When a bad harvest weighs on your mind: you do not have to carry it alone
A flood that takes the Aman crop, a price that falls below the cost of growing, a loan that cannot be repaid: farming carries heavy worries, and they often arrive together. Many farmers keep it all inside because they feel they must be strong for their family. Feeling crushed by a situation like this is not weakness. It is a human reaction, and it can get better.
Signs that stress is becoming too much
- Not sleeping, or sleeping far more than usual.
- Losing interest in food, work, family or prayer.
- Feeling hopeless, worthless or trapped, or that the family would be better off without you.
- Getting angry quickly, or pulling away from people.
- Headaches, chest tightness or stomach trouble with no clear cause.
Things that help
- Talk to someone you trust: your wife or husband, a brother, a friend, an imam or a neighbour. Saying it out loud makes the weight lighter.
- Take one problem at a time. Write down what you owe and to whom, and what is due first.
- Talk to your lender early. NGOs and banks can sometimes reschedule a loan after a disaster; ask before the payment is missed.
- Ask the Upazila Agriculture Office about help after crop loss, such as seed and fertiliser support.
- Keep some routine: eat, rest, go outside, and spend a little time with your children.
Free people to talk to
- Shastho Batayon 16263: doctors give mental-health counselling by phone, 24 hours a day.
- Kaan Pete Roi (emotional support, in Bangla): 01985275286, 01852035634 or 01517969150. Trained volunteers listen without judging and keep what you say private.
- Your Upazila Health Complex: ask to see a doctor about sleep, worry or low mood.
If you are worried about someone
If a family member or neighbour talks about wanting to die or seems to be giving up, take it seriously. Stay with them, listen without arguing, keep pesticides and other dangerous things locked away, and help them call 16263 or Kaan Pete Roi. If they are in immediate danger, call 999 or take them to hospital.
Hard seasons pass. Asking for help is one of the bravest things a farmer can do for their family. The Wellbeing page of this site lists all these numbers in one place.