Prioritize your mental health: Seek help before it’s too late

This economic downturn is painful. We are all feeling it. National network news outlets report about the increase in prices we pay for food, but it is not only food items like Miracle Whip that is $3 higher at my grocery store than it was a year ago.

Toilet paper, laundry detergent, dish soap, aspirin, paper plates, greeting cards, tampons, fingernail polish, soap, makeup and toothpaste have all increased in price exponentially in recent months.

We, collectively, are paying more for insurance, airline tickets, hotel rooms and fuel than we were last year. Some, not all, Midwest state fairs have increased admission prices and exhibitor fees significantly from year-ago levels.

Credit-card debt is scary-high, and many are racking up more debt to cover the increased cost of the aforementioned items and services.

As the overall economic downturn impacts all aspects of our lives, a predicted 25% drop in net farm income, weakening demand and year-over-year revenue declines are being tied to some restructuring and workforce reduction in the agricultural equipment industry.

CNH Industrial, John Deere, Kinze, AGCO and Bridgestone-Firestone all announced layoffs earlier this year. We learned recently of layoffs at Precision Planting tied to the announced restructuring at AGCO.

As we navigate this economy, it is easy as humans to become frustrated, get angry and lose hope. We sometimes blame ourselves for what we did or did not do to prepare for this economic downturn.

Many farmers and others who work in agriculture already quietly struggle with mental health and are reluctant to ask for help.

Iowa State University behavioral health state specialist David Brown told Brownfield Ag News in a recent interview that he encourages basic coping mechanisms such as getting a good seven to eight hours of sleep at night. Social connections are also especially important because farming is such an isolated job.

Brown says concerned friends and family should look for signs of changes in behavior, emotional statements, changes in hygiene, or avoidance of activities they used to enjoy.

Another thing to watch for is an uptick in unhealthy or risky behaviors. A recent study finds that one in five farmers is turning to alcohol to cope with stress.

Dr. Christina Proctor at the University of Georgia told Brownfield that in-depth interviews and online surveys identified how ingrained chronic stress is for farmers.

She is concerned farmers who already have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, and are at a higher risk of suicide, could be accelerating negative health impacts associated with stress by heavily drinking.

She says the results serve as a warning that farmers need more help from health-care providers and their communities. Farmers often lack resources or funding for mental health care and feel stigmatized for seeking help.

Proctor would like to see rural health-care providers better trained to work with farmers and agricultural networks encouraging more positive alternatives to handle stress.

Having a few cold beers at the end of the day is one thing. Heavy use of alcohol or any substance to self-medicate for depression is something else entirely.

If you or someone you know needs help, reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.