Guardian of the Golden Gate , livre ebook

Ascend Books - Kevin Briggs

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185 pages

English

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For more than two decades, Kevin Briggs lived the kind of life where the smallest details could quite literally be the difference between survival and death. He met hundreds of people in their darkest hours, chased to the edge of one of the world's most popular suicide destinations by demons their closest friends often didn't know about. Talk softly, and slowly. As their names, and if they have children. Talk about hope, but make no false promises. Kevin has helped more than 200 people find a reason to keep living. He's lost only two. These are his stories.

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Publié par	Ascend Books
Date de parution	10 juillet 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780990437581
Langue	English

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GUARDIAN
of the
GOLDEN
GATE
Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair
Praise for Guardian of the Golden Gate
“As a 30-year career suicidologist, I can say without hesitation that Kevin Briggs is one of my suicide prevention heroes. As a highway patrolman on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Kevin has literally talked hundreds of suicidal people back over the railing to live another day. This life-saving work was done with no formal clinical training as Kevin relied solely on his good judgment, plain-talk, a sense of humor, and his remarkable humanity. This book shares uncommon personal and professional wisdom from a public servant who ‘worked the Bridge’ offering us fresh perspectives about death and despair, challenges and opportunities, work and love, and what it means to care for others and truly be alive.”
David A. Jobes , Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, The Catholic University of America Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology
“Kevin Briggs talks the talk and walks the walk. His real life personal and professional experiences helping people in distress give great insight into mental health, stress, and how to deal with life’s mental and emotional challenges. It’s practical and a must-read for anyone wanting to have a better quality of life.”
Ron Barr National Network Talk Show Host
“Sgt. Kevin Briggs is a man who cares for others passionately and who has the unparalleled experience to support his views on how to help those in crisis. His stories get the reader as close to the real thing as possible. As one who also has been in the position of talking to people who wanted to jump off of a bridge, I can honestly say Sgt. Briggs’ account is truthful, respectful, forthright, and helpful to anyone who has tried to help someone contemplating suicide.”
Dr. Andrew T. Young LPC-S, NCC Professor in Behavioral Sciences, Lubbock Christian University SWAT Negotiator, Lubbock Police Department
“In 1995, the very week I graduated with a 60-hour CACREP accredited Master’s degree in Community Agency Counseling, I received a call from a 50-year-old man who attended my church. He reported he was calling to tell someone, anyone, goodbye as he was going to end his life with a shotgun. At that moment, I realized how unprepared I was to help. I would have gladly traded my diploma for the experiences and tools Kevin shares from his work as the Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. In this book, Sgt. Briggs talks about how he saved many lives standing on the other side of the rail, with a thin apron of bridge between them and suicide. No one should die alone and in despair, and Kevin and his team developed a strong model for compassionately relating, a framework that would benefit every reader invested in helping those in severe anguish hold on.”
David Covington , LPC, MBA President & CEO, Recovery Innovations, Inc.
“ Guardian of the Golden Gate is a stunning portrait of courage, empathy, and the power of human compassion to save hundreds of lives. Sgt. Briggs writes with grace and humility about his experiences with suicide prevention during nearly two decades of working the Golden Gate Bridge. He also writes openly of his own battles with cancer and depression and how his struggles have deepened his ability to serve others during times of crisis. This is an intimate and haunting portrait of one of America’s most iconic places. It reveals the truth that mental illness and suicide impact people of every demographic and that these deaths are preventable. Guardian of the Golden Gate has the power to continue Briggs’ work of saving lives for many decades to come by making all of us better listeners [and] better gatekeepers for ourselves and others.”
Meg Hutchinson Singer/Songwriter “Gatekeeper”
“Kevin’s experience shines a bright light on a topic we have long sought to bring out of the dark. This book highlights the practical tools and skills that helped give hundreds of people a ‘tomorrow,’ sharing the immense power of connections and most importantly – that suicide can be prevented.”
Linda Rosenberg President & CEO, National Council for Behavioral Health
“Kevin Briggs is a true American hero and a champion for mental health, first as a member of the California Highway Patrol, where he helped prevent countless suicides, and now with his passion as a mental health advocate. Kevin works diligently to help break down the stigma of mental illness, which will continue to help reduce suicide. I have had the pleasure of working with Kevin at a suicide awareness conference, and his presentation was life-changing. You will not find a more genuine and compassionate man than Kevin Briggs.”
Rick Strait , MS, LPC, CRDAC, CCDP, CCGC IDDT Program Manager/Co-Occurring Therapist Outpatient/Co-Occurring Division Community Counseling Center, Central Methodist University
“In a crisis situation that involves life and death, a person needs honesty, sincerity, kindness, and empathy mixed together with just the right amount of each. Kevin Briggs taught me how to fine-tune the ingredients and reach people in the worst possible pivotal moment of their lives, help them grab the hope in their darkness and ask ‘What’s your plan for tomorrow?’”
Jamie S. Burton CEO, Adanta Behavioral Health Services
GUARDIAN
of the
GOLDEN
GATE
Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair
KEVIN BRIGGS
with SAM MELLINGER
Foreword by Meg Hutchinson Afterword by Kevin Berthia
Copyright © 2015 by Kevin Briggs
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher.
All names, logos, and symbols that appear in this book are trademarks of their individual organizations and institutions and have been reproduced with permission. This notice is for the protection of trademark rights only and in no way represents the approval or disapproval of the text of this book by those organizations or institutions.
Requests for permission should be addressed to: Ascend Books, LLC, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, 12710 Pflumm Road, Suite 200, Olathe, KS 66062
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN: print book 978-0-9904375-7-4
ISBN: e-book 978-0-9904375-8-1
Library of Congress Control Number 2015942744
Publisher: Bob Snodgrass
Publication Coordinator: Christine Drummond
Editor: Claire Reagan
Sales and Marketing: Lenny Cohen and Sandy Hipsh
Publicity: Bob Ibach
Dust Jacket and Book Design: Rob Peters
All photos courtesy of Kevin Briggs unless otherwise indicated.
Every reasonable attempt has been made to determine the ownership of copyright. Please notify the publisher of any erroneous credits or omissions. Corrections will be made to subsequent editions/future printings.
This book and its contents are not an attempt to render professional advice or services to the individual reader. The related experiences, thoughts, practices, and suggestions herein are not intended as a substitute for assistance obtained from a physician or medical professional. Neither the author nor publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a result of any information presented in this book. The goal of Ascend Books is to publish quality works. With that goal in mind, we are proud to offer this book to our readers. Please note, however, that the story, experiences, and the words are those of the authors alone.
Printed in the United States of America.

www.ascendbooks.com
Contents
Dedication
Foreword by Meg Hutchinson
Chapter 1 I Work The Bridge
Chapter 2 Where I Come From
Chapter 3 Speed Bumps
Chapter 4 My Time at San Quentin
Chapter 5 The Dark Side of The Bridge
Chapter 6 Out of Nowhere
Chapter 7 “ It will get the job done .”
Chapter 8 On The Bridge
Chapter 9 A Dog Story
Chapter 10 A Life Saved – Twice
Chapter 11 A Struggle Toward Healing
Chapter 12 Turning Point
Chapter 13 My Next Assignment
Chapter 14 Too Close to Home
Chapter 15 Rock Bottom Recovery
Chapter 16 A Lost Soul, A Wonderful Life
Chapter 17 Stories from the Road
Chapter 18 A Survivor’s Mission
Chapter 19 The Fight for Awareness
Chapter 20 Hope
The RELEASE Model
The Quality of Life Triad
Crisis Safety Plan
Afterword by Kevin Berthia
“ Gatekeeper” Song Lyrics
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
T his book is dedicated to those who have been lost to suicide and their families, those who continue to suffer in silence, and those who have attempted suicide and survived.
Foreword by Meg Hutchinson
K evin Briggs changed my life before we ever met.
It was 2003. I was 25 years old. My songwriting career was taking off, and to those around me, I appeared happy and successful – but I was falling apart inside. Nobody knew my struggles. I never mentioned them. I didn’t even admit to myself that I had a problem.
Looking back, I was drinking and partying way too much. I was isolated – even while surrounded by friends. My highs and lows were getting worse.
That’s when Kevin Briggs came into my life through an article in The New Yorker about the dark side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I read that when Kevin met someone on the Bridge and wasn’t sure of their intentions, he would ask them simple and telling questions, like “How are you feeling today?” and “What’s your plan for tomorrow?”
Those questions touched me deeply. They are so straightforward but, when asked with the right tone and sincerity, can bring out so much truth. After reading the article, I wrote a song called “Gatekeeper” and dedicated it to Kevin. Everywhere I played it, people were amazed that those ordinary questions could save lives.
When the day has grown too long The hour’s standing still When you wonder if you could, if you will With your toes upon the edge With your eyes upon the sky Tell me just these things befo