Herbicides linked to farmer depression

Comments

3 responses to “Herbicides linked to farmer depression”

1. 

   maggieannthoeni

   July 30, 2013

   Thanks for this, Daniela. It’s hard to hold onto all the important ‘quietly raised questions’ that I think we humans need to explore – but this is certainly worthy! It raises additional questions for me.

   My ‘take’ on humanity is that each individual has deep impulse to ‘celebrate,’ or at least to honor, “life”. Even without attaching specific spiritual or religious meaning – it’s my take that this impulse is in us. So I wonder how much of the depression might be linked to a very deep, underlying but unrecognized, sadness at ‘going against one’s own preference’, (i.e. going against this impulse).

   This sadness would be amplified by another conviction I have – that each is born with impulse to approach life autonomously. An underlying, unrecognized ‘inner dialogue’ for any individual particularly ‘committed’ to ‘celebration or honor in support of life itself’ might be “I have to do this – it risks me, risks those around me, and it poisons life itself. But market forces coerce me to do it, and I don’t feel I have choice.”

   That would be a truly depressing ‘inner dialogue’!

   (It’s my observation that not everyone is ‘attuned to’ the impulses that I believe we each nevertheless carry. Reason is partly differences in ‘unique personality configuration’ that we are born with, and partly because of need to ‘shut down’, suppress, or minimize impulses that interfere with our comfort with social mores. It would be my assertion that those farmers more likely to express depression have been ‘less successful’ shutting down highly generalize empathy toward life itself. Don’t mean to highjack or sidetrack key info of article, and agree brain chemistry is influenced by exposure to interactive chemicals from environment, but just want to toss in where I tend to go on this.)

   Thanks again!

   LikeLike

   Reply
   1. 

      Daniela

      July 30, 2013

      Thank you for taking the time to post this insightful comment. I hadn’t thought about the possibility that an underlying depression could be the result of farmers going against their own life-affirming impulses. It makes perfect sense.

      LikeLike

      Reply
2. 

   Lorena Petani

   July 31, 2013

   “Nos enfants nous accuseront” is a French film about the pesticide
   use in France, the high child cancer rates and what one mayor did to
   change things. Amazing.

   LikeLike

   Reply