I Jumped Off The Golden Gate Bridge

Kevin Hines feels lucky to be alive every single day. Over 2,000 people have died off the Golden Gate Bridge and Kevin is among the 1% who survived.

When Kevin turned seventeen his world began crumbling down. He experienced extreme symptoms of mania, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and paranoia. Kevin’s mental illnesses caused his brain to tell him he was a burden to everyone who loved him, and he believed that to be the truth.

When the feelings became too much for him to bear, Kevin attempted suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge. According to Kevin, “The millisecond my hands left the rail it was an instant regret. Nobody’s going to know that I didn’t want to die”. By some miracle he survived the 75 story fall.

After the attempt Kevin spent 7 of the next 11 years in recovery at different psychiatric wards. He admits the symptoms still exist, but that he knows how to cope with them now.

If you’re struggling with mental illnesses, you need to acknowledge that you can’t do it alone. Kevin’s support system was a key component of his recovery and can be a vital part of yours too. In Kevin’s words “It’s okay not to be okay. It’s not okay not to ask for someone to back you up”.

Kevin closes with a powerful message:

“Suicide, mental illness, and addiction are the only diseases we blame the person for perpetually. But people die from suicide just like they die from any other organ diseased. If you’re suffering mentally don’t wait like I did sitting in denial for so long. Recovery happens. I’m living proof”.