Oftentimes in rural communities, when a neighbor is in need, farmers are the first to step up and help. Yet when they’re the ones in need of assistance, they hesitate to ask for that same help they so freely give.
Spring can be a stressful time for some area farmers as they prepare for another growing season, and that stress can have a negative effect on their mental health. That’s why officials at Gundersen Health System say farmers need to focus on themselves and reach out when feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their work – even if that’s something they’re not inclined to do.
“Often there are worries about a stigma associated with mental health, and people are afraid to seek help. They don’t know where to seek help,” said Kimberly Lansing, MD, a physician at Gundersen Health System and director of curriculum for the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine. “For farmers, it’s always been this ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps.