A Suffolk farm chaplain is encouraging farmers to pick up the phone and talk to someone as he looks to be more open about mental health within the industry.
Graham Miles, the Lightwave Rural & Agricultural Chaplain for the Diocese of Ipswich and St Edmundsbury, wants colleagues to feel they are not alone as farmers begin harvest.
It comes after a difficult year for farmers following months of treacherous weather last winter.
"Farmers have been struggling these last two years," said Mr Miles.
"It is just across the board. There are so many issues that farmers are facing.
"It is very long hours and it can be very lonely. There are financial worries. There are quite a lot of issues that are there."
Mr Miles said his phone is on 24/7 and is hopeful that more farmers will pick up the phone to talk about their mental health.
He said: "Do not feel alone, my phone is on 24/7.
"It takes a lot of courage to pick the phone up and try to talk to someone. We need to talk about it and bring it out into the open."
It comes after the inquest into the death of a 27-year-old shepherd from Stowmarket.
Assistant coroner for Suffolk Dr Daniel Sharpstone concluded Daniel Farnan intended to take his own life after he died earlier this year.
Daniel Goodwin, a farmer from Bury St Edmunds and an ambassador for the Farm Safety Foundation, said: "We need to encourage more people to talk and look out for each other," he said.
"There is always a stigma in agriculture because everyone thinks us farmers are hard people who are out there all hours of the day and just do it and get. But us farmers, we are our own individuals. We all suffer with different things and cope differently."
Through his role as an ambassador, which he has been doing since 2019, Mr Goodwin has been able to tell his own mental health story.
Mr Goodwin added: "What I've been able to do thanks to the team is tell my story and to make awareness of what I have gone through. But also we can encourage people to come into the industry from a non-farm background and talk through their most hardest times, even if it takes them four to five years like it did for me."
The foundation is available to contact online and on social media.
NFU Suffolk chair Glenn Buckingham said: “Farmers have been facing some very challenging times, particularly with the impact of the weather.
“With many of us now going into the busy harvest period it is important that we take care of ourselves, both physically and mentally.
“I think, in a lot of places, rural communities can feel quite isolated and the issues recently reported about the impact of poor mobile and broadband connectivity only adds to that.
“The farming community does support each other and there are lots of groups out there offering help as well as opportunities for social interaction which are having a positive impact.
“I would encourage people to reach out to neighbours, friends and family to check in and make sure they’re alright.
“By opening up and talking about our own struggles with mental health issues and how we cope with them can make others feel comfortable to talk about managing stresses they are feeling.
“There is help out there, and often reaching out is the first step to feeling more in control. Please remember – change starts with a conversation.”
If you need urgent mental health support call NHS 111 and select option 2 or the Samaritans on 116 123. Both services are available 24 hours 7 days a week.
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