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

By Kevin Hines

Book Overview

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable structures to define a modern city. Yet, for author Kevin Hines the bridge is not merely a marker of a place or a time. Instead, the bridge marks the beginning of his remarkable story. At 19 years old, Kevin attempted to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge - a distance which took four seconds to fall. Recently diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, Kevin had begun to hear voices telling him he had to die, and days before his attempt, he began to believe them.

The fall would break his body, but not his spirit. His story chronicles the extraordinary will of the author to live mentally well in the face of his mental illness: bipolar disorder with psychotic features. With each mental breakdown, however, the author's desire to live mentally well-- and to be a mental health advocate-- pulls him from the depths of his condition. Kevin's story is a remarkable testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder to us to love the life we have. His story also reminds us that living mentally well takes time, endurance, hard work, and support. With these disciplines in place, those living with even very difficult diagnoses can achieve better lives for themselves and those who help to support and care for them.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1442222409
• ISBN13: 9781442222403
• Release Date: June 2013
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Met Kevin and heard his story.

Wonderful, sad, amazing, intense, horrifying, uplifting. We are on this earth to help each other and Kevin is helping others to openly discuss suicide and how to prevent it.

Amazing read

This book is amazing. Powerful in a bunch of different way. Props to Kevin for getting the strength to continue to live with his illness and share how to help others.