Farming has always required resilience. Each season brings new uncertainties, and every soybean grower knows the pressures that come with working the land. In recent years, those pressures have grown. Volatile markets, rising input costs, unpredictable weather and supply chain disruptions have pushed stress levels to new heights—and the impact extends far beyond the fields.

A recent American Farm Bureau Federation survey found that more than half of rural adults—and nearly two-thirds of farmers and farm workers—have experienced increased stress and mental health challenges compared to a few years ago. Also, according to the Center for Disease Control, farmers are estimated to be 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than those in other occupations. Yet access to mental healthcare remains limited in many rural communities.

To help raise awareness about mental health, the nonprofit organization Fluvanna County Arts Council presented “Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Switch on Mental Illness” on May 6, 2023, at the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center in the small rural community of Fork Union, Virginia. This storytelling event harnessed the power in sharing stories of lived experience with mental illness, as well as provided compelling testimony to the recovery process. During the program, six storytellers shared their mental health and wellness journeys through monologues, music, poetry and visual art.

I learned that I have bipolar disorder, but I am not bipolar disorder. I may have a mental illness, but I am not defined by that illness, and I can live an amazing life. I shattered my inner shame. From that point, my life took a turn for the better. I created BipolarBabe.com, a place of understanding where people could connect who were dealing with any mental health issue. This vision eventually gave rise to the Bipolar Disorder Society of British Columbia, now known as Stigma-Free Society.

A major barrier to individuals seeking help in rural communities is the stigma often associated with mental health challenges. Rural Minds is working to confront the stigma through people talking about their personal, lived experiences with mental illness.

“Sharing the burden of mental illness and life experiences can be really, really powerful,” said Dr. Mark A. Fry, consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic. “As a psychiatrist, I would tell you it’s a critically important part of the overall treatment plan. In my opinion, the concept of providing peer support – sharing lived experiences with mental illness and supporting each other – really is invaluable.”