Kevin Hines shares 'story of hope and healing' in community lecture

Apr. 10—Area students and community members received the opportunity to engage with public speaker Kevin Hines during his lecture about his life experiences.

With a motto of "Be here tomorrow and every day after that," Hines addressed community members in a public speaking segment about his story of hope, healing and recovery.

"I share my story of living with severe 'brain pain', what we call mental illness and my attempt with suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge, my subsequent survival and how I find hope everyday to continue to survive with regular thoughts of suicide and how I've never attempted again," he said.

Here in Duncan, Hines shared his techniques to staying alive with those types of thoughts. He hopes people will learn how to better their brain health, as well as how to change their path in life.

"To become healthier and stronger and how to see adversity and overcome it one step at a time," he said. "Recognizing that it's all about baby steps, one step at a time."

Hines left a note for those in the community, the Chickasaw Nation and to Duncan and surrounding areas.

"If you are considering suicide, stop, take a breath in through your nose four seconds, hold for four, release six to eight seconds. Do that 30 more times," he said. "It'll lower your heart rate, your blood pressure — a panic attack, a stress attack, anxiety, depression. It will bring your mind and body to a calm, it's called resonance breathing. Stop and breathe."

Hines said nobody is promised tomorrow.

"Give yourself time, plus hard work for your brain health for things to change," he said. "Today is not tomorrow. Just because you're in a world of pain today, doesn't mean that's going to be the rest of your life, but you've got to be here to get there in the first place."

The event was sponsored by Pathways to a Healthier You and the Chickasaw Nation.