If things had gone according to his plan, Kevin Hines would have been dead for the last 14 years and therefore, not appearing on today's show.
In September 2000, he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, the second most popular suicide site in the world. Somewhere around 1,600 people have jumped to their deaths from that bridge since it opened in 1937. The rate seems to be rising.
But, this isn't really a show about that location. It's about what we learn from a person who survives a very serious suicide attempt.
And, it's about the sheer difficulty of preventing suicide which has passed car crashes as a leading cause of death in the U.S. That's because as a society, we've been pretty smart about dragging down the number of car crash deaths but we can't seem to figure out what to do about suicide.
You may be surprised to learn that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America. It’s not easy to talk about suicide--we don’t understand it, we fear it, we’re shamed by it.
Shame may play a larger role in suicide than we know. Shame prevents people from seeking treatment. Shame is why we don't complain about inadequate funding for mental illness. Shame is all tied up with misguided moral judgement we assign to mental illness. And, shame is what caregivers feel when they can't prevent a suicide, driving them into the shadows to deal with their feelings alone. And, shame may be a tipping point into suicide, making it vital to talk about that which we fear.
Today, we talk to Kevin Hines, author of “Cracked Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt,” about his long journey onto the bridge and the longer journey back to life with help and love from family, friends, and clinicians.
In honor of Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, the Institute of Living Family Resource Center is offering two support groups for those who have lost a friend or loved one to suicide.
- Survivors of Suicide, Wednesday, September 10, 7-8:15 pm, Hartford Healthcare's Avon Satellite Location, 100 Simsbury Road, 2nd Floor Suite 205, Avon. The group will be facilitated by Glynis Cassis, LCSW and Michael Mathews. This is for family and friends of those lost to suicide. Please register by calling the Family Resource Center at 860-545-7665.
- Issues of Suicide, Thursday, September 11, 12 pm-1 pm, Massachusetts Cottage, Institute of Living, 200 Retreat Avenue, Hartford. Lunch will be provided. The group will be facilitated by Nancy E. Hubbard, LCSW and Heidi McCloskey, RN. This is for healthcare workers who have been impacted by a patient or client who completed a suicide. Please register by calling the Family Resource Center at 860-545-7665.
- ?Cracked Not Broken: A Suicide Survivor's Experience, Tuesday, September 23, 7-8:30 pm, West Hartford Meeting House and Conference Center, 50 South Main Street, West Hartford. Dr. Harold Schwartz will moderate this event which is free of charge. You can register here or call 860-545-1888.
Guests:
- Hank Schwartz is Psychiatrist-in-Chief at The Institute of Living, Vice President of Behavioral Health at Hartford Hospital
- Kevin Hines is the author of "Cracked Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt" and a mental health advocate.
- Patrick Hines is Kevin’s father and took care of him after he survived his jump
- Kevin Briggs is a retired patrolman with the California Highway Patrol whose duties included patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge. You can read about him here and here.
