CONTENT WARNING: SUICIDE
“A male friend the same age…..
“A male friend the same age as me, died by suicide a few months ago. When I heard the news, the first question I asked was “why?”. I felt I should have done more and it wasn’t until I was at his funeral that I realised I wasn’t to carry that guilt, he had so many people he could have spoken to.
That same day I sent a message out to all my male friends and work contacts I connect with. It turned out one of them wasn’t doing ok and we worked some stuff out.
Pest control is a lonely job, no matter the company size, I’m not alone in feeling that way. I’ve built up a network of other pest controllers that may be my competition, but they are also my friends. I stress to them the importance of talking with one another and helping out where possible.
It’s even more stressful if you run your own business and all the decisions that come with it. Simply opening up and talking about things helps tremendously and others in the industry can give input that may have not been clear or obvious before. Sometimes it’s not even about asking for solutions, it’s about having someone to listen to you.