Last year, 38 people died from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bridge Rail Foundation reports, and since it opened in 1937, there have been more than 1,700 confirmed suicides.

Only 1 percent of jumpers survive the fall -- and one of those people was Kevin Hines.

At age 17, Hines began to have symptoms of paranoia, mania and auditory and visual hallucinations. At age 19, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and, two years later, he attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

"I thought I was a burden to everyone who loved me because that's what my brain told me," he said in an interview with BuzzFeed (video shown above).

When he catapulted himself off of the bridge, Hines said he immediately regretted what he had done. Yet, when he landed 75 stories down, he was still alive. A coast guard pulled him out of the water and told him he was a miracle.

Now, after seven psych ward stays in the last 11 years, Hines said he still has all the same symptoms as he used to have.

"I just know how to cope with it and I know how to beat it," he said.

"Today, no matter the pain I'm in, no matter the struggles I experience, I do believe that life is the greatest gift we've ever been given. And, if you're suffering mentally, don't wait like I did. ... Recovery happens. I'm living proof."

Today, Hines is a world-renowned speaker, mental health activist and best-selling author. His next project is a feature-length documentary, titled "The Suicide Ripple Effect," which is currently in production.

For more information about Hines and his documentary, visit www.suicidetherippleeffect.com.