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Dr. Val Farmer | ||
| Rural Mental Health & Family Relationships | |||
2. CopingLoginArticlesFilm Shows Struggle Of Farm Families (September 1998)
This is not a good year for farmers. There is a glut of grain and protein on the market. Prices are bad. The bottom has fallen out. Many farm couples are puzzling over the decision to stay in farming. Many are trying to figure out how to get out and keep their shirt on their back. Trying times create divisions between husband and wife about their goals - whether to keep fighting or be flexible enough to start over with a new life and new lifestyle. Public television is presenti ... Which Is It? Go To Plan B Or Get A Grip? (July 1998)
In the middle of the night, I am listening to the sound of death. It is the rumble of distant thunder. It is the sound of rain falling. Why is a life-giving force such as rain so menacing? Instead of nourishing the soil, it is nourishing dark, runaway thoughts as farmers listen to the sounds. This sound of death is the death of family farms. Dark thoughts, growing with each storm, are thoughts about quitting farming, quitting while there is something left. In eastern N ... Readers Respond On Rural Mental Health Concerns (October 1998)
In a previous column outlining mental health issues in rural communities, I requested comments from readers on what they thought I left out of my discussion. I received the following replies. "One stress point is lack of alternatives in choice-making. For instance, there are fewer persons from whom to choose friends. There are fewer choices in purchase options - only one grocery store, one clothing store, and so on. There are fewer choices in churches. "That ... It's True! No Man Is An Island (January 1997)
How satisfied are you with your friends? With your close friends? Are you disappointed in the frequency or quality of your social contacts? If so, you probably feel lonely. Loneliness is the psychological experience of being alone. You All This Milking Is Killing Me (September 1997)
Some changes have been made to protect the following letter writer's identity: Dear Dr Farmer, My name is Don. I'm a dairy farmer. I'm 46 years old and I've been farming all my life. My two kids are gone and are leading their Story Of Trapped Dairyman Reaction (October 1997)
I received some letters from people describing plights similar to the one described by the dairyman who felt trapped by his investment. Others were familiar with his situation and offered advice on how to deal with it.
Two Off-Farm Jobs: Are They Worth It? (March 1996)
People describe these past few years in agriculture as the rural roller-coaster. They have been crazy weather years to say the least. It has been wet and cold. Some areas have had bin-busting crops while others have had to deal with low yields a Off-Farm Work Takes A Big Toll (April 1996)
I conducted several interviews with farm women who have professional off-farm employment and whose husbands also have off-farm work. Listen to their voices as they talk about their lives. I have a new appreciation for their struggles, worries an Breaking Through Denial During Hard Times (February 1999)
During February and March many farm and ranch families will be coming to terms with the reality of facing another season with great anxiety and uncertainty. This is not the time for wishful thinking or for avoiding the bills, budgets or the lender. The thing that farmers and ranchers do best is trouble shooting and problem-solving. With the day-to- day challenges of production agriculture, a farmer or rancher has no equal. It is when they have to deal with the gloomy reality of markets, high operating expenses, and rapidly escalating debt that they may be paralyzed into inaction. Tough Times: How to Make 1999 A Good Year (March 1999)
This article describes both individual coping and family coping during a time of crisis in agriculture. Farmers may not have control over external factors but they do have control over how they manage their own stress and how to grow closer as a family. |
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