Milwaukee Public Radio's Environmental Reporter Susan Bence interviewed WiWiC Conservation Coach Stephanie Schneider of Together Farms in Mondovi and Farm Well Wisconsin's Program Director Chris Frakes about our partnership to bring Mental Health Peer Support Training to women in our Regional Networks this winter.
"Obviously, I think men have a lot of stress, so I don't want to diminish that," Schneider says. "My biggest stressors in my life growing up were men who were not dealing with their mental health issues in healthy ways." Schneider's father died at age 49, "because he turned to an unhealthy form of coping," she says. Yet, Schneider believes women often face unique challenges.
"Women tend to be caregivers, nurturers [and] we do take on that emotional load...but we also have this guilt too," Schneider explains. "I know I do. Like I still feel guilty about hiring somebody to clean the house—I don't want people to know I can't handle it all."