This is Sam's story

“I’d say from the ages of around 18 – 25 I experienced some challenges with my own mental health and wellbeing. I felt low and I felt under pressure trying to build my career. I tried to distract myself by going out drinking, bouncing in and out of relationships. None of them really changed how I felt. A turning point for me came when my family brought me home one day. My parents had a serious talk with me to check in and I ended up bursting into tears – breaking down.

“That’s when I finally said ‘this is where I’m at’. It wasn’t a pint of beer that changed my situation, it was talking to people that care. I do understand it can be difficult to open up and talk – you don’t want to look sad in front of your mates.

“There can be generational challenges in the farming community too. I’m a farmer’s grandson and my uncle runs a farm too; it’s in my family. I went to agricultural college and began working on farms from a young age. I always thought I might have worked on the family farm one day, but I work in my own farming business, growing and wholesaling vegetables alongside working for another family's farm.

“There are lots of unique things that the farming community faces; the divide between young and old generations and ways of working, working for and with your family business and then working for others can be a transition of expectations, sometimes there’s a toxic environment when it comes to talking about mental health and wellbeing.

“To anyone that’s struggling with their mental health, I’d say it’s never too late to talk.”

“I think when you come from a rural community, a farming background, you think somebody isn’t going to understand your problem. And, I think that isn’t true. The more you go out and talk to people, the more you realise, actually, whatever background you come from, we all face similar problems, not necessarily for the same reasons, but similar issues.

“There’s more and more people out there, that understand rural communities aren’t exactly the same, and they’re trying to figure out ways to help people in rural communities more.

“They do understand the issue, even if they don’t completely understand the circumstances, they can still help and give advice, and get you to the right people for your situation. So we should never think just because we are in a rural environment somebody won’t understand my problem.

“I made that mistake, and you know what? I’ve come to learn years down the line, that actually those people could have helped me, and still spoke to me even if they didn’t understand exactly what was wrong.

“They would have still given me help and advice I needed to get me out of a difficult situation. And you know, we really need to bear that in mind more.”