Symptoms of stress: Important to talk about situations, help people find mental health resources

GALENA, Ill. — Talking about mental health is not an easy conversation, but it must occur.

“I think women are the people that need to tackle the mental health crisis in rural areas, and I think the solution is to start talking about it,” said Diane Rohlman, director of Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest.

Rohlman showed a chart of net farm income from 2000 to 2017 during a presentation at the Women's Seminar hosted by Compeer Financial.

“You see 2011, ‘12 and ‘13 were really good years, but since then we’ve seen a 50% decline in income,” she said.

In addition, farming is a high-risk industry.

“For occupational fatalities, agriculture comes in No. 3, but only 2% of the population is involved in farming, so agriculture has a much higher rate than any other industry,” said Rohlman, who also is an associate professor, occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa. “So, that is why I do a lot of work on protecting farmers, reducing hazards in the workplace and talking about prevention.”

Another issue in rural communities is a shortage of mental health care providers.

“Often they are far away,” Rohlman said.

A study at the University of Iowa compared suicide rates of farmers to workers in other industries from 1990 to 2010.

“Suicide rates for people in all other industries remains pretty steady, but the suicide rates for farmers is much higher than workers in other industries,” Rohlman said. “This says to me we need to do something.”

Farmers have stressors that are different from other industries such as weather, market prices, debt loads, interest rates and regulatory compliance requirements.

“Stress can be bad, but a little bit of stress is OK because it helps you get things done,” Rohlman said.

“When we experience stress our brain sends signals to different parts of our body,” she said. “Then hormones get released, our breathing becomes faster, our pulse increases and adrenalin is distributed in our body — this is called the flight or fight response.”

The problem with stress occurs when it stays for too long.

“Eventually, it will start to break down your body, which can lead to chronic health conditions,” Rohlman said. “Stress has been linked to diabetes, ulcers, or cardio vascular disease.”

Symptoms to look for in people with chronic stress include a change in routine like someone not attending church, not going to the diner in the morning or skipping a 4-H meeting.

“You might notice the care of livestock declining where the cows are looking a little gaunt,” Rohlman said. “People who are experiencing stress often get injured more often because they are making poor decisions or taking shortcuts.”

Another clue is the appearance of a farmstead is declining — the lawn hasn’t been mowed or regular maintenance is not getting completed.

“Children know what’s going on, and they can be a barometer for a situation,” Rohlman said. “If something is not right at home, that will come out through the children.”

It is important for people to feel comfortable talking about mental health and knowing what resources are available.

“We need to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, and the only way we’re going to do that is talk about it,” Rohlman said.

In order to help others, she said, take time to listen to them.

“Put the phone down, be present and engage in active listening,” she said. “Be nonjudgmental because things happen to everyone - that’s what we call life.”

Encouraging people to go back to their typical routine also is helpful.

“Help them get off the couch, take care of maintenance, go to their kid’s event because re-engaging will help them feel better,” Rohlman said.

“Be empathetic, try to understand their point of view, try to help people think logically and rationally,” she said. “Sometimes people need someone to sit down and list everything they are worrying about and then think about how to address those needs.”

Finally, it is important to connect people with resources.

“That could be their pastor, their physician, a social worker or a counselor,” Rohlman said. “There are many people who can help, and you know in your community who those people are.”