Over the course of the last number of years, as I have shared stories about my journey, I have been approached by those who find it curious that I have the freedom to talk about mental illness and how it has impacted me. And then last week I had an ah ha moment. But first let me share how I got there.
In 2003 I was a hog producer. I was chairman of Manitoba
Pork Marketing and I was an active mediator with the Manitoba Farm Mediation
Board, dealing primarily with hog producers. The hog industry was in turmoil,
creating financial stress for everyone. On a daily basis I was dealing with
that stress on my own farm and also with the people I was dealing with in my
other work.
As that stress started getting to me my behaviours changed.
I could do nothing right and neither could anyone close to me. My coping skills
were not good. Relationships began to suffer. And eventually that overwhelming
stress pushed me into the labyrinth of mental illness, where I experienced
significant anxiety and eventually slipped into depression.
At the time there was still a stigma attached to mental
illness, there was little knowledge of resources I could use and the ones that
I did use were lacking in knowledge of the intricacies of agriculture. It was
difficult to find a path forward.
That is why I am so passionate about the Manitoba Farmer
Wellness Program. Over the years the stigma has been reduced. Great strides
have been made in building awareness. And the message, you are not alone,
is loud and clear. Had I had the opportunity to participate in such a program
my life could well have been different.
People have also suggested to me that they do not require
counselling because they are not experiencing mental illness. Sure, they admit,
stress can be overwhelming. My message to them is, be proactive. Through
counselling you gain the tools necessary to cope better, to find ways of
dealing with that stress before it manifests itself in something much more
difficult to deal with.
Back to my ah ha moment. During that interview I came to the
realization that “talking about it” has given me freedom. Sounds strange, I
know. But there is a freedom in being able to come out of isolation, to be able
to talk freely about those things that are dragging me down, to be able to
articulate the darkness that can so easily overwhelm.
There is a new reality. That reality is that one out of
three people suffer from mental illness. That reality is that as strong as we
think we are there are issues that will kneecap the best of us. That reality is
we need to find someone that we can talk to. That reality is we need support.
That reality is that we live a secret life and want release. Booking an
appointment with a Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program counsellor can help you in
finding that freedom. Its okay not to be okay. Its okay to reach out. Talking
about it is a freeing, life giving experience. Book an appointment today at www.manitobafarmerwellness.ca .
Make it a good one.
