A project coordinator with the Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress Line says the difficulties facing agriculture have resulted in an increased call for help from men who are facing high stress or depression.
A series of workshops hosted by the Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress Line will examine the topic “Men and Depression.”
Sessions are set for Tuesday and Wednesday February 16th and 18th in Brandon, Monday February 22nd in Morris and Tuesday February 23rd in Arborg from 1:30 to 4:30.
Project Coordinator Gerry Friesen says it’s been recognized that men have more difficulty expressing their situation when they’re going through high stress or depression.
I often talk about agriculture and how it’s changed in the past and it keeps changing.
The demands for farmers are bigger and bigger.
We’re talking food safety and environmental issues.
There’s stuff coming down the pipe that farmers have to adapt to other than the usual stress they go through like weather, like insects, like commodity prices, COOL, business risk management programs, there’s just a ton of stuff that farmers have to pick up on.
Then the livestock industries in particular with very low prices over the last number of years, a lot of farmers exiting the industry, the stress is increasing and there’s always more and more stress.
That’s why it’s important that these workshops are held.
People are important to rural Manitoba and so we’ve got to try and address those situations and help these people cope.
Friesen says the workshops are set up as an educational outreach for farmers in particular but for anyone who is experiencing depression or stress that will lead to depression or knows someone who is.
He says it’s important for people to be able to find ways to recognize stress if it’s happening, to find ways of coping with stress and to be aware of available resources.
He notes service providers often find themselves on the front lines of dealing with customers who are experiencing stress.
For additional information visit ruralstress.ca or call 1 877-367-3276.
Source: Farmscape.Ca
