. A vigil was held last week for West in Pleasanton. Log In Sign Up. It is important to note that there has been no activity on her phone, bank accounts, or social media accounts since Sept. 30. I am a suicide survivor from India. Anyone with information is asked to call 415-575-4444. Copyright 2013-2023 Stacey Freedenthal. and the evidence around them is not good. I inherited two guns from my Dad, and I will take possession of them this month. At the time, a made for TV movie, named Silence of the Heart came out. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Precious few people survive such a fall; the water about 200 feet below acts the same as concrete when a person lands on it at high speed. The night before she disappeared (Sept. 29) she and her father Jay West had a lengthy phone conversation according to her family. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. As well, though, I believe I may have accidentally given myself something like ECT. West was born in Walnut Creek and lived briefly in Castro Valley before her family moved to Pleasanton. Maybe some of the posts on this site could be helpful to him? While in Australia she started blogging about beginning to experience bouts of depression on top of her anxiety. I will just speak it: Their lies destroyed me and there is no one on earth greater than you and those you love and want to protect. Someone may have seen something -- any piece of information could help lead us to Sydney," parents Kimberly and Jay West said in a joint statement. I am sure your little self felt am I not lovable enough but it was never about you, your mum was in pain and obviously thought you would be better off without her, but it is not a reflection on you, hard to accept as children are programmed to feel the centre of the world. For more information, click here. I live with a higher purpose now, but prior to my children I went through hell and constantly entertained the thought of killing myself. There are so many types of antidepressants these days (around 40), plus mood stabilizers, plus antipsychotic medications that can also be used to treat depression. As a teenager, I related so closely and had so many mixed emotions in comparing the results of my vs the characters attempts. Im about to be 22, medicated trying to live normal with constant suicidal thoughts. There is only a 4ft safety rail separating the sidewalk from the void, and 98% of suicide attempts there have succeeded. Im wondering if youve seen the post If Only: Self-Blame After a Loved Ones Suicide. He recovered physically, but mentally he is now depressed and on anti-depressants,has anxiety attacks, is too emotional for working, and keeps saying he wishes he had succeeded with his attempt as he feels a burden to everyone. Although severe depression led him to jump off the bridge, Kevin Hines has stated: "The very second I let go, I knew I had made a big mistake." I know how hard it is. Sometimes, life just sucks and the pain of living is unbearable. Same with divorce. Another possibility is that the instinct to live kicks in once someone comes close to dying. On the morning of September 30, 2020, Sydney took a ride share service to the Golden Gate Bridge, where she often went to jog, practice yoga, and exercise in nearby Crissy Field. Its death toll has since been surpassed only by the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge in China.. Saving Lives at the Golden Gate Bridge. Parents hope key to teen's disappearance is with passerby on Golden Gate Bridge, How one storm system wreaked havoc from coast to coast, Californians await key decisions from reparations task force, Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan, Woman accused of killing ill husband released from jail, Alaska's arduous Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start, was initially thought to have last been seen or heard from early the morning of September 30 in the Crissy Field area. But overall, the evidence is that prevention is not simply a temporary delay of death. Privacy Policy. Where Are They Now? She failed at killing herself and learned a different process of questions to see her feelings. I saw him hit the water like a bullet, said his wife. West took a rideshare service to the Golden Gate Bridge; the driver cooperated with San Francisco police and is not believed to be a suspect. Andrew was formerly a Creative Executive at Westbrook Studios. It amazes me that the vast majority of suicides are by men, and virtually all of the articles about it are by women. "Syd," as she liked to be called, was initially thought to have last been seen or heard from early the morning of September 30 in the Crissy Field area. Hundreds more are stopped from harming themselves through the efforts of the Golden Gate Bridge District . What happens to them afterward? He has no one else but me. I fantasize a lot about suicide. He now works daily, and diligently, to manage continued symptoms that can include depression and hearing voices. Photos purchased from Fotolia.com. Overall, a meta-analysis of numerous studies that looked at bridges suicide barriers found them to be effective. West is 5'10" and slender at 130 pounds, with blue eyes and light brown hair. A jump off the Golden Gate Bridge takes around four seconds, during which a person will reach a speed of 80 mph before smashing into the water's surface like concrete. Sadly, your post is being used by some commenters to justify the Golden Gate Bridge net boondoggle. For his big ticket to stardom, Rhodes was inspired by a circus performer named Frank Cushing who was plucked out of the bay the previous year after claiming that he had just leaped from the bridge, though no one was there to see it. Sydneyhas not used her phone, social media or bank accounts since she disappeared. It turns out that I had, and still have, many misconceptions about myself and the people in encounter. She was last seen in long, dark leggings, a teal hooded sweatshirt and slip-on Vans in a dark green and black print. Sydney Kaitlyn West, 19, was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge around 6:45 a.m. on September 30, 2020. West, 20, grew up in Pleasanton, Calif. She was a star volleyball player at Foothill High School and loved singing at open mic nights. Lorraine Rhodes was destitute, and asked Show Folks of America to help pay for the funeral, which they did. And for most of those whose lives were saved, life goes on for many more years to come. Millions of eyes are going to locate her better than 20 sets, Jay West said. and our Obviously, the will to live does not reassert itself in everyone who has tried to die. I use to hate her for wanting to leave me, got diagnosed w depression at 15 have done so many therapy sessions. The main principle to this is very simple Taking energy and harnessing it for the good and nothing can go wrong.. The family of Sydney West is offering a $25,000 reward for her return. . Especially when its an opinion so your both right. The Golden Gate Bridge, which first opened in May 1937, was the most popular suicide site in the world during the documentary's filming, with approximately 1,200 deaths by 2003. That changes things. According to her family, a private investigator has followed up on dozens of. But in reality, he cant know what the future holds. She vanished without a trace from San Francisco, California, near the Golden Gate Bridge, a popular tourist spot for many. I have battled the thoughts of suicide for many years but after I had children those thoughts died. We talked a lot about loving each other. ChiMaxx, thank you for writing and for raising important points in your comment. It gives me a good opportunity to dispel concerns that others may have, too. Thank you for providing this site. Dayna. I understand completely. Its great to hear that things are going well for you now. The articles abstract states: Following the interventions, there was an 86% reduction in jumping suicides per year at the sites in question (95% CI 79% to 91%). The story of Kevin Hines demonstrates the clarity that can finally appear when someones life is on the line. But, as you said, the problem is also bigger than a question of means. "On Aug. 20, 1985, I jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, and I survived." Ken Baldwin was 28 years old and had just started a family. After my attempt at suicide, I tried to find information about my feelings and what others were feeling. Also, I've authored the books Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals and Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do. Im recommending this because of your sense that you could have stopped the suicide from happening if you hadnt been so stupid, as you so painfully put it. What Dr. Seiden found is a remarkable testament to the fact that a suicidal crisis is often very often temporary. I wear various hats: I created and maintain this website, Speaking of Suicide, I'm an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and I have a psychotherapy and consulting practice. It was the last thing Dusty did, and it was a failure, she said. Your email address will not be published. I used to believe my problems are so intractable that the only way out of my pain was suicide. If you really love someone, please open up to them, share your feelings and talk to someone, suicide will never be the solution to any problem but creating pain to your loved one. The suicide barrier on the Sydney Harbour Bridge simply rerouted jumpers to a cliff popularly known as The Gap. So they dont die, but continue miserable lives wishing for it to be over. I am so glad my attempt did not end in my death. (felt good to be honest for once). She tried to take her life when I was 12. I was able to make it out of the hopelessness and despair that led to my attempt. I wanted to talk with others in the same situation but I could understand how that may not be in the best interest of either party. The persons reasons for dying may begin to fade. Her mother Kimberly West has said to a journalist The bridge was quite busy (that day). If all else fails do something drastic. This Walking Pad treadmill made getting 10,000 steps a How to get tickets for Depeche Mode's new tour dates. At approximately 6:45 am, Sydney was captured by cameras entering the Golden Gate Bridge. I attempted when I was a teenager. There are many people with children whose pain or distorted thinking overrides all else, in spite of their best wishes. Parenthood does not protect everyone, though. I find myself returning to that time in my life and wondering if this is the way Im supposed to go, or if the survival instinct will continue to win. All 29 people who survived their suicide attempts off San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge have said they regretted their decision as soon as they jumped. Camera footage has been reviewed and interviews have been conducted among West's friends and acquaintances, but there are no leads. I am so very grateful now to be alive and I hope to find ways to assist others going through the deep abyss that can sometimes take over your entire being take another breath, and another. 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. A missing person case has also been launched in Orange County, North Carolina, where West's family lives. None of us can. So when crazy people did crazy things in public places, excited crowds would gather. Life.church has some really good online sermons I highly suggest that. At the age of 19, Kevin Hines attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, an all-too-common act that nearly always results in death. West's parents are asking anyone who may have been commuting or exercising on the bridge to come forward with anything they may have seen. This case has always stuck with me because I am in my 20s and suffer from anxiety and depression. Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, is the author of the books Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals and Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do. The 265-foot plunge off the most famous bridge in the world was right in his wheelhouse, until it wasnt. It is true that suicide sometimes defies even the best efforts to thwart it. Your pain matters. Maybe in order to evade authorities who had refused permission to allow the jump legally 18 months earlier, he removed the weighted boots that were intended to keep him upright during the plunge. When I will be talking to him, also sure helps me to see I am suicide attempt survivor. I am now 49, and I fantasize about suicide knowing I will never actually do it but wishing it was an option. I cant get beyond the pain. 15, 12, by Americaoncoffee.