It's OK not to be OK - help to be found at Hexham Mart.
Well done to Hexham Auction Mart (Hexham and Northern Marts)!
They have a discreet banner in their cafe advertising counselling, aimed specifically at visitors to the Mart.
This is a brilliant idea.
I love the way that it is careful to say that "working with a counsellor is completely confidential. It takes place in a quiet, private room on non-Mart days and there is no contact with office staff or visitors to the Mart."
Farmers are a private and stoic bunch, and this is a great step forward. Poor mental health is emerging as one of the biggest, yet unspoken challenges in the farming industry and anything to encourage people to seek help is a major improvement.
As you know, I've been honest about my own struggles with galloping anxiety in my book. Poor mental health really sucks. Like REALLY sucks. Finding help is hard work. The NHS does its best but the waiting lists for counselling are massive. Talking therapy is one of the best ways to get better, but it's difficult to find counselling that isn't massively expensive or easy to access.
If you can, it's helpful to be honest about your struggles, to show others that they're not alone. And when help does emerge, pointing others in the right direction so that they can find some relief from the monkey chatter in their brain is equally as important.
Adam can be contacted by email aeagle@live.co.uk, phone 0790 220 9473, or phone Hexham and Northern Marts on 01434 605444
https://www.northernfarmer.co.uk/news/18204403.counselling-service-launched-northern-auction-mart/
