Survivors of bridge jump suicide attempts often report immediate regret because the abrupt interruption of jumping takes them out of the intense and distorted thought processes that led to the decision to jump.
Paper: Where Are They Now? A Follow-up Study of Suicide Attempters from the Golden Gate Bridge
People who survive suicide attempts by jumping off bridges often report immediate regret and wish they hadn't jumped during the fall.
One notable example is Kevin Hines, who survived a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge in 2000. He mentioned:
"The millisecond my hands left the rail, it was instant regret for my actions."
Similarly, Ken Baldwin, another survivor, mentioned:
"I instantly realized that everything in my life that I'd thought was unfixable was totally fixable—except for having just jumped."
A sudden shift in perspective oftentimes occurs when an abrupt interruption (the act of jumping) takes them out of the intense and often distorted thought processes that led to the decision to jump.
When someone is contemplating suicide and decides to jump, they are likely in a highly aroused state with a narrow focus and a high "frame rate" of thought, possibly feeling trapped and without alternatives. The act of jumping is a final move made within this constricted mental landscape.
However, the moment they jump, the physical reality of the situation and the separation from the preceding thought process can bring a sudden clarity. They are no longer caught in the same mental trench.
From this new perspective, the decision that felt so compelling moments before can suddenly seem absurd, and the survival instinct can resurface, leading to immediate regret.
This highlights the power of being trapped within a specific mental state and how breaking free from it, even through such a drastic action, can lead to a completely different perspective.
Moreover, the findings from studying suicide attempters from the Golden Gate Bridge revealed that approximately 94% of these individuals don't commit suicide later. Therefore, preventing suicide attempts can have long-term benefits in these situations.
Learn more about this study in The Bridge (documentary film) and Jumpers (a The New Yorker article).