The Suicide Bridge Project

Jake Ricker’s Suicide Prevention Efforts Make Headlines

Tracy Skochil — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 05:20:12 +0000

“Sometimes the story you go out to tell, isn’t the one you find,” says reporter Garvin Thomas in his recent feature about our founder, Jake Ricker. Garvin had been following up on the viral feel-good TikTok video where a Golden Gate Bridge patrol officer rescued a wayward cell phone from dangerous territory – over the safety railing.

Jake was the one who called in the phone and could be seen in dozens of videos circulating social media, racking up millions of views. Garvin searched out Jake for a quote for his story. And then, like most anyone who learns of Jake’s work, Garvin was inspired.

Garvin’s feature highlighted two of Jake’s passions: photography, and suicide prevention. Read Encounters on Golden Gate Bridge Give Photographer’s Project Added Meaning, and catch the interview below.

The Backstory: A Photojournalism Project with a Twist

Five years ago, Jake started a new project photographing the energy and spirit of life on the Golden Gate Bridge. Joy, romance, chaos, accidents – he’s seen it all in his 1,800+ days walking the bridge. He has also documented the structural changes as the bridge’s Suicide Deterrent Net has gone up. There are over a thousand rolls of film, he guesstimates. When the net is completed, phase two is to produce an artbook from his work. Often imitated, no other photographer has walked the bridge, day-in, day-out, like Jake. There’s an unmistakable style to his work, one felt through every photo.

That story alone is compelling. But “Sometimes the story you go out to tell, isn’t the one you find.” And Jake found a different story, one that changed the trajectory of his life.

Jake Ricker’s Bridge Suicide Prevention Efforts

Near the start of his photojournalism project, Jake saw someone step out of the bridge crowd and climb over the safety railing, intent on jumping into the Bay to end their life. Jake walked over and talked to them for several minutes, hoping to keep them from jumping until bridge patrol could intervene. “I did what I’d hope someone else would do for me if they saw me struggling: reach out,” Jake says.

Since then, Jake has used his keen observation skills to identify people on the bridge who may be planning to end their lives. He has a great relationship with bridge patrol and calls them whenever he’s spotted something. Over the years he’s been involved in nearly 100 bridge interventions. Some ended with people coming back to the safe side of the bridge. Others ended how no one wanted them to. Being there to spot someone in crisis drives Jake, and day after day he’s on the bridge taking his photos and keeping watch.

A Moving Mission

People are drawn to Jake’s story. When he speaks about the people he’s helped to save, the interventions that didn’t end well, the families of those who have come to the bridge after a loss trying to find closure, it’s impossible not to be moved. His passion for helping people and his focus on reaching out in an authentic way has drawn support across the country, culminating in the creation of his non-profit The Suicide Bridge Project.

The Suicide Bridge Project’s Focus

Jake’s unique experiences and unconventional methods bring an important point of view and much-needed skillset to the ecosystem of people and groups who work diligently to save lives. The Suicide Bridge Project is a small group of Jake-supporters focused on taking the knowledge Jake has earned in his time on the bridge and expanding it to help even more people. The goal is a future where fewer families receive a devastating phone call letting them know someone they love has ended their life — by jumping from a bridge, or other means. The non-profit’s programs work to go further upstream to identify people considering suicide, aim to find new ways to intervene, and advocate for technology solutions, mental health services, and holistic strategies that can drive change.

Jake Lives the #BeThere Theme

It seems more than a twist of fate that Garvin’s segment aired just days before National Suicide Prevention Month kicked off on September 1st. Every September, mental health advocates, prevention organizers, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. The Suicide Bridge Project is proud to be right there with them, sharing stories and resources across our social channels..

#BeThere is one of the messages of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. And “Be There” is something Jake embodies. Jake tends to be quiet about his work in the suicide prevention space. But his impact speaks volumes.

To everyone in the Suicide Prevention space, we are honored to work alongside you. To Garvin Thomas, thank you for shining a light on the topic of suicide prevention and someone passionate about intervention. If you are interested in donating to support The Suicide Bridge Project, please visit our website.

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Please Stay.

The Suicide Bridge Project — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 03:12:56 +0000

That you’ve landed on this page can mean a few things. Maybe you’re feeling alone and you started to search online for terms that are often related to suicide, but you’re not really planning to do anything. Maybe you’re planning to end your life today. Maybe none of these things are true.

Whatever the reason, we’re glad this page has found its way to you. Feeling alone is a horrible thing. It can feel overwhelming, and sticky. Like tar you can’t pull yourself out even if you tried. We’re here to remind you that even in dark moments, you aren’t alone. That there are people who care about you deeply. People who may not know how much your heart is hurting. People who would offer you both of their hands and all of their strength to pull you out of where you’re at.

We’re hopeful that if you take a few moments to read this post – words written by real humans who have been touched by the loss that suicide brings – they may lead you to reach out to someone for support. To reach out to anyone who can help you take a deep breath for just one second.

Things we want you to know:

Depression Is Powerful

No one knows what you’re going through right now but you. You may have told someone about it, or even spoken to a doctor. But no one really knows the darkness you are living with except for you. Please know that your pain is real and valid. It’s not ‘just in your head,’ and it’s very, very real. If anyone has minimized your pain or made you feel worthless, please take these words as a sign that your pain is real.

Silence Holds You Hostage

From our experience, suffering in silence makes it worse. Maybe you’re not speaking out about your pain for fear of what people close to you will think, or fear they won’t believe you. Please reconsider. Please talk to someone you trust. Let them help you. We’ve heard from too many families over the years who carry regret because ‘they didn’t know so-and-so was struggling.’ Talking about things is powerful.

Baby Steps Lead to Big Things

When you have those moments where you can see the world as something you could stay in, try to baby step into it. Into thing you enjoy, or spending half an hour meeting with a friend you trust. For how hokey it sounds, taking a walk in the sunshine – and leaving your phone behind – can be a few moments of solace in a day filled with so much noise. Maybe that walk leads you to more. Like going to the gym, or joining a book group. Something that brings you peace and comfort.

Be Kind to Yourself

We’re often kinder with others than we are with ourselves. As if others deserve more empathy and support than we do. You deserve kindness. You deserve compassion and understanding. Sometimes that looks like a healthy meal or binge-watching a new series. Other times it looks like a yoga class or sleeping in. Be kind to you. Don’t pour all your kindness into others and leave yourself empty.

Find Support

Therapy and professional support can be essential to your healing process. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. From mental health experts to helplines and mindfulness apps, there are a lot of options today.

Please Stay

Thanks for reading to the end. Thank you for taking a few moments to sit with us and breathe. We hope you’ll reach out to someone to talk. That you’ll be kind to yourself. That you’ll trust us when we say you make the world better for someone just by being here and being you.

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What Role do Rideshare Providers Have in Suicide Prevention?

Adam Alonso — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:11:20 +0000

Imagine finding out that someone you loved used a Rideshare service to get to a bridge where they then committed suicide. It’s not an easy thing to think about. Suicide never is. But when it comes to identifying ways to reduce suicide by bridge, our founder Jake has a view to the problem unlike many others do. He told our team the story of how a 15-year-old took a 2.5 hour, one-way rideshare, the end destination was the Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s a scenario that raises many questions. How was a minor able to use a rideshare service? Why were they allowed to be let out alone at a well-known suicide spot? Why didn’t the 2.5-hour one-way trip raise flags for the driver who accepted the ride?

Ridesharing Services: An Overview

A ridesharing company is a company that uses websites and mobile apps to match passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire that, unlike taxicabs, cannot legally be hailed from the street. In the United States alone Uber facilitates 15 million rides every day. Ridesharing services are easily accessible by anyone with access to a smartphone or computer. To use a ridesharing service, a user downloads the company’s app, sets up a profile, adds payment terms, and can begin requesting rides. Drivers receive ‘ride request’ alerts to accept or decline. The person who requested the ride is alerted of who will pick them up and when, and the trip commences.

Rideshare services are a way of life for many, offering flexible, affordable, convenient transportation for those who don’t have a car.

Safety Concern: Transporting Minors to Dangerous Locations

A pressing safety concern facing ridesharing services today revolves around minors being taken to potentially dangerous locations, such as the scenario I earlier described. Ridesharing companies have implemented policies to prevent minors from using their services, yet unaccompanied minors have still been able to use ridesharing services to get to potentially dangerous locations.

TSBP Advocates for Stronger Safety Measures

People considering suicide often spend weeks or months researching how they will carry out their plan. Transportation to a known suicide bridge would factor into such planning. The Suicide Bridge Project advocates for stronger safety and support measures to prevent minors from being able to use ridesharing services as transportation to known suicide locations and other dangerous sites. We feel further discussion is needed on this topic to:

Protect the safety of minors. Protection is paramount. Rideshare providers do currently have guidelines. These guidelines specify that to have an Uber account and to be able to request rides a person must be over the age of 18. But even with this policy in place, minors are using ridesharing services without parental consent. This act alone makes minors vulnerable.
Prevent suicides. Minors – and adults – experiencing a mental health crisis may be at risk of harming themselves. They may turn to ridesharing services to transport them to dangerous locations. The journey to the suicide site must be considered as a point of intervention.
Ensure accountability. Rideshare companies are commonplace today. And they make a lot of money. Allocating funding to the ongoing monitoring and training of rideshare drivers knowledge in this area is critical.

Rideshare Suicide Prevention Solutions

Suicide prevention is a team sport. Sometimes it can just take one person reaching out to a suicidal person to intervene in a positive way. Sometimes, that person may be a rideshare driver. Expecting rideshare drivers to be able to identify someone who is suicidal might be asking a lot – depression and mental crisis looks different on different people. But in the above example, and in the case of a 12-year-old who used a rideshare app in her planning, ongoing training and examples of scenarios rideshare drivers should flag may have helped prevent disaster.

Some solutions on the table:

Implement stronger regulations around minors and transport to dangerous sites
Better enforce existing regulations around transportation of minors
Require continual driver training programs related to identifying suicide situations
Strengthen age verification processes across the ridesharing experience. Enable drivers to request age identification when they feel it necessary.
Provide signage or in-app language related to suicide prevention

Keep the Conversation Going

At The Suicide Bridge Project, we strive for a future where fewer families receive a devastating phone call letting them know someone they love has ended their life—by jumping from a bridge, or other means. Our work identifying, intervening, and advocating, creates bridges between people, both in-person and digitally.

If you have thoughts and information you’d like to share on the topic of ‘rideshare services and suicide prevention’ please contact us. If you are interested in learning more about training and support TSBP can provide to teams, please reach out to us here.

About Adam Alonso

Adam Alonso is a Suicide Bridge Project board member. He oversees all operations, ensuring The Suicide Bridge Project leverages best practices in our process, language, and UX. Adam often writes on suicide prevention topics that have a technological angle.

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Holistic Support for Recovering your Mental Health

Jayne Reynolds — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 04:27:35 +0000

“Do you have any guns in the house?”

I remember the naturopath addressing my husband, who stood directly behind me.
“No,” he replied, relieved that I was out of harm’s way.
Meanwhile, I sat there and wondered why no one was asking about the knives.

My Battle With Depression

I’d spent the last few months putting away every slightly sharp object, from the butter knives to the kid’s craft scissors to the steak knives. Out of sight, out of mind. Not that I’d told anyone I’d been doing this – I didn’t want to say it out loud because it validated my feelings. Truthfully, I didn’t want to hurt myself but didn’t feel safe when they were lying around.

I wondered how I had arrived at this place. A weary, caregiving hubby beside me, desperately searching for answers. My mum, traveling over 6,000 miles to help. And yet another doctor trying to prescribe solutions.

I’d been looking for answers for seven years but they were few and far between.

I Did Everything They Said, But Was Still Adrift

I saw the psychiatrist. I talked to the counselor. I prayed. Obviously, I took the meds. But, no matter how hard I tried or willed myself not to succumb to the fear, my heart would race, and nausea, diarrhea, and tears would crash over me like a tsunami. My overwhelming emotions swept away everything in their path, leaving me hopelessly adrift in a sea of sadness.

Why couldn’t I cope with any stimulation?
Why were my days consumed with panic?
Why was I battling depression?
Why was I sleeping all day?
Why couldn’t I take care of my kids and my home?
Why couldn’t I hold down a job?
Why did I want to lie down, close my eyes, and never wake up?

Maybe you can relate…

… To the feelings of sadness and overwhelm.
… To the pervasive sense of hopelessness.
… To feeling unmotivated, angry, tearful, or anxious.
… To trying things that don’t bring relief.

Learning Mental Health Isn’t All In Your Head

One day in a new doctor’s office, I heard three powerful words: I can help.

She reassured me that she had options we hadn’t tried. That she looked at things that conventional physicians didn’t always consider. And, she promised, that within six months, I’d be feeling more like myself than I had in years. She offered me hope. But most importantly, she told me the truth.

What I learned that day, and in the months to come, was that even though I thought my brain was broken, I was wrong. I learned that mental health was not all in my head.

What’s more, there’s an 80% likelihood that it’s not all in your head, either.

Less Obvious Factors That Can Affect Mental Health

Several things contribute to poor mental health. Traumatic events such as physical injury or emotional trauma can affect the way our minds work. But there are also less obvious, less considered reasons, like:

poor gut health
imbalanced blood sugars
food allergies
inadequate nutrition
hormone imbalances
mold and toxic exposure
addiction, and
thyroid disease

I Made Changes and My Mental Health Improved

For me, my mental health had been affected by a combination of terrible gut health following intense rounds of antibiotics in my early 20’s, food allergies, poor blood sugar regulation, and amino acid deficiencies. Later, it was threatened again by toxic mold exposure, low hormones, and thyroid dysfunction.

The best part about these discoveries was that some changes made a radical difference in less than a week. For example, when I stopped eating gluten I watched my anxiety attacks completely vanish in three days.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I found hope and healing and I believe you can too.

Nineteen years have passed since I sat in that doctor’s office. Today, I’m happy to report that I’ve been off my antidepressants and my benzos for over ten years. To be clear, I’m not anti-medication, sometimes they are needed. But I believe we need to look at the whole picture to figure out if there are underlying triggers that have been missed.

Intervening: Food, Holistic Approaches, and More

Knowing what I know, I wasn’t content with just finding emotional stability for myself—I wanted to help others find their own path to hope. I firmly believe in The Suicide Bridge Project’s mission to create a world where fewer lives are lost to suicide. One of their focus areas is finding ways to intervene across the suicide ideation spectrum. I believe a key area of intervention that isn’t talked about enough is the connection between food, the body, and our moods.

In 2022 I created the “Change Your Food, Change Your Mood” program and will be sharing some of those resources here on the blog in future. The program is a place where people struggling with their mental health can find alternative options than those presented by traditional medicine. Some of the ways we work through this with patients are holistic nutrition and lifestyle shifts. Other times we delve into testing and assessments, amino acid therapy, and supplements.

I’m confident these principles can help you, because they’re the same ones that helped me.

About Jayne Reynolds, BCHN ®

Jayne Reynolds founded Abundant Hope Nutrition in 2016. A Board Certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner, she is currently completing her Nutrition Recovery Coach and Amen Clinic Brain Health certifications. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and is interested in learning more Jayne’s holistic approach, click here to schedule a free 20-minute chat with her.

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The Most Common Suicide Warning Signs

Ainsworth Ellis — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:41:09 +0000

According to the CDC, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death. While there is no single precursor to this deadly crisis, there are certain factors that can signal a person to know if their friend or loved one could be at risk. With an increase in suicides in the US since 2000, everyone should be aware of the suicide warning signs.

Suicide can result from a number of life challenges including emotional and mental health, untreated mental illness, financial troubles, relationship issues, loss of a loved one, chronic illness or pain, prolonged stress, traumatic brain injury and more.

Suicide Risk Factors

There can also be environmental factors that increase someone’s risk of suicide, including gaining access to lethal means such as drugs or a deadly weapon, bullying, harrassment or some type of abuse.

If someone has been exposed to another’s suicide, such as a family member or friend, that person may be at higher risk of considering suicide.

Suicide Warning signs

As a person begins to consider suicide and engage in active thoughts around committing suicide, you may observe certain warning signals. There may be changes in their behavior, especially connected to the loss of a relationship or a change in their lifestyle.

This may show up in their conversation. They may talk about committing suicide or experiencing feels of hopelessness or powerlessness. They may also admit feelings of pain or being trapped.

They may struggle with depression, disinterest, anxiety, anger, irritability, shame or other negative emotions. You may also notice those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, exhibiting some of these behaviors:

Drug or alcohol abuse
Increased interest in suicidal methods
Withdrawal or disinterest in life
Increased isolation, excessive fatigue, sleeping or insomnia
Giving away their belongings
Saying goodbye to people
Increased anger or aggressive behavior

Protecting Yourself and Loved Ones

However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and loved ones from suicide. Protective factors can be:

To limit or remove access to lethal means (firearms, drugs, etc.)
To offer mental health care proactively
Teach them how to deal with negative emotions in a safe way
Teach them to reach out and ask for help
Encourage cultural and religious beliefs that connect them to a stronger sense of identity, purpose and fulfillment in life

The Bridge Project is actively engaged in providing on-site, tactical suicide intervention on the Golden Gate Bridge with plans to expand to other bridges across the nation. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, there are resources and support available for you. Click here to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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Best Suicide Intervention Strategies

Ainsworth Ellis — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:34:38 +0000

Suicide intervention strategies span from childhood education approaches to program development tactics, but if you want one on one tools to step in when someone you know or care about, is considering suicide, you’ve come to the right place.

Thoughts of suicide often spring from a network of life events and challenges involving finance, relationships, emotional health and wellness. Many times the most effective strategies needed to intervene in a crisis, involve several approaches and various types of support.

If you are considering suicide or if you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, you are not alone. You can explore ways to get help and it starts with getting connected to someone who can listen and provide the support you need.

Get Help When Struggling with Thoughts of Suicide

If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself by first finding someone you can trust. Reach out to a friend or a loved one you can trust and tell them that you need to have an important talk. Plan time to sit down and be honest with them about how you’re feeling.

If you don’t have anyone you can talk to, reach out to a Suicide Prevention hotline or chat line or you can attend a support group. You can find someone to listen to you, understand how you’re feeling, offer help or point you to the right resources. The important thing is that you talk to someone, whether it’s someone you know or not.

Getting Help For A Friend or Family Member

If you know someone dealing with thoughts of suicide, there are ways you can help. You can start by offering them support. This could be in the form of conversation or helping them create a safety net of connections and resources to guide them whenever they may be experiencing a crisis.

For more information about suicide prevention, intervention and crisis support, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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3 Ways to Create Life-Saving Connection

Ainsworth Ellis — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 07:21:06 +0000

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” – Brene Brown

One of the most effective suicide intervention methods that we’ve found is connection. A lack of meaningful connection can often be the source of negative emotions such as depression, overwhelm and anxiety. If you know some one who is struggling with thoughts of suicide, here are a few ways you can create a source of connection or a “safety net” for them.

1. Offer help

Never underestimate the power of simply offering to help. Ask the person if there is anything you can do to help and be sure to follow up on that request. It could be lending a listening ear or physical presence to this person. Don’t offer to do anything that you can’t follow through on, or you could make the situation worse.

2. Ask who can help

If your ability to help is limited, or the person in need could use the additional support, be sure to enlist others to support the person who’s considering suicide. Perhaps there are circumstances in play that are beyond your control. This may be an opportunity for you to serve as a mediator to bring peace in a difficult situation. If this is beyond your skill or ability, you can also seek professional help.

3. Create a list of individuals to contact when a crisis occurs.

Key relationships are necessary to help pull someone out of a rut. Help create a dream team of people who can step in and support the individual considering suicide should a crisis come up in the future. This team might include a therapist, a coach, family members, close friends, suicide survivors or others. Talk to the person who’s considering suicide about the people who could help.

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Ending Suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge

Ainsworth Ellis — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 06:43:33 +0000

Many individuals have experienced an increase of depression, high anxiety and suicidal thoughts. These persons considering suciide may turn to the Golden Gate Bridge to act on their intentions to end their lives by jumping.

History of Suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is historically known as one of the most frequented suicide destinations. Jumpers have a low survival rate and often died of impact trauma or drowning. An official count was kept until 1995 to be at about 1,000 until the Marin County coroner asked the media to stop keeping count.

Over 1,400 bodies have been recovered on the Bay side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the years, various attempts have been made to deter individuals from attempting suicide, such as Bridge Patrol, phones linking to suicide hotlines and even the erection of a suicide deterrent net.

Hope for Suicide Bridge Survivors

However, we’ve found that the most effective means of deterring suicide attempts is an individual, one-to-one connection. Personal connection with a supportive, caring individual can be just the connection that someone may need to find the hope to live.

A personal connection can not only put time and distance between the person considering suicide and their preferred means of suicide, but it also can provide lasting, meaningful intervention that shifts the person’s persepctive just enough to end the attempts long ago.

In fact there was a study in 1978 at the Golden Gate Bridge that showed that 90 percent of those who attempted jumping, went on to survive and didn’t end up committing suicide.

The Bridge Project believes in a 1-to-1 “plain-clothes” approach to suicide intervention.

Solutions to Prevent Suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge

Many solutions have been put in place as an attempt to prevent suicide at the Golden Gate Brige.

A Suicide Deterrent Net construction began in 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in 2023 according to the Golden Gate Bridge HIghway Transpritation District. However, intervention specialists are concerned that the deterrent net may drive potential jumpers to other means of suicide that are private, instead of a the public setting of the Golden Gate Bridge where they could possible receive the intervention support they need.

The Golden Gate Bridge Patrol officers are often willing to support and chat with anyone who is considering suicide or just needs support. There are also prevention hotlines and text lines such as the 24-hour San Francisco Suicide Prevention hotline to help.

The Bridge Project takes a unique approach to suicide intervention. People who are considering suicide often avoid bridge patrol, or may not ever reach out to a suicide intervention hotline, but our intervention specialists are dressed plainly and often blend in with tourists and other bridge visitors. This means that the Bridge Project is able to get closer in proximity to those who are preparing to end their lives on the Golden Gate Bridge in order to intervene during those critical moments.

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