Change Your Brain Every Day I Jumped Off The Golden Gate Bridge & Lived with Kevin Hines
Mar 27, 2026
Kevin Hines, survivor of a 2000 Golden Gate Bridge jump and mental health advocate, shares his story and outlook. He discusses childhood trauma, bipolar diagnosis, hallucinations, and the rescue and surgeries that followed. He also explores recovery, brain imaging results, and practical brain health steps.
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Surviving The Golden Gate Jump
- Kevin Hines survived a 240-foot jump from the Golden Gate Bridge and experienced instantaneous regret once his hands left the rail.
- He hit water near 80 mph, a sea lion helped keep him afloat, and Coast Guard crews rescued him before a surgeon rebuilt his spine with titanium.
Breakdown On Stage Led To Bipolar Diagnosis
- Kevin describes a sudden mental breakdown at 17 during a play where he ran off stage, leading to a bipolar type 1 with psychotic features diagnosis.
- He experienced auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoid delusions, rapid mood swings, and hid his symptoms while denying the diagnosis.
Childhood Bullying And Early Attention Struggles
- Kevin recounts bullying and racial abuse in elementary school in San Francisco, including being put in garbage cans and physically assaulted.
- He also reports distraction in class and a later college disability diagnosis of ADD, though he didn't take stimulants.