The Scottish Farmer office received a phone call from a lady who wanted to highlight a very personal issue to her and her family.

 

Her brother, a well known shepherd, had recently taken his own life and although he showed no outward signs of depression to alert them of a problem before it was too late, she wanted to highlight the issue among the farming community and also to raise awareness of the services that are easily accessible to someone who is suffering from depression. To help sufferers understand their feelings and also to help make sure that no other family had to go through the pain that her family had suffered.

A one off question around the office left me in no doubt that we all knew of someone who had suffered from depression. Would they talk to me? An overwhelming no, was the answer. Why, because there is a stigma involved with depression that no one wants attached to them.

The male farming community are not known for the touchy feely side, “pull yourself together” “get a grip,” both told to a male suffering from depression, when feeling at his lowest ebb. If only it were that easy, with one in four of us experiencing some sort of mental health problem at some time in our lives, and three quarters of us knowing someone with a mental health problem, The SF has put together a series of articles on recognising depression, the services available to deal with it, and some real stories from farmers who deal with depression in their everyday lives.

Click this link to read Ian's story<A HREF=" http://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/depression-ian-frame-s-story-1.1015970"> </A>