Ongoing stress can lead to depression

01-06-2010 | Jackie Harrigan

Stress and depression are conditions not often talked about in farming circles. It is easy to find a field day to attend on soils, pastures, production and marketing, but more difficult to know what to do if a farmer or his family are suffering from stress or mental illness.

The farming community faces stressors that urban people don't - bad weather, problems with animals, huge workload, financial pressure, seasonal employment, too much responsibility and/or uncertainty. Ongoing stress can lead to depression.

For farmers or their partners who are suffering there are points of call and places to go to for information and resources.

The Out of the Blue depression campaign run by the Mental Health Foundation suggests that if a person is showing signs of depression for more than two weeks then it is time to get help and consult a professional. Helplines, websites and the family GP are all good initial contact points.

Rural Support Trusts are established around the country to help farmers during and following adverse events, co-ordinating physical resources and providing stress-management services, along with referrals to appropriate individuals and organisations that can help.

If a farmer or someone they know frequently feels frazzled or overwhelmed, they can help protect themselves and others from the stresses farm life throws at them by learning how to recognise the symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce and manage it.

Stress is a normal physical response to changes or events that make a person feel threatened or upset. The body's natural stress response is a way of protecting the person from harm, helping them to stay focused, energetic and alert, and improving their ability to respond intuitively to a situation.

The danger lies in too much stress or stress over a long time. Beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to a person's health, their mood, productivity, relationships, and the quality of their life. Everyone experiences and deals with stress in different ways.

Some of the more common warning signs that it's time to manage your stress and consider getting help:

• Loss of energy and constant tiredness

• Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities usually enjoyed

• Persistent worrying about little things

• Changes in sleeping patterns: sleeping difficulties despite physical exhaustion, or sometimes sleeping too much

• Indigestion or stomach upsets

• Muscle tension and pains (for example, lower back, chest, shoulders, joints, nervous "twitches" or muscle spasms)

• Skin itches or rashes for no apparent reason

• Frequent sickness (for example, cold, flu and stomach bugs)

• Shortness of breath or shallow breathing

• Memory or concentration problems

• Doing risky or careless things (excessive drinking, gambling, drug use)

• Continuous feelings of anxiousness and tension for no obvious reason

• Feeling irritable, impatient or teary for no apparent reason

• Finding it hard to make decisions and concentrate

• A sad mood that will not go away despite good things happening

• Loss of appetite or over-eating

• Isolation by avoiding people, places and events.

In some instances farmers may be able to remove the cause of stress. However, it is not always practical to change their workplace, where they live, or their relationships - but they can manage their body's reaction to stress by learning new ways to manage or to cope differently.

The Rural Support Trust suggests the following ways to help manage stress:

• Talk about your worries: Spend time with someone you trust. Talk to a friend, partner, parents, counsellor or clergy

• Limit your expectations: Be selective and use your energy to do the most important and achievable tasks. Set goals you can reach. Do not blame yourself if you don't reach all your goals, these may be possible next time

• Eat well: Eat a variety of fresh foods in a balanced diet. Some foods actually cause increased tension, for example, coffee, tea, chocolate, alcohol and soft drinks. These are foods we crave when we are stressed so beware and try to limit your intake of them.

• Make time to exercise, take time out with family and friends: Make some time (three times a week minimum) for exercise such as walking, swimming or something you enjoy. Give yourself a breather now and then. Get away from the farm for a few hours or a day. Spend time with family/whanau and friends or find ways of meeting new friends

• Organise your work habits: Get up five or 10 minutes earlier so you don't have to rush; break large projects down into more manageable smaller tasks. Spend five to 10 minutes at the end of the day preparing for the next day. This helps you gain control of your life

• Solve problems: Try to find a solution to conflict; learn to be more assertive and say "No"

• Get sufficient sleep: To help sleep, take a walk in the evening, practise relaxation, make your bedroom a sleeping space only (remove the TV).

• Put fun and laughter in your life: This has proven to be good for health and it makes you feels good.

If you or someone you know is experiencing high and persistent levels of stress and would like further information or support, talk to your doctor.

Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms. It's important to remember that these symptoms can be part of life's normal lows, but the more symptoms you have, the stronger they are, and the longer they've lasted the more likely it is that you're dealing with depression. When these symptoms are overwhelming and disabling, then it's time to seek help.

Sadness is a normal reaction to life's struggles, setbacks, and disappointments and some people use the word "depression" to explain these kinds of feelings, but depression is much more than just sadness. Some people describe depression as "living in a black hole" or having a feeling of impending doom. Some depressed people don't feel sad at all - instead, they feel lifeless, empty, and apathetic.

Whatever the symptoms, depression is different from normal sadness in that it engulfs your day-to-day life, interfering with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and have fun. The feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting, with little, if any, relief.

Depression is a major risk factor for suicide. The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain. Thoughts of death or suicide are a serious symptom of depression, so take any suicidal talk or behaviour seriously.

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