We know that agriculture is one of the most, if not the most, deadly occupations. We know that farmers, feedlot owners/managers, their employees, and families live and work with great stress, and some may turn to substances to handle it all. Addiction also affects bankers, lawyers, doctors, teachers - it has no preference. Before they know it, some people get addicted to their “drug of choice,” be it alcohol, prescription, and/or street drugs, and other vices.
Agriculture is also traditionally a “pick yourself up and dust yourself off” industry, where daily shots of whiskey, bottles of wine, a joint, maybe even pills can be commonplace. “Just a little” to get through that becomes an everyday crutch. We ask, “Why can’t ______ just straighten up and quit/drink like the rest of us?” For an addict/alcoholic, it’s not that simple. And yes, both drinkers and drug users are substance abusers; one’s not “better” than the other.
Addiction in our communities happens more often than we realize, and frankly, it doesn’t care what job you have, what color you are, how much money you make, what sex you are, or where you live. Eventually, it catches up with health, legal, and relationship issues. Addiction is for life - there’s no 30-day quick fix cure. It’s a lifetime of working to stay healthy. But what a wonderful life, free of guilt and shame, is waiting!
You might know of someone who walks this lonely path of disease and despair. Maybe it’s you. It starts with an admission, and a will and sincere desire to change. If you, a family member, a friend, or an employee needs help, we urge you to seek it out before it’s too late.
Connor Agriscience/Sealpro supports the PAIN Foundation, a non-profit that provides answers to the question, “What do I do now?” If you or someone else wants a way out of addiction, call Flindt Anderson (PAIN Founder and Executive Director) at 559-579-1551. Visit Alcoholics Anonymous for information on a local resource for recovery. Families of substance abusers can find help at Al-Anon, regardless of whether the alcoholic/addict is involved in recovery or not.
