WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a national nonprofit is helping farmers and people who live in rural America access mental health resources.
During a crucial, pressure-filled time for farmers with high input costs and unstable markets, the group Rural Minds is working to help people in these communities access these resources.
“Even the strongest person has got to feel this stress and even the strongest person, we want to encourage them to ask for help when they need it, you’re not alone,” said Marilyn Cummins with Rural Minds.
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Rural Minds’ goal is to connect people with resources and give them the tools to take care of their mental health, especially in areas where mental health might be something people don’t want to talk about.
“Our vision is to end the suffering, and the silence, and the stigma around mental illness in rural America,” said Cummins.
Thomas Eisenbarth, a Kansas farmer from Pottawatomie county, is now working with the group.
His uncle, who was also a farmer, took his own life when Eisenbarth was growing up. That tragedy inspired him to become an advocate for mental health in farming circles.
“It means a lot to be able to be, to kind of be a voice for both sides of the situation. To be involved in agriculture myself and to be able to understand what rural minds is trying to do,” said Eisenbarth.
Eisenbarth said that, of course, there’s the pressure of rising costs right now – but there’s another pressure that farmers face.
The pressure of continuing family farms passed on through the years.
“There’s always this underlying pressure of, I always use the word legacy, like, to have something and to keep it going and to be able to hand it down to the next generation. That’s another pressure that doesn’t get talked about a lot,” said Eisenbarth.
He highlighted that it’s important to show support for your loved ones.
“Simply check on your people, I mean agriculture exists in little neighborhoods and little, kind of, ecosystems, so just, you know your people, reach out, check on your people,” said Eisenbarth.
If you or someone you know is interested in what Rural Minds does, you can visit their website here.
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