From Rock Bottom to Redemption: Chase McDaniel on Addiction, Anxiety, and Turning Trauma into Art

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What if your lowest moment became the foundation for your purpose?

In this heartfelt episode of The Big Silence, Karena sits down with country music artist Chase McDaniel, who transformed generational trauma, addiction, and mental illness into powerful storytelling through his debut album Lost Ones. From growing up in rural Kentucky with an addicted father to facing panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and the long road to self-love, Chase’s story is both devastating and deeply inspiring. He shares how music became his therapy, how faith reshaped his outlook, and how he learned to live and love again.

How Do You Heal When Pain Feels Like the Only Thing You Know?

Chase opens up about breaking generational trauma, finding purpose through art, and learning that strength isn’t about faking perfection; it’s more like honesty.

(01:00) Growing Up in Chaos — Finding Strength in Small-Town Kentucky

• A childhood surrounded by addiction, violence, and uncertainty
• How he discovered stability and unconditional love
• His family’s gym became both a sanctuary and a symbol of survival
• That bond inspired “What I Didn’t Have”

(10:00) Breaking the Cycle of Pain and Addiction

• Mental illness and suicide ran deep, stories long kept silent
• The moment he chose to live differently: “I don’t have to live as the victim.”
• How truth-telling frees families from generational trauma
• Healing begins when we stop protecting the lie

(17:00) Panic Attacks, OCD, and the Search for Control

• The concussion that ended Chase’s athletic career and triggered relentless panic attacks
• Years of isolation led him to believe he was losing his mind
• “My dorm room felt like it was shrinking every day.”
• Learning to identify triggers, seek help, and rebuild trust in his mind became his turning point

(24:00) Love, Faith, and Learning to Stay

• Love once felt like a survival tactic—until he learned to receive it
• “Imagine a version of you that doesn’t feel this way anymore. That’s who you’re fighting for.”
• Now in a healthy, patient relationship, he calls love “an act of courage.”
• Faith re-entered his life while writing Lost Ones, reframing his survival as purpose.

(33:00) Finding Purpose Through Music: The Making of Lost Ones

• Chase wrote Lost Ones to process trauma and leave a legacy of hope.
• “Before I Let You Go” became a letter to his late father—and to himself.
• His favorite track, “What I Didn’t Have,” honors the grandparents who saved him
• “I was desperate to get this album out before I died. It’s my reason to live.”

(43:00) Turning Pain into Purpose

• Fans have shared how his songs saved their lives and, in turn, healed him.
• “You’re not alone” isn’t just a slogan; it’s lived experience
• Authenticity over image and purpose over fame
• “If I can make someone’s life a little easier, that’s the real mission.” 

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