Rick Smith/Columnist
“The millisecond my hands left the rail, it was an instant regret.”
The desire of 19-year-old Kevin Hines to take his life changed the moment his hand was no longer in contact with the handrail of the Golden Gate Bridge. He decided in that instance he wanted to live.
Four seconds later, falling 25 stories at a speed of 75 miles per hour, Kevin hit the water. The physical pain was the worse he had ever experienced.
Moments earlier, Hines had taken a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge, a bridge with a 220-foot drop that has claimed countless lives, including 25 others who jumped before Hines that same year.
But Kevin Hines did not die that day. Looking back, he recalls that he had three things working in his favor: a prayer he whispered to himself during those few seconds of freefall, a sea lion underneath him that kept him afloat, and a Coast Guard unit that responded without delay.
Kevin’s childhood had been very difficult. He was born prematurely, addicted to drugs. He bounced from home to home, eventually landing in the home of Patrick and Debi Hines. He developed a bipolar disorder with episodes of crippling psychosis. He began to crash and burn, spiraling out of control by age 17.
Today, Hines is an inspirational speaker and mental health advocate. He states, “I learned that no matter the amount of pain you’re in, suicide is never the solution to our problems.” He encourages actively check-in on people who seem to be struggling, arguing that “brain pain or mental pain is 300 times worse than any physical pain.”
Here are the three questions you can ask someone in distress that may save their lives:
Have you thought of killing yourself?
Have you made plans to take your life?
Do you have the means?
When you get a “yes” to any of these questions, Hines insists that you get that person to a safe place.
Kevin wants people to understand that from the suicidal person’s perspective, they are making the lives of the people around them better by eliminating themselves as a perceived burden. “It is a tragic situation but people who are suicidal only want to end their pain. They think they are doing their families and friends a favor by exiting this world.”
Suicide is complex. It does not happen for a single reason. There are many contributors: health conditions, social risk factors, stressful life events, and access to lethal means.
Here are some warning signs to recognize when an acquaintance or loved one needs your support:
They start to give away prized possessions.
They begin losing a lot of sleep.
Their eating patterns shift—either underrating or overeating.
Some of these indicators can also be signs of depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. “I want people to know that no matter the pain they are in, they can live well, even with their struggles.” – Kevin Hines
Rick Smith is a Jeffersonian and can be reached at theriquemeister@gmail.com.