His past experiences were a driving force behind the creation of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program.
Now, Gerry Friesen is also an author.
His book, The Recovering Farmer, is now available in book stores.
"It is a project that I had worked on for a number of years. Basicaally it just tells about my journey through what I call the labrynth of anxiety and depression. It is something that started when I was farming back in 2004."
Friesen says the response to the book has been very overwhelming so far, from both farmers and non-farmers.
"In fact, there is a guy that golfs at the course that I golf at, who heard an interview that I had done on the radio, and asked if he could read my book. he said he had a brother that deals with anxiety and depression, and I don't understand it. And so he read the book and said "even though I do not farm, I now get what mental illness is and what it does to people."
Friesen will be signing copies of the book this Saaturday afternoon at the Shoppers Mall in Brandon.
