History shows that not talking about something does not make it go away.
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Child abuse within the Catholic church is a classic example.
Instead of protecting those who are hurt by the issue, keeping it quiet can add to feelings of shame, to a lack of acknowledgment of the problem and to the victims feeling that it is somehow all their fault.
For some time now, it has been recognised that people within the farming community – particularly men – are at higher risk of suicide.
Farmers sunk beneath the despair of drought, money problems and feelings of failure are quietly ending it all.
And for all those who have gone that way, there are many more left behind who are just plain struggling to cope.
Our community is based on both farming and mining. There has also been a lot of talk about mental health issues being a significant factor among fly-in, fly-out mine workers.
And within our community, farmers have always been champions. They work hard, rarely have a day off and can have their whole year’s work wiped out in one fell swoop.
But generations have battled on, sometimes making it good, sometimes falling on hard times.
For this generation on the farm facing times of prolonged drought, not only do they have to face their own fears of failure to make ends meet, but the horrific pressure of not making the farm work where their parents and grandparents, and sometime great-grandparents, have been able to make a go of it.
No matter how many hours they put in, they can’t change the weather, or the markets, or the millions of things outside a farmer’s control.
As counsellor Simon Santhosa says, men aren’t good at admitting they have a problem.
They are unlikely to tell their partner, sometimes for fear that voicing the problem will make it more real.
That does not mean they do not need help.
Keep an eye on your partner, your neighbour, your friends. Farms are precious, but lives are more precious.
Look out for unreasonable amounts of work on the farm, increased drinking, bouts of unexplained anger. If they can’t talk to you, get them to try Challenge Community Services on 1800 795 441 or another service. It could save a life.