If you’re a caregiver, you may be feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Maybe in the beginning you thought the illness or the injury was going to be short-term, that they were going to get better. Now weeks have turned into months. You look into the future and see both how much you love them and how you don’t know if you’ll be able to do what’s required of you. If these feelings echo your own, you are not alone. Your own mental wellness needs care too.
What is Caregiver Stress?
Eldercare can be difficult, but caring for aging parents is one of the most precious tasks. They have a place deep in your heart, and you know every small thing you do for them is an act of love. But long-term care takes its toll. If you provide daily care for the physical needs of someone who can’t take care of themselves you’re a caregiver, and it’s a tough job.
Signs You May Be Suffering from Caregiver Stress
- Feeling depressed or irritable.
- Overreacting, constantly feeling like you’re out of patience.
- Rapid weight gain or loss because you don’t have time to eat like you used to.
- Feeling tired all the time.
- You seem to be getting sick more often.
- Frequent headaches or body aches.
- You don’t feel like you have time for personal care, exercise, or hobbies any more.
- You feel increasingly frequent flashes of anger or resentment at the person you’re caring for.
How to deal with Caregiver Stress
One of the hardest things about being a caregiver is how it isolates you. It’s hard to get out when your loved one needs you. When every ounce of your energy is poured into taking care of someone else, it seems like you don’t have any left to seek out other people. But that is what can make a critical difference.
1. Reach out for help. When you think of the things you won’t get to do today, write some of them down. There are things no one else can do, but there are also things other people can. When someone asks what they can do to help, tell them! Allowing someone else to cut the grass or run to the grocery store frees you to do the vital tasks only you can accomplish.
2. Reach out for emotional support. You have been shouldering the load, but let other family members know what you’re going through. You’re pouring your love into the person who needs you. Let others fill it back up. Join a support group so you can talk to people who are going through the same struggles. Sometimes when no one can make it better, at least someone can understand.
3. Reach out for medical help. You may feel like you go to the doctor all the time with your loved one, but what about you? Make sure you get your own annual checkup. Routine preventive care is even more important for you right now. Get your teeth cleaned, schedule your mammogram if it’s time. Tell your doctor what you’re going through so he can help.
4. Take time for yourself. When you’re making that list of what others can do to help, add to the list time someone else can sit with your loved one. Carve out time to do the things you enjoy. Exercise will improve your mood, keep you healthy and make your body more able to deal with the physical demands of caregiving. Returning to your hobbies gives you a break from your more difficult tasks.
Additional Resources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/caregiver-stress/art-20044784
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/caregiver-stress-and-burnout.htm
https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/caregiver-stress
