Kids Need to Be Loved’: Preventing Youth Suicide - Progressive.org
May 28, 2021
In this article, Jason Reid draws on both heartbreaking personal loss and years of research to offer parents a clearer picture of what their children may be silently experiencing.
After losing his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018, Reid embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between what parents assume and what teens actually feel.
Through conversations with teenagers, mental health professionals, and families, this article explores the warning signs parents often miss, the hidden emotional toll of social media, and why open, judgment-free conversation may be the most powerful tool we have to protect our children.
ntil 2018, Jason Reid believed that he could handle whatever challenges life tossed his way. After all, he was a CEO who coached other CEOs, ran another lucrative business, had a black belt in karate, and participated in Iron Man competitions. For years, he’d seen himself as a “fixer,” the guy people came to with their problems, knowing that they’d find a receptive ear and a solution to their troubles.
Then Reid’s son, Ryan, died by suicide in March 2018—and his world shattered.
“When adults tell kids that their lives are great, that they have nothing to be depressed about, and that their concerns are irrational, most kids shut down and stop confiding. I’d always presented myself as put together with my kids, but when they’re depressed this might not be the best approach.”
“I didn’t realize what was going on with Ryan,” Reid tells The Progressive. “He’d become grumpy and was spending more time alone in his room, but he had Crohn’s Disease and I assumed he was in some physical pain. I didn’t ask the right questions. He’d previously told me about being bullied but I never asked him how he felt about being a target. I asked him how he would push back. We figured out a plan to deal with the issue, and that was that.”
Since Ryan’s death, Reid has made reducing teen suicide by 2030 his life mission and has created an organization, Choose Life. He’s also participated in a full-length documentary film called Tell My Story, and is doing as much as he can to destigmatize suicide and provoke conversations about depression, anxiety, and stress among teenagers and young adults.
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I have played guitar for 35 years. I am not good at it. I sing too, and I am worse at singing. I have written seven books, and I like to joke I have sold eight, because almost no one buys them. I have finished a couple of Ironman races, and I came in last in every one. Dead last. I keep doing all of it. Not for a medal or a record. I do it because I love the doing. Half an hour with my guitar a few times a week keeps me steady. That’s enough for me. I made our latest film, SHIFT: Do What Moves You , to put this idea in front of young people. Doing what moves you is not about being the best. It is about having something to move toward. I did not set out to spend my life talking about youth mental health. I started Tell My Story after I lost my 14-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide in 2018. In the years since, I have sat with hundreds of teenagers and families. The same thing comes up again and again. Young people are struggling in silence, and the adults who love them often do not see it in time. The scale is hard to take in. One in five U.S. high schoolers reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in the past two weeks, according to the CDC. Forty percent reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year, also from the CDC. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Behind each number is a young person trying to get through the day. My job, and yours, is not only to keep them safe. It is to help them want to be here.
I recently took my granddaughter to Disneyland, and honestly, it was the best day I’ve ever had there. I’ve visited my kids many times, but this experience felt different. Back then, I was building companies and managing thousands of employees. Physically, I was at Disneyland with my kids, but mentally I was somewhere else: solving problems, fielding calls, handling budgets, payrolls and performance. This time, with my granddaughter, I was just there. Fully present. And it made me wonder how many times, while I was physically present in my children’s lives, I may have been emotionally absent because of the pressure I felt to perform, protect, and provide for my family. When I lost my son, Ryan, in 2018, he was just 14 years old. In the aftermath, the questions that consumed me were: Why didn’t I see the signs? Why didn’t he tell me? Looking back now, I find myself wondering what we, as parents who are also executives, corporate leaders, and CEOs, may be missing when it comes to our children; because we are so focused on providing for them and making sure their needs are met. Trying to make sense of the questions I had surrounding Ryan’s passing, and to help more parents better understand their children’s mental health, I created What I Wish My Parents Knew , a documentary about youth mental health. What these young people in the film said to me, stopped me in my tracks: “I didn’t tell my parents about my struggles with mental health, because I didn’t want to be a burden. They have enough going on as it is; I didn’t want to add to it.” What I have come to understand, both an executive and a father, is that the skills that make us effective leaders can quietly work against us as parents. We are fixers. We are decisive. We walk into a room, solve the problem, and move on. That’s what we’re paid to do, and that’s how many of us built our careers. But when a child is struggling with their mental health, they don’t usually need us to fix it right away. When we jump straight to problem-solving, we can unintentionally signal that their feelings are something to solve instead of something worth talking through. What our children need most is someone who listens to. Someone willing to sit with them in anxiety and the unknown, and who allows them to process what they’re going through without judgement or immediate solutions. That requires a very different muscle than the one many of us spent decades training. Another thing I’ve learned, and this one is harder to hear, is that our children may not always experience us as safe to talk to. Not because they doubt our love, but because of how we show up. They may see us in one of two ways: either bulletproof — strong, composed, never cracking or struggling — or overwhelmed, distracted, and carrying the stress of business and life. In both cases, they may choose silence. Not because they don’t trust us, but because they don’t want to disappoint us or add to the weight we’re already carrying.
In this article, Jason Reid draws on both heartbreaking personal loss and years of research to offer parents a clearer picture of what their children may be silently experiencing. After losing his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018, Reid embarked on a mission to bridge the gap between what parents assume and what teens actually feel.
In this episode, I sit down with Jason Reid — founder of Tell My Story Foundation, producer of the documentary films Tell My Story, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and Shift, author of seven books, Iron Man athlete, and a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in 2018 while on vacation with his wife.
Jason is the founder of TellMyStory.org, a nonprofit he launched after the suicide of his 14-year-old son in 2018. The foundation is dedicated to educating and empowering parents with practical, up-to-date resources to better recognize and support their children’s mental health struggles. Through its sister organization, Mental Wellness Media, Jason produces documentary films and educational programs that spark honest conversations between parents and kids and encourage families to share their stories. He has spoken openly about his experience in two TEDx talks and through the documentaries Tell My Story and What I Wish My Parents Knew, using his platform to reduce stigma and strengthen communication around youth mental health. Tell My Story – Official Home Page Our Story (About the Foundation & Jason’s Mission) Tell My Story Card Game (Communication Tool) Become a supporter of this podcast: The Trauma Therapist
“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but connection.” – Johann Hari In this episode, Logan and Tyson sit down with Dana Christian Lee and Jason Reid from the organization Tell My Story to talk about the growing mental health crisis facing kids and teens today—and what families can actually do about it. Jason shares the heartbreaking and deeply personal story of losing his youngest son to suicide in 2018, a tragedy that reshaped his life and ignited a mission to bring real mental health conversations into homes that often avoid them. Dana, the executive director of Tell My Story, adds her perspective from years of working with youth, families, and communities—helping unpack why so many kids struggle silently and what meaningful connection really looks like. The conversation covers the realities many parents don’t see: how common anxiety and depression have become, why kids often feel like a burden instead of asking for help, and how today’s digital world—especially unrestricted phones, social media, and algorithms—can quietly amplify those struggles. They also talk about practical ways families can build trust, communication, and emotional safety, including tools like the Tell My Story card game, and why creativity, purpose, and learning to do hard things matter so much for a young person’s mental health. This is an honest, emotional, and ultimately hopeful conversation about loss, parenting, connection, and what each of us can do right now to change the mental health narrative for the next generation. If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone. Sometimes one conversation really can save a life. LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO “DAD BODS and BEARDS” Podcast: YouTube Apple Music Spotify
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Jason Reid is a successful entrepreneur, executive coach, and filmmaker whose life changed forever in 2018 when he lost his 14-year-old son to suicide. Instead of retreating into despair, Jason transformed his grief into a mission: helping parents and kids navigate mental health challenges through storytelling and conn
Jason Reid shares how personal loss reshaped his mission, turning storytelling into a powerful tool for mental health awareness, workplace wellness, and deeper parent-child conversations.
In this episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts welcomes back Dana Christian Lee, executive director of the nonprofit "Tell My Story." The conversation centers on creative approaches to healing and mental wellbeing for young adults, highlighting the power of storytelling, community, and self-expression. Dana shares the origins of "Tell My Story," inspired by Jason Reid’s personal loss and mission to support youth mental health through film and open communication. The discussion introduces their new film, "Shift: Do What Moves You," which features young people overcoming challenges by finding activities and passions that help them heal and thrive—ranging from skateboarding to poetry and music. The episode explores the impact of social media and AI on youth mental health, emphasizing the importance of real-life connection, resilience, and community support. Both guests advocate for empowering young adults to take ownership of their wellbeing, encouraging small steps, creative outlets, and the healing power of nature and movement. Listeners are invited to learn more about the film and nonprofit, with free screenings available through partnership. The episode closes with a message of hope, gratitude, and the belief that together, we can foster a more positive narrative around mental health.
