Jim Shoopack

I have suffered from two bouts with major depressive order. One for approximately 100 days between February-May of 2001, and another the entire Summer of 2021 (approximately 50 days) Both times I suffered from all of the symptoms of depression; including visual hallucinations. It is miraculous that I didn't take my own life. I prayed and prayed and prayed, and in 2001 had what would be considered an out-of-body experience that gave me hope for the future. Once I had that experience, things started to improve. A friend of mine told me that I had demonstrated the symptoms of depression (I didn't know that how I felt at the time had a name). Once I saw my PCP, progress was made through talk therapy, medication, and then exercise. I started to walk one mile with my dog (it was really more him walking me than the other way around), until finally, I started to jog a mile. This slowly became 3-5 miles, which became training for a marathon. I want to be the "voice for the voiceless" as since approximately 1 in 4 will suffer in silence with a mental health challenge, I want to do my part to give back. I've even seen that 26.2% of the population have suffered from mental health challenges, which is symbolic of the mileage of a marathon. I have completed (slowly) 21 marathons, and in 2016 completed four marathons in four months. Prior to that, I had completed three marathons in three months. My final goal is to complete 100 marathons, to essentially get back each day that I lost when I didn't know that how I felt (clinically depressed), had a name. I still suffer from anxiety. In doing so, I have been interviewed by local TV and newspapers to talk about my story.

I dedicate my marathons to promote mental health awareness and had also run them to promote helping a local pet rescue where my wife and I got two of our dogs. Furthermore, I've run to support sponsorship through Unbound, which is an organization in Kansas City that helps the impoverished throughout the world. I have helped serve in several Central American countries through Unbound.

In 2021, a few short months after earning my doctorate, came the absolute worse nightmare of any family - my younger brother Bob, lost his battle to depression on April 26th that year when he took his own life in my parents' home. The overwhelming process of acknowledging that one of my best friends had died, supporting my parents through their grief, as well as helping to take care of tying loose ends that Bob's death left for my family, all took it's toll on me. I went through a second bout with major depressive disorder in June 2021. I contemplated taking my own life for weeks. I had visual hallucinations. I couldn't leave my house alone. I couldn't be by myself in the house. I huddled in the recliner at my house, living through the hell that the depression had caused. Through a 6-7 week time frame throughout the Summer of 2021, I went back on the anti-depressant Paxil and started weekly talk therapy virtually. Through a combination of both, plus attending daily Mass, constant prayer, and receiving the Holy Eucharist everyday, my progress eventually concluded with feeling well enough to leave my house by myself, and do other simple activities such as grocery shopping and hiking. I finally became able to participate in regular daily activities after the 2021 Summer of hell concluded. That being said, over three years since my brother Bob's death, I continue to go to virtual talk therapy and still take anti-depressants.

As part of my journey, my wife, our three pups and I love to travel. We have stayed at approximately 50 AirBnB's (all with the dogs), primarily throughout the Mid-Atlantic, New England states, and Eastern Canadian provinces.

I am honored to speak about my bouts with depression. It is my goal to save as many lives as I can while I'm still here and to eradicate the stigma of mental illness.

My e-mail is [email protected]

Thank you and have a blessed and great day!

Jim