If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

Daniel Trugman is an associate professor in the Nevada Seismological Laboratory. He recently decided to share one of the darkest times in his life with the hope that his story will encourage others to seek help.

“I can see the same struggles that I have in a lot of students, so I felt compelled to share what I’ve learned,” Trugman said.

Like many young people, Trugman had a challenging time in high school. He lived in an area with a lot of pressure to perform well academically and struggled with his body image and fitting in with his peers. He was in therapy and on antidepressants when he hit his lowest point.

“Nothing was working as well as I had hoped,” Trugman said. “I was missing connection, and I had a particularly bad day.”

On that day, he nearly ended his life, but instead, he picked up his phone and called a friend.

That friend helped Trugman get the support he needed, calling his parents and emergency responders. Reaching out for help was the first step in his recovery and led to millions more steps forward, as he prepares to run the Chicago Marathon in the fall on a team supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Since that day, Trugman began a long journey toward improving his mental health. He said therapy was an important part of his recovery, but he points out that it took a lot of time and personal work, too.

“I think what therapy can do is it can give you some tools and strategies that you can use to help yourself, but ultimately it's going to have to be you,” Trugman said. “I think I was well equipped to help myself by going to therapy, but therapy didn't get me out by itself.”

Trugman started running in search of exercise-induced endorphins. He has regularly run at least one to two times a week since nearly taking his life. Trugman is also an avid outdoorsman, enjoying skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking.

A few years ago, he had a serious mountain biking crash, resulting in a concussion.

“That was scary, especially for someone whose job depends on being able to think,” Trugman said.

Trugman eased off the pedals and began walking and running while recovering from the crash.

“I found this joy in running that I don’t think I’ve had with any sport,” he said.

Soon, he began exploring how he could build his speed, fuel his body appropriately and run farther and faster.

“You can be very scientific about your running, and I have a lot of fun doing that,” Trugman said.

Trugman ran his first race last April, a 5K, and has progressively worked his way up to longer distances, including a 12.5-mile trail race, two half marathons and two full marathons. Trugman placed second overall in his first marathon, despite getting slightly lost along the way.

“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot, about running, about myself,” he said. “And I never in my life thought I could run a marathon.”

As he thought about what challenge he would tackle next, Trugman decided he wanted to run the Chicago Marathon. Many marathons, especially more competitive marathons that can be hard to get into otherwise, give runners the option to run for a charity. Trugman browsed the list of charities he could support.

“Running has been such a positive influence on my life,” he said. “I wanted to give back with my training for it.”

He noticed he could run in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), whose mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide through research, advocacy, education and support for survivors and families touched by suicide.

“This one really stood out to me because of the journey that I’ve been on,” Trugman said.

Trugman is registered for the Chicago Marathon this fall and will be running in support of the AFSP. Trugman has so far raised over $2,500, reaching his fundraising goal, but will continue to fundraise until the race.

When he shared his plan to run the Chicago Marathon in support of the AFSP and his reason for doing so on social media, he received an outpouring of support.

“The amount of positive messages I got about that level of honesty was really inspiring,” Trugman said, and that experience helped him decide to share his story more widely.

From his lowest point in high school to summitting mountaintops in trail races, Trugman’s journey has been a long one, but he’s found that by consistently working toward a goal, he feels improvement in all parts of his life, though he still experiences setbacks from time to time.

“I don't think it has to be running, but I think I've found something that brings full balance to my life,” he said.

He emphasized that growth over time is the thing to strive for, and that success looks different for everyone. For Trugman, that sometimes meant just getting through the day. When he reflects on his career so far, Trugman said that it’s taken him a long time to reach where he is today, a series of small positive steps that have built on each other over the years. Trugman feels that it’s the consistency that matters most, putting in the work day by day, knowing that small efforts stacked together over time can build into something greater.

“I think running parallels life in a lot of ways,” Trugman said. “I think you can do things that you never thought were possible if you put in the time, you give yourself time and you try hard.”

Counseling Services at the University of Nevada, Reno is a confidential resource available to all enrolled students. Their mental health professionals offer a range of support, including individual counseling, group therapy, crisis support and outreach programs designed to promote and support student mental health. Students can access services by calling the main office at 775-784-4648, walking in during business hours, or visiting the Counseling Services website for more information about appointments and resources. Counseling Services is here to support students through a wide range of concerns, from everyday stress to more serious mental health challenges.