Do you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted?
Are you finding yourself a bit prickly and short tempered?
Have you gone from being very attentive and caring to unconcerned or numb?
Do you push yourself past your limit physically and financially?
Do you feel guilty when taking time away from caregiving?
If you answered YES to any of these…
You Might Be Experiencing Caregiver Burnout!
Caregivers often are so busy caring for others that they tend to neglect their own physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout?
- Withdrawal from friends, family and other loved ones
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
- Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless
- Changes in appetite, weight, or both
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Getting sick more often
- Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or the person for whom you are caring
- Emotional and physical exhaustion
- Irritability
Complications of Caregiving to Consider:
- Many people experience role confusion when thrown into caregiving responsibilities. It can be difficult to separate the role as caregiver from the one as a spouse, lover, child, friend, or another close relationship.
- Unreasonable demands or burdens are often placed on the caregiver either by themselves or by others in the family.
- Many caregivers become increasingly frustrated by a lack of money, resources, and skills available to effectively plan, manage, and organize their loved one’s care.
- Some caregivers have unrealistic expectations about their responsibility for the patient’s overall health outcomes and happiness. This expectation becomes increasingly difficult to achieve if the patient suffers from a progressive disease, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.
- Many caregivers cannot recognize when they are suffering from burnout and eventually get to the point where they cannot function effectively. They may even become sick themselves.
Whether you are caring for a loved one in the home or you are a professional in the community, Counseling with C.A.R.E. LLC is here to provide you with the guidance and support you needed to maintain physical, spiritual, and emotional balance through the process.
Don’t Ignore the Signs…Reach Out Today!