Farm Credit Canada is mailing the publication to farm families later this month.
Stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout are feelings farmers may experience at times.
A mental health wellness workshop was held at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina on Tuesday morning. Shawn Stanford farms near McGrath, Alberta and participated in a panel discussion.
Stanford had previous periods of anxiety, but finally went to his family doctor a couple of years ago.
“I thought it was the everyday stress that everyone kind of deals with. I had a real bad anxiety attack and didn’t know what was wrong with me. I had a lot of physical pains. I felt like I couldn’t physically move any more or doing anything. My brain was mentally drained out and I couldn’t function as normally as I usually could.”
Several medical tests were done to rule out a physical ailment. The conclusion was anxiety and some depression issues.
Two years down the road, Stanford says he is doing “fairly well.”
“I have good days and bad days. For the most part I have more better days than bad ones, but sometimes things can sneak up. You get that bank statement and you want to tuck you head into the sand for awhile and try to straighten your life out. I’m feeling a lot better now for sure than I did two years ago or even last year.”
Stanford recommends additional exercise and a better diet to help reduce stress. Spending more time with family and friends is also very important.
The 32 page booklet is being mailed to farm households later this month. It can also be viewed at:
https://www.fcc-fac.ca/fcc/knowledge/wellness/mental-health-publication-e.pdf