You already know that farmers are the kind of folks who do it all by themselves. That includes handling their emotions (yes, they have those) and stress too. That is a totally okay approach, but when it comes to chronic stress that leads to depression and anxiety, trying to fix it is like trying to tape the header back onto your old swather.

Everyone feels sad or “blue” every once in a while. We might say something like, “I’m not myself lately,” when we feel a bit down or miserable. Usually, these feelings pass in a couple of days or less. 

But if you’re feeling an ongoing sense of sadness and hopelessness that doesn’t seem to go away after a couple of weeks, and it's starting to interfere with your daily routine, it could be a warning sign of a deeper problem.

Depression is a severe mood disorder that affects nearly 34% of Canadian farmers. While we often think that it’s just about feeling unhappy and hopeless, depression might also manifest itself in angry outbursts, taking unnecessary risks, and drinking more than usual.