Kevin Hines - Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt

Praise for Cracked, Not Broken

Kevins remarkable story of resilience and courage provides keen insight into the intense ambivalence experienced by those who struggle with thoughts of suicide. It is tragic to think about the hundreds who may have similarly wished like Kevin to be back on the bridge immediately after jumping. However, it is also extremely hopeful that lives can be saved even when someone is truly intent on ending their pain. Cracked, Not Broken proclaims, suicide is not inevitable for anyone and that belief is strengthening commitment to suicide prevention everywhere from the Golden Gate Bridge to the U.S. health care system. David Covington , Vice President, Adult & Youth Services, Magellan Health Services

Kevin is an extraordinary person with an inspirational story. This book should be mandatory reading for all health, social care, educational, government, and front line professionalsin fact everyone! Kevin has an extremely powerful message of hope for all. Alys Cole-King , FRC, Psych, consultant psychiatrist, Royal College of Psychiatrists spokesperson on suicide and self-harm, Connecting with People training co-founder, and medical director Open Minds Alliance CIC/United Kingdom

Suicidal individuals often approach the edge of life and death, few catapult themselves over that edge and into the abyss below and return to talk about [it]. Kevin Hines knows. He has reflected, plummeting at 75 mph toward a freezing cold certain death on what have I done? and I want to live while racing toward death. Hines gives us all hope, strength, and courage to face another day, take on the challenges of life, and keep living well. William Schmitz Jr ., PsyD, president-elect, American Association of Suicidology

A compelling look into the despair of mental illness and the fight for mental wellness Brandy Mychals, bestselling author of How to Read a Client from Across the Room

Kevin Hiness memoir is a startling, hair-raising, and compulsively readable account of one mans descent into the hell of bipolar disorder. It is a courageous testament of a man facing the tragedy of mental illness. Every person su ff ering with mental illness (or family member or friend) should read this book as soon as possible because it will save lives. Andy Behrman , author of Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania

Kevin Hiness book is both mesmerizing and eye-opening. It sheds light on the impulse and momentum that lead to a suicide crisis in a gripping, heart- pounding story that should make a believer out of anyone who has wondered how suicides happen. Eve R. Meyer , executive director, San Francisco Suicide Prevention

This account of Hiness suicide attemptand his blazing struggle back to wellnessis harrowing, honest, and deeply human shot through with his heartfelt insight and, often surprisingly, great sense of humor. The people in these pages, from Uncle Kevin to the fellow inmates of the wards, are drawn with precision and grace. Cracked, Not Broken shows us the darkness in great detail, but this book ultimately leads us to the light. Scott Hutchins , author of A Working Theory of Love , editors choice for the New York Times Sunday Book Review

Kevins journey will take you to the edge of despair and back. He has become an inspirational advocate for those suffering from mental illness since the day he took a fast and fateful leap off the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to end his life. His story will surely find a home in the hearts of many seeking guidance. Jennifer Storm , executive director of the Victims/Witness Assistance Program, advocate and author of multiple books on trauma and recovery

A story of faith, courage, luck, and persistence. Its an a ffi rmation of life and how, if given a second chance, a person can move from the deepest depths of despair to a calling that helps save others from the precipice. John Bateson , author of The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge

Kevin Hiness memoir Cracked, Not Broken is both gut wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time. As I was reading it, I experienced the most extreme emotions, moved from laughter to tears countess times. Because our son was also named Kevin, I imagined it all through his mind and soul; therefore this book has impacted me on a very personal level. Kevin Hines is a gifted speaker and writer but most importantly a beacon of light for anyone battling mental illness or loves someone who is. I could only hope that our Kevin would have had this same courage had he survived his own suicide. Kevin Hines honestly shares his desperate struggle to survive in spite of life-threatening injuries, barriers to care, and gaps in our mental health system. He reminds us all that life is a precious gift that can only be lived one day at a time. Carol Graham, wife of Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) who lost one son to suicide and one son to the war in Iraq

In Cracked, Not Broken , Kevin captures the anguish and humanity of his struggles against the compelling voices in his head. Those voices drove Kevin to leap from the Golden Gate Bridgea leap that should have killed him. Kevin writes with hard-earned insight and gripping candor about his terrible ambivalence about life and death leading to his jump. Believing he had run out of options, Kevin obeyed the commanding voices and hurdled the rail. Only as he hit free-fall did Kevin realize that he still had options to explore and a life to live. Kevins survival is a gift to us all as he is able to write with rare insight gained from that horrific experience.

As in his public presentations, in this narrative Kevin Hines moves us with his story of mental torment, survival, and his ongoing recovery. Kevin brings tremendous courage as he publicly addresses his personal trials. He describes his mental illness and his reclaiming of his life from the perspective of one who has been given a second chance. His life-affirming story is not to be missed. Donn Marshall , PhD associate dean of Students Director and Chief Psychologist, Counseling, Health & Wellness Services, University of Puget Sound, Washington

Kevin Hiness story is an important one. Of the more than 1,600 suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge since its construction in 1937, fewer than thirty-five individuals have survived. Kevin reports that while falling toward the water, he realized how desperately he wanted to live. Other suicide survivors tell similar tales, impressing upon us how impulsive and thus preventable and treatable suicide is. Kevins survival... is a blessing for us all. Mel Blaustein , MD, medical director of psychiatry, St. Francis Hospital, San Francisco

Cracked, Not Broken is an amazing and absorbing story about a man with a tremendous will to survive even when his own mind is telling him he must die. After years of speaking all over the world to encourage others and to prevent suicide, he has gifted us with a book describing the experience and thoughts affected by his mental illness in illuminating detail. His story inspires us to believe in the incredible ability of people to recover and grow stronger. Helynna Brooke , executive director, San Francisco Mental Health Board

One of my very first contacts in a psychiatric hospital was in 1965 with a woman who had been deeply depressed and who, like Kevin Hines, attempted suicide by jumping off of a bridge. Unfortunately, although she survived she was permanently disabled and unable to speak. I wish that I had been able to read Cracked, Not Broken at that time in order to gain a better understanding of what her experience might have been. This book may have served as a voice for her. Kevin Hiness work captures the ongoing nature of serious and persistent mental illness, but leavens it with humanity, hope, and understanding. Russell Lee , licensed psychologist and emeritus professor of psychology, Bemidji State University