(Submitted by Courtney Rice of National Alliance on Mental Illness)
In 2020, farmers were planning production at a time when markets, including food, commodity, labor, and energy, are all being shaken by not only regional shutdowns, but national and global ones as well.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this has negatively affected U.S. and global economies, and then caused supply and demand for food in the overall U.S. and rest of the world to leave shortages, specifically in livestock products and milk supplies.
Also, in 2020, we relied heavily on first responders, which has increased the pressure in this profession. Many situations that first responders encounter during their day on the job are more challenging and stressful than ever.
Additionally, first responders are working more hours than ever, and spending less time with their families. For both the farming and first responder communities, these professionals still live with the stress of any other U.S. citizen: the fear of bringing COVID home to their families.
Because of the added challenges, there may be folks in our community who are experiencing a great amount of stress or sadness that they may have never felt before. The pandemic that has continued for nearly a year now has caused a great number of added stressors and barriers for many folks in Wood County. Specifically, the first responder and farming communities have seen many added stressors.
Helping others, saving lives, working to feed and support your family…all of this can be exhausting. And you are appreciated for all this hard work, especially now more than ever. But is this stress affecting your loved ones? Does your spouse appear to be more agitated and concerned for your well-being, or that they are losing sleep or eating less? Do you kids show hesitation when you leave the house? NAMI Wood County wants to help.
We have a variety of programming availability to help individuals who may be experiencing a great amount of stress and are showing signs of fatigue. In this programming, we teach ways to help folks communicate effectively with their loved ones and help to reassure them of the worries they are experiencing.
If you go to www.namiwoodcounty.org, you will find many resources and information to help your loved one. You can also email info@namiwoodcounty.org or call 419-352-0626 to learn more.
Everybody has stress, and that is okay. We want to help you learn how to cope with these stressors and feel at ease. Reach out to NAMI Wood County and start the conversation today.
