Hinesights Podcast_Ep 50_Ask Kev_HOW DO WE REACH PEOPLE IN PAIN: 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 this is yet again another round of ask Kev. Ok, the question we've been asked today from the interwebs around the world, is how do we reach out to somebody in mental pain? And to answer that question, it's multifaceted. I think that we have to be willing to ask the question to someone struggling mentally, are you suicidal? And have you made plans to take your life? Those questions don't put the thought in someone's mind who's not already thinking it, that actually gives someone permission to speak on their pain. Also, you've got to consider, if someone's in that kind of pain and they're going through it, they might not be willing to hear everything you're saying in the mental capacity in which they're in. So one of the things you can do as a family member or friend group or peers is write them a letter. We talked briefly about carrying letters before on the, on the blogs. We even had a CBS Sunday Morning piece just come out about carrying letters from the great Jerry Motto who invented them years ago in the 1970s, letters of care and compassion, and empathy for people in mental pain often give them a spark to continue fighting on forward. So one of the ways to do that is to get three to five different individuals in your circle of friends or family that love that person who's struggling mentally, send them all a letter, and the letter can be comprised of just a few simple sentences something about lack of judgment, unconditional love, total compassion, absolute empathy, and the things and triggers and symptoms and signs that they're worried about, that you're worried about. Sending those letters to an individual in mental pain can really help them recognize their own struggles to be real, valid and important and important enough to take care of. Those are two ways that you can reach out today, right now, waiting no more, go in, get it done. And one of the other things you can do is just simply give the person your time, your physical time. Being there physically with someone who's going through it is often just enough and what is needed, so please give your time, write those caring letters and make sure to ask the question are you suicidal? Have you made a plan to take your life? This is crucial for anybody in mental pain, we want to help them stay here, we want to help them fight the pain, we want to help them beat them all, and every day after that, guys, whatever you're doing today, take stock and notice in something called gratitude. Take a moment today to recognize and be grateful for the things you've been given in life and even your failures, and even hold gratitude for the painful experiences you've had. It's hard to do, but entirely possible and really important. Recently, I found myself in a situation where I was consulting with a family that needed help for a young man who was going through a world of pain and nobody knew how to reach out to him. So I contacted this young man via email and then the via phone, we spoke on the phone, and I simply told him how resilient he's been thus far for the simple fact that he's still here with us. I let him know that that his struggles, although unique to him, have been experienced in similar ways by people all over the world. And I let him know that I would physically, I would be there for him to talk to and be as a sounding board when he's going through hell and we develop a friendship over time and now he contacts me whenever he's going through it and I'm there for him in a way that is helpful, kind, compassionate, caring and giving of my time. And it's something I can't do with everyone, but I try to do with as many people as humanly possible, I've done the people all over the world over the course of my efforts in suicide prevention, and I think that if we can all be stewards of change for people in mental pain, just by being there, just by being those sounding boards, by letting them know that you can get through tomorrow, you can get through today, you can help augment it, like I said before, in many other videos of destiny, we are all searching. Human beings are all searching for connection. And I think in this technological age, we've forgotten how important that person-to-person connection really is. So please, if you know someone in your life who struggling mentally, don't leave it up to somebody else to be there for them. Go ahead and be that person to give them a call and address the situation head on, and say I've got your back. You could be the person to change a whole life, which would be a blessing.
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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