Research shows that caregivers experience an increased stress reaction by 23% and a lower immune response by 15 % as compared to non-caregiving peers. Providing care for more than 9 hours a week leads to an increased risk of heart disease by 100% in women and 58% of caregivers also report unhealthy food consumption. About 30-40% of caregivers for dementia patients report depression and other emotional difficulties.
The American Psychological Association defines a potential caregiver as someone who is above the age of 18 years and can take care of the needs of another individual.
Whether you are a trained caregiver or an untrained caregiver that is providing support to a family member, things can be hard, especially if you take all the responsibility on yourself. Research suggests that caregivers are prone to developing mental illnesses such as stress, anxiety, and depression, etc. Various journals have documented that there is about a 40-70% increased health risk for caregivers as compared to their non-caregiving peers.
This article is focused on helping caregivers identify their risk of caregivers’ burnout while equipping them with some coping strategies.
Being a caregiver can be a highly daunting experience as they often worry about the right dosage of medication, scheduling doctor appointments, etc while taking care of the household responsibilities and even finances at times. These worries and stresses lead to ‘Caregiver Stress Syndrome’, a syndrome that is characterized by physical, psychological, and emotional exhaustion resulting from complete self-neglect while caring for a loved one.
Caregiver Stress Syndrome is accompanied by:
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Increased emotional distress: Individuals usually start to spiral once they are unable to cope with the stresses of being a caregiver. It starts with them feeling overwhelmed and soon they begin feeling anxious about the prognosis leading to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness making one depressed and anhedonic as caregivers.
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Decreased physical health: Due to the challenges of being a caregiver, people may forget to eat on time, experience heartburn, lose weight and in general be fatigued.
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Absent social life: Exhaustion from caregiving activities can make it hard to feel connected to your friends. This can make you avoid meeting or talking to your family friends leading to an absent social life.
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Increased anger and irritability: Caregivers usually do not ask for help from others around them as they feel solely responsible for the patient. This makes them perceive that they lack support making them irritable and angry.
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Sleep difficulties: Most caregivers either find it difficult to fall asleep or they are unable to wake up even after 8 hours of sleep.
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Increased use of substances: Some caregivers start to depend on cigarettes and alcohol to cope with the stress and burden of caregiving.
Here are some effective coping techniques that you can use to reduce your risk of developing Caregiver burnout:
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Schedule Relaxation: Prolonged stress causes an overflow of stress hormones such as cortisol into our bloodstream. The long-term impact of stress can thus be very harmful. You must create time to relax and indulge in some self-care activities such as deep breathing, exercise, meeting friends, etc.
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Recognize your efforts: Caregiving is hard and things can sometimes go wrong but it is important to remind yourself that you are going the best you can. Recognize your hard work and applaud yourself or pat yourself on the back for the good that you do.
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Division of labor: It is normal for you to want to control and do everything by yourself without seeking help. However, this may not be realistic. Do not be afraid to seek help from family, friends, and your doctors. Dividing and distributing some tasks between you and your partner or children can be of huge help.
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Count the positives: Taking care of an ailing parent or loved one may make us focus only on the illness. It is important to remind oneself how the patient was before the ailment. The progress of the patient’s health must never be overlooked.
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Talk to your employer: Juggling between work and caretaking is tough. You can check with your employer if you can be given some time off from work. We have some laws that can protect your job such as the Family Medical Leave Act, 1993. You can ask your H.R. manager to help you enact your right.
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Go for regular health check-ups: Before you take care of someone else, you must take care of yourself. Ensure that you do not lax on your annual visits to the doctor.
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Go for therapy: Most caregivers also go through anticipatory grief which can interfere with their social and emotional functioning. If you are anxious about losing your loved one and it is making you panic. It is time that you visit a psychologist.
In conclusion, the role of a caregiver is highly dynamic, stressful and can be anxiety provoking. In case one is not able to manage the psychological and emotional difficulties that arise from this role, they must consider seeking professional counseling.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Bavleen Mehta is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.