Kangaroo Island farmer Sam Mumford warns about suicide for Breakthrough Mental Health
Sam Mumford came close to taking his own life after fires destroyed his KI property. He wants farmers with mental health issues to know there can be light at the end of the tunnel.
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Kangaroo Island farmer Sam Mumford knows he’s one of the lucky few.
His property at Parndana near the centre of the island received an excellent soaking of rain a couple of weeks ago – enough to call it the season break.
But he knows most farmers across the state haven’t been as fortunate, and are still looking nervously to the sky in the hope that the drought that has crippled their fortunes for so long might soon be over.
He also knows many of them are struggling with their mental health and he knows how tough that can be. He’s been there. And he has a simple message. Be open about your struggles. Don’t be too proud to tell your mates how you are feeling.
It’s a mantra Mr Mumford, 50, has learned to embrace after sinking to lows he never thought he would experience in the wake of the Kangaroo Island Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.
Those fires, which claimed 4500 sheep, 850 cows, 148km of fencing and countless sheds on Mr Mumford’s three properties, left him contemplating suicide.
He says it has only been through skills he has learned by attending a post-fire first aid mental health course in his role as a local councillor that allowed him to climb out of his darkest days.
“Talk to your mates – don’t try and get through this by yourself because it can be a very long, dark tunnel,” Mr Mumford says when asked what he would say to drought-stricken farmers heading down a similar path.
“The more you have out in the open, the less bad thoughts you have yourself. I ended up just being an open book and if I was feeling something I just said it.”
Mr Munford says it’s time for farmers to forget about stereotypes about stoic farmers refusing to ask for help unless they were on their deathbeds.
“If I’m having a bad day now, I’ll just turn around and say I’m having a bad day – it keeps the conversation going,” he says.
“We’ve had suicides since this fire and there’ll be more suicides, but just one is one too many. Every suicide in the world is preventable.
“We just need to have the conversation, we need to have the right conversation at the right time.”
The mental health first aid course Mr Mumford attended at Parndana was run by SA-based Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and it’s an organisation he credits with saving his life.
He will be guest speaker at a foundation men’s mental health dinner at Adelaide Oval on June 13 – an event aimed at fostering a safe environment for men to address the stigmas of mental health.
Chief executive John Mannion says the foundation will facilitate a range of events over the next few months aimed at bringing communities together over a meal to listen, share and build the skills needed to manage mental health during challenging times.
“The drought is not only impacting our farmers, but also their families and communities,” Mr Mannion says.
“That’s why it’s important that we encourage honest and open mental health conversations that foster safety, compassion and support and also offer hope.
“It’s OK to not be OK – you just don’t have to do it alone.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone. Support is available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
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Originally published as Kangaroo Island farmer Sam Mumford warns about suicide for Breakthrough Mental Health
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