An Aberdeenshire farmer has shared his battle with his mental health which reached an all-time low a few years ago when he attempted to take his own life.
The video is part of RSABI's suicide prevention work.
Kenny Elphinstone said in the months running up to the incident, his mood fluctuated between a state of hyperactivity where he had to be flying on with work all the time, leaving him exhausted and not sleeping properly, to feeling so low he could barely function.
Suicide prevention
"I would say the best way to describe the way I felt was trapped. Every day was a struggle and one particular day I was home alone and I thought this is never going to get any better and I couldn't see any way out," he said.
After a hospital visit, Kenny was back home and, initially, he still really struggled with his mental health but things started to improve. A major part of his recovery has been the support he received from friends and his wife Jill in particular.
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"She got me out of bed in the morning and got me going and she kept me on the straight and narrow once I was back on my feet," he added.
He highlighted the importance of sharing feelings with someone trusted and encouraged people feeling low or lonely to find someone they trust to talk to or contact an organisation like RSABI.
And, he said, a little kindness and compassion can make an enormous difference to someone feeling low.
"On a scale of one to 10 I would say kindness is at least a nine. If you are really struggling and you find someone who is kind and prepared to listen to what you have got to say, it will make you feel a lot better," he said.
Kenny also urged farming families to prioritise and make time to discuss the future and to be prepared to make changes to their businesses to plan for the future before the mental health of family members starts to struggle as anxieties really start to creep in.
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"If you are in business with others you really need to make time to get things sorted and cut and dried. Putting things off will only make the situation worse, especially in cases where you are not all singing from the same hymn sheet," he said.
He also highlighted the importance of getting off farm and meeting others.
"Some people will say they do not have time to go to events but it is so important to get out and about and catch up with folk, especially if something is going round and round in your head," he said.
Kenny also highlighted other things which help him, such as listening to music.
Farmer mental health
For a while, when he was struggling, he lost all enjoyment in farming.
But he now has his love of farming back again, adding lambing and ploughing are his two favourite jobs to do on the farm, along with working with other people.
RSABI's prevention work includes a full-time member of staff working on suicide prevention as well as a major research project with Glasgow University.
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RSABI is also supporting a major ongoing campaign which includes a website with a range of information, resources and a local services directory is available at suicideprevention.scot.
RSABI's free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 (calls will not show up on phone bills) or through a confidential webchat service, available on RSABI's website www.rsabi.org.uk. Counselling can be arranged by RSABI quickly and simply and it is available free of charge to people in Scottish agriculture.
If you are struggling with your mental health or having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:
- Samaritans: 116 123 (Available 24/7)
- Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87 (Available Monday to Thursday 6pm to 2am. At weekends, open between Friday 6pm and Monday 6am)
- NHS 24 mental health hub on: 111 (Available 24/7)
- If you do not feel you can keep yourself safe right now, please seek immediate help by attending any Accident and Emergency (A&E) or contact 999 and request an ambulance.
