TW: SUICIDE AND AWARENESS
The Golden Gate Bridge. It has definitely been something you’ve heard of, but maybe for the wrong reasons. Over 2,000 people have lost their lives from jumping off of this 746 foot bridge. It is a hotspot for just that due to the height of impact. To put it into perspective, the highest dive into water was done in 2015 and it was only 193 feet high entering the water at 75 mph. This bridge is 3 times higher than this so you can imagine the speed and force exerted. An impact this great is almost always immediate paralysis or death.
Due to the pandemic and the overall seasonal depression at a peak, isolation and getting lost in thought are a big contender in this. When looking through interviews on survivors of the jump (very few), they all have one thing in common: regret. They go on to talk about how they wanted to just forget the pain for one second, to end it all, or to not have this weight on them or their loved ones. What they found was it was the greatest mistake of their life. The reoccurring statement is “as soon as my fingers left the railing, instant regret”.
It’s so sad this happens and even more sad we cannot always stop it. The Golden Gate Bridge survivors go around and spread awareness on what they have found. Speaking out on suicide prevention and mental health to help others. A lot have found God and their self-worth. Unfortunately, only a select few survive so the ones who have chosen to take their life and want to have another chance are not able to.
This is why mental health is important. This is to raise awareness on suicide prevention. Nobody should feel like this, alone or worthless. You are never alone and you will always impact somebody else. These survivors were given a second chance to help others from doing the same thing. Taking your life might seem like the right thing to do but the reality is as soon as it’s done there is no going back and you are so much more than that. You could be the person who discovers the cure for cancer. You could be a parent. You could be anything you dreamed of.
The Golden Gate Bridge is just one place that this happens, but it happens every single day for people of all ages in every part of the world. Mental health is important for every single human. Mental health is hard to deal with. Mental health is not a stigma. It is important and every life is as well.
If you ever need to talk to someone here are some great resources just to talk, seek help, or to prevent something:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Emotional Health Relief Hotline
833-442-2211
19 languages available
Disaster Distress Helpline
800-985-5990
Covid-19 Stress Coping
Bit.ly/covid-coping