Ep 47_Ask Kev_I'M STRUGGLING, WHAT DO I DO: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Kevin Hines:
My name is Kevin Hines. I jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. I believe that I had to die, but I lived. Today, I travel the world with my lovely wife, Margaret, sharing stories of people who have triumphed over incredible adversity. Now, we help people be here tomorrow. Welcome to the HINESIGHTS podcast.
Kevin Hines:
What is cracking, Hope Nation? It is your friendly neighborhood, Kevin Hines, and here we are at yet another round of ask Kev. Going to the interwebs, I'm cultivating and grabbing those, those questions you've asked me, I'm putting them into a pot, I'm stewing them in a bowl and I'm answering them straight away to you right here, right now. Also, guys, make sure to be here tomorrow and every day after that, no matter the pain you're in, you've got this on lockdown, I know it. Ok, the next question we've been asked is how do I tell somebody I'm struggling? Well, first I want to address something. I want to address all the letters, emails, social media messages that have come into me over my lifetime and my work in suicide prevention, where people are telling me their story for the first time they're telling their story ever, where they're telling someone they're struggling for the first time and they're letting it be me, what a gift, what a privilege it is to take those messages in from all those platforms, whether it's an email, whether it's a Facebook post or an Instagram note, I really appreciate your vulnerability in being able to reach out to me when you don't know me. It's really powerful to get these messages where you've been inspired to tell your truth, it means the world to me. Now, I can't always reach back out, I can't always get to every single person. I try to get to as many as possible and make sure to refer other people to crisis counseling services. I'm not a crisis counselor, I'm not a crisis technician, but what I am is a person who cares about you. So to all of the people that have written to me over the 20 years I've been doing suicide prevention, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being bold enough, willing enough, strong enough, steadfast enough to do that. Here's my suggestion to you. Take those letters and send them to someone in your personal life who's a peer-to-peer, who's a person that's next to you, near you, around you, a person you deal with every day on a regular basis, someone who cares about you and loves you or can empathize with your pain. And if you feel like you don't have that person, keep writing to people like me because it does matter, we do read them, we do care. How do you tell someone you're struggling? You have to be at a point in your life where you're bold enough to just tell the truth. You have to look them in the eyes with kind eyes of your own and say, I'm going through something really major right now, this is what I'm going through, this is what I'm dealing with, I just need someone to hear my words, be there for me and back me up. It sounds simple because it is rudimentary, instead of holding it in, instead of silencing your pain. When we silence our pain, it only bubbles, infests us, and grows and it bursts and things like rage, aggression, violence, substance use disorder, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, ideas or actions. When we unburden ourselves, a pain shared becomes a pain halve, so remember, always unburden your pain, always tell your truth, be strong enough to look someone you know in the eye and tell them what you're really going through. They might not be the first person who understands, but if you keep working through the people you know, you're going to find that someone who's willing to listen to you and empathize with your struggles are. So if you're open and honest about your struggles, it's just that simple. Open your mouth, look people in the eye, be bold, be true to yourself, and tell your truth so you can survive that pain. Guys, this is another round of Ask Kevs, it was a really quick one. I just want to let you know that your words matter, you matter, you have value, you are important, and if nobody else says today we love you and we want you to stay.
Kevin Hines:
Margaret and I love sharing stories of people who have triumphed over incredible adversity. For more content and inspiration, go to KevinHinesStory.com, or visit us on all social media at KevinHinesStory or on youtube.com/KevinHines.
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