When San Francisco man Kevin Hines jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in a bid to take his own life, he regretted it the moment his hands left the railing.
Having spent years suffering from depression and bipolar disorder, he had been finding it more and more difficult to cope and so made the decision to end his life at the world famous landmark.
In the powerful video below, Kevin recalls for Buzz Feed the struggle he endured for years.
He went on to explain how after arriving at the Golden Gate Bridge, he spent 40 minutes on the footpath, hoping that someone would stop and talk to him. Instead cars drove past, cyclists rode by, and people walked past without a second glance in his direction. One woman approached him, but only to ask him to take her photo. He duly obliged and it was after that Kevin decided to jump. The regret, he says, was immediate.
As he fell the equivalent of 25 stories, he prayed that death would spare him, and remarkably, it did.
Realising afterwards that his suicide attempt had left his family completely distraught, (and that he was one of the very lucky 1% to miraculously survive the fall), Kevin became determined to employ better coping mechanisms.
He explains that one of the things he did was build up a support network so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the dark times alone as he now realises that “it’s ok not to be ok.”
Today Kevin uses his story to spread suicide awareness around the world. He delivers talks globally in a bid to to help others battling depression and suicidal thoughts.
The inspirational man says he is living proof that recovery is possible, and his interview, which Buzz Feed published just this week, is a powerful reminder that depression in any form is not something anyone should have to struggle with alone.
