Bid to save farmers from depression and suicide

IN HIS darkest moments on his farm out the back of Warragul, father of three Joe Meggetto would wander around the property looking for places to end his life. Here’s how he turned his life around.

IN his darkest moments on his farm out the back of Warragul, father of three Joe Meggetto would wander around the property looking for places to end his life.

The shed. The dam. An old eucalyptus tree. They were options.

BRINGING SUICIDE OUT OF THE SHADOWS

THE MEN MOST AT RISK OF SUICIDE

SHOW A WAY BACK TO CUT SUICIDES

Sometimes he’d stare blankly out of the window of his tractor cabin, lost in thought and the morning light. After milking there were nights when he’d walk down the paddock, twist the earth with his feet and sob helplessly into his hands.

Joe Meggetto was on the brink of becoming a statistic — one of the hundreds of Australian farmers who end their lives each year. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Nobody was there to see it, or knew the war he was waging with himself.

Mr Meggetto was on the brink of becoming a statistic — one of the hundreds of Australian farmers who end their lives each year.

Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data reveals that in Gippsland alone, 49 people died by suicide in 2016. The statewide total that year was 624 — more than double the road toll.

Experts warn that farmers are in the highest category of risk because so many work in isolation.

That rising toll and the overall pressure on producers have resulted in the launch of a calendar aimed at highlighting the issue in the heart of Victoria’s dairy community.

Speaking at the launch this week, Mr Meggetto urged farmers to seek help.

He is among 12 Gippsland dairy farmers whose anguished stories feature in a calendar by boutique milk producer Gippsland Jersey.

Drouin Dairy Farmer Adam Nelson stopped milking and got rid of his dairy cows, rather than risk going into further debt for an uncertain future. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The only farmer-owned milk company in the region, it was established by local produce advocate Sallie Jones and Jindivick dairy farmer Steve Ronalds in response to the 2016 milk crisis and the suicide of Ms Jones’ father in 2016.

She said: “Our wish is that this calendar prompts honest and real conversations about a health issue that often we feel ashamed or embarrassed about.”

More than 1400 calendars will be distributed to farms across Gippsland with a heartfelt message of hope as well as links and contact numbers for health services.

“People love you and care about you,’’ Mr Meggetto said.

“Get out of the macho mindset and go and get some help.’’

Other personal stories featured include that of Tom Gannon of Tinamba, who admits hitting rock bottom just before the dairy crisis hit.

Burned out and stressed, he woke one night shaking uncontrollably and had to be rushed to hospital by his wife, Mel.

Another is Adam Nelson, who was at his wits’ end due to huge debts. The former reality TV contestant talks about walking away from his dairy operation.

Ian Cougle was so anxious he couldn’t get out of bed. Picture: Eugene Hyland

“I guess, looking back, I wasn’t aware of the strain it was having on my mental health,’’ he said. “I didn’t know what weekends were. I’d been farming since I was 16.’’

Ian Cougle, of Willow Grove, was so bound by anxiety he couldn’t get out of bed.

Michaela Whiting, of Labertouche, talks about the stigma associated with being a sole female dairy producer and the guilt she experiences for missing time with her kids.

Royston Nettleton, of Orbost, said the inconsistency of milk pricing pushed him to the edge. He started getting headaches and chest pains and ended up in hospital. The doctor told him it was from stress.

“Men around here can be seen as having a tough exterior but it helps to talk to mates about it rather than bottling it up,’’ he said.

Royston Nettleton got headaches and chest pains and ended up in hospital. Picture: Eugene Hyland

The calendar has been supported by a suicide prevention trial project in the Latrobe Valley and Bass Coast, co-funded by the federal government and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, through the Gippsland Primary Health Network.

The network’s chief executive, Marianne Shearer, said it was vital farmers understood what services were available to them without fear of judgment.

“They feel like they are on their own on the farm and it’s so important to have social connectedness with community,’’
Ms Shearer said.

In the end, Mr Meggetto said that with the support of his wife, he sought the help of a GP who just happened to be a neighbour.

“I sat down and cried and just let it all out,’’ he said. “I walked out of there with such a sense of relief just knowing I wasn’t grappling with it by myself any more.’’

Beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman said it was clear farmers and people in remote locations were among those at high risk.

Several farmers have put together a calendar in the memory Michael Bowen, who took his own life during the crisis. Picture: Eugene Hyland

“The suicide rate in very remote areas is twice as high as rates in major cities,’’ he said.

“This is despite similar rates of diagnosed mental health conditions.

“Farmers and people who live
and work in remote areas face
many pressures that can affect mental health, including financial stress, social isolation, feelings of stigma and a lack of access to
mental health services.

“Beyondblue has a range of resources for people in regional areas that are designed to overcome some of these barriers to treatment.’’

DAD WAS SO STRONG, SO BROKEN

LIKE any daughter, I absolutely loved my father. He was kind, compassionate and bold. He worked hard — 18 hours most days — so he could give our family every opportunity. He was as strong as an ox, physically and mentally.

Nothing could break him. Or so we thought. I’ll never forget the Sunday afternoon when he walked into my kitchen and started crying. It was the first time I’d seen Dad cry.

Sallie Jones with a photo of her dad Michael Bowen. Picture: Eugene Hyland

He’d lost a lot of weight and his enthusiasm for life. He was happy to sit on the couch all day. It turns out these are red flags of poor mental health. I thought we could fix the matter as a family and get back to some normality but this was just the beginning of Dad’s mental health journey. For three years we struggled together and eventually my father entered a period of psychosis.

We rallied around him as a family and tried our absolute best to do everything to relieve his struggles.

Just when we thought we’d come through the worst of it, Dad died by suicide. It was March 22, 2016.

He would never have chosen that unless he was suffering more hurt than we would ever know. He left us without answers. Just heartbreak.

We’ll be distributing 1400 calendars via tanker drop to every dairy farmer in Gippsland. It will include the contact numbers of health service providers and the stories of our amazing farmers who bravely describe their own mental health journeys. Our aim is to end the stigma and help save someone’s life.

— Sallie Jones

HOW TO GET HELP

• Call beyondblue’s support service 1300 224 636, available 24/7

• Visit the online forums at beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums

• Download the BeyondNow app from the beyondblue website, to support someone whom you

believe may be at risk

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