JEANS. >>> TONIGHT FATHER SHARES HIS HEART BREAK AFTER LOSING HIS
TEENAGER SON.
>> AS YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR,
HE’S ON A MISSION TO GET THE
CONVERSATION GOING ABOUT TEENS
AND DEPRESSION.
AND DEPRESSION. >> DANIEL WAS PRETTY MUCH AN
ALL AMERICAN KID. >>Reporter: DANIEL OLSON WAS
VERY POPULAR.
OVER ACHIEVER.
STAR QUARTERBACK ON THE
FOOTBALL TEAM HERE.
>> ALLSTATE QUARTERBACK.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN
2010.
>>Reporter: FROM THE OUTSIDE
DANIEL LOOKED LIKE HE HAD T
ALL.
WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD.
BUT AT HOME HIS PARENTS KNEW
SOMETHING WASN’T QUITE RIGHT.
>> JUST NOTICE HIS BEHAVIOR
CHANGING FROM HAPPY TO MORE
RESERVED.
MORE SAD.
WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS JUST A
PHASE THAT HE WAS GOING
THROUGH.
EIGHTH GRADE AGAIN.
HE STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT AND
LIKE I SAID, HE WOULD GET
FRUSTRATED MORE.
HE WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE
WITHDRAWN.
TRY TO PARENT.
BECAUSE AS FAR AS TRYING TO
HELP, YOU DON’T KNOW IF
ANYTHING IS WRONG.
LIKE I SAID IT COULD BE
HORMONES.
IT COULD BE JUST BEING A
TEENAGER TISHTION BUT THIS
TURNED OUT TO BE MORE THAN A
CASE OF THE TEENAGER BLUES.
DOCTORS EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED
DANIEL WITH DEPRESSION.
AND EVEN WITH MEDICATION HE
STRUGGLED WITH CRIPPLING
ANXIETY.
>> WE WOULD SAY I DON’T FEEL
LIKE MYSELF ANY MORE.
I CAN’T LAUGH ANY MORE.
>>Reporter: ONLY SEEMED TO GET
WORSE.
>> HE WOULD TELL US WHAT HE WAS
ANXIOUS OF.
WALKING DOWN WALKING IN THE
MALL AND WALKING BY PEOPLE AND
HE WOULD HE WOULD BE JUST THINK
EVERYBODY WAS THINKING ABOUT
HIM OR JUDGING HIM.
>>Reporter: THE OLSON KEPT THE
DRUGALLY SECRET FROM ANY ONE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY AS
THEY CONTINUED TO TRY TO HELP
DANIEL COPE.
>> WE HID IT.
WE DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING.
DANIEL DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING.
>>Reporter: UNTIL ONE SUMMER
DAY.
JEFF FOUND DANIEL IN THE
LAUNDRY ROOM OF THEIR HOME IN
MARQUETTE AFTER DANIEL HAD
ENDED HIS OWN LIFE.
>> WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP OUR
LIVES FOR HIM BUT WE WEREN’T
ABLE TO AND SEEING HIM SUFFER
AND SEE ALL THE FRUSTRATION AND
SADNESS WAS HARD.
>>Reporter: LOOKING BACK OLSON
WISHES HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN
DANIEL HELP SOONER AND TALKED
OPENLY ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLE.
>> THAT WAS THE HARD EQUITY
THING.
SEEING YOUR CHILD SUFFER AND.
LIKE I SAID WHAT IF WE WOULD
HAVE GOTTEN HIM HELP AND
WOULDN’T SPEND THE 5 YEARS
WHERE IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT
WORSE AND THEN ALL THE STUFF WE
WERE TRYING GOOD CHANCE THAT
WOULD HAVE WORKED.
>>Reporter: NOW OLSON TALK TO
TEENS AND PARENTS ACROSS
MICHIGAN ABOUT DEPRESSION AND
ANXIETY.
EVERYONE MADE A DOCUMENTARY
ABOUT HIS SON CALLED DO IT FOR
DANIEL.
>> DEFINITELY THE PEST MILE AN
HOUR ON THE PEST TEAM TO EVER
COME THROUGH THIS HIGH SCHOOL.
>> NEED TO START LACKING AT
BRAIN HEALTH IN THE SAME WAY WE
DO OUR FULL BODY HEALTH.
THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
ARE THE SAME.
>>Reporter: AMERICAN
FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE
PREVENTION.
>> WHAT WE ARE DIAGNOSE TO
CHANGE THAT IS WORKING WITH
PEDIATRICIAN FROM.
WORKING TO EDUCATION K THROUGH
12 EDUCATORS SO THEY ARE MORE
EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH SOME ONE
STRUGGLING AND WHAT TO DO.
>>Reporter: OLSON WANTS TO
SPREAD A MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR
THOSE WHO LIKE DANIEL MAY BE
STRUGGLING.
>> CREATE UNDERSTANDING.
SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT
THIS IS.
WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE.
GIVE PEOPLE HOPE.
BECAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY
TREATABLE UNFORTUNATELY FOR MY
SON IT WASN’T BUT IT COULD HAVE
BEEN.
WITH THE EARLY RECOGNITION AND
WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE A
DIALOGUE AND GET PEOPLE
TALKING.
TALKING. >>Reporter: THE MESSAGE SO
IMPORTANT. DIALOGUE.
IMPORTANT. DIALOGUE. TALK ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
>> WE STILL DON’T TALK ABOUT IT
ENOUGH.
STIGMA.
ENOUGH. STIGMA. STILL THERE.
HOW BRAVE IS HE TO SHARE HIS
STORY LIKE THAT.
AS WE MESSAGES THAT DOCUMENTARY
THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS
CALLED DO IT FOREVER DANIEL AND
IT WILL DOCUMENT DANIEL LIFE
STORY AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED
IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT IT,
OR IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
RESOURCES TO HELP SOME ONE IN
YOUR FAMILY WE POST A LINK TO
THEIR WEB SITE AND YOU CAN FIND
IT GOING TO OUR WEB SITE.
>>> GOT TO TALK BIT.