opinion

Suicide among American farmers is a major public health issue | Maura Yost

Farming ranks as one of the U.S.'s most dangerous occupations. It is also the most lethal. The suicide rate for people working in agriculture is more than double that of military veterans. As a major public health issue, silence on the subject impedes the treatments that will prevent it.

Farmers are fighters and problem-solvers. They fight a myriad of conditions over which they have no or limited control: unpredictable weather, excessive workloads, contract losses, volatile markets, extreme outdoor conditions, financial pressures, debt loads, continuous tasks — the list seems endless.

Why do it? Farming is a way of life, a special calling that may actually be an innate drive. Dr. Mike Rosman, an Iowa psychologist and farmer, offers the "agrarian imperative" theory. It speculates that people in the agricultural occupations possess an inherited drive to get resources to farm, and will go to remarkable lengths to maintain them.

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"People engaged in farming,” he explains, “have a strong urge to supply essentials for human life, such as food and materials for clothing, shelter and fuel, and to hang on to their land and other resources needed to produce these goods at all costs." Farmers are "one with the land."

The strong bonds lead those in agriculture to mute their stressful feelings. The more those emotions are suppressed, the more volatile they become. The drive to continue, to keep accomplishing necessary tasks, transforms from motivation to anxiety and stress about what will go wrong next. It begins a cycle of stresses and fears, and there seems to be little time to deal with them.

And that is precisely the time when they must be dealt with; the cycle must be broken.

Farmers' drive for independence can prevent them from reaching out for help, and yet doing so provides a release, sharing concerns with an empathetic listener provides recognition and release of some anxiety.

But who to reach out to? Begin by considering your social network: family, friends, community and professional groups, and your church. And don't overlook your medical providers, who are skilled at empathetic listening and referral to confidential resources.

Empathetic listening is non-judgmental, supportive and patient. An empathetic listener might mention some change that they have seen, or ask an open-ended question.

Together, you may consider ways to reduce stress. It may involve lifestyle changes that are recognized to reduce stress: eating nutritionally, exercising, using humor, identifying problems and possible solutions, and setting long-term goals. All the talk, planning, decision-making and problem-solving can lead to elevated feelings of motivation and control, while all healing takes time.

But, what if those earnest efforts aren't enough? What if those negative feelings and thoughts of self-harm remain?

First off, be aware that occupational exposures to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides can lead to depression, and that the risk of suicide may actually increase by commonly prescribed serotonin reuptake inhibitors, like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox. Even a medical provider may be unaware of that.

Next, it's time to seek confidential, professional help. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness: it's a sign of strength. And there are numerous ways to get it. It can be as simple as texting 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. Confidential assistance from Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Farm Center hotline is at: 1-800-942-2474. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is: 1-800-273-8255. As rapper Logic sang: "The lane I travel feels alone, but I'm moving 'til my legs give out."

Remember, too, Peanuts' sage words: "Worrying won't stop the bad stuff from happening, it just stops you from enjoying the good."

Community columnist Maura "Chip" Yost is a Centerville resident.