuals bravely share their stories, listen with compassion, and connect through their faith and mental health experiences.

Each episode of “I’ll Start” highlights a personal story of mental health challenge, endurance, and hope. At the end of each episode, you will receive mental health tools and theological truth from our Co-hosts, Morgan Arseneau and Heather Kaloupek.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call 9-8-8 to speak to a professional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not alone.