Stress: Caregiver Stress
By Lauren Hernandez
Caregiving is the responsibility to provide unpaid care for an adult or child which may involve shopping, housekeeping, toilet assistance, bathing, coordinating medical treatments, and managing a person’s finances. One of the main struggles a caregiver must learn to cope with is that caregiving is a 24/7 job, in addition to any other professional or personal endeavors that person is pursuing. While the patient is most commonly a loved one and family member, the caregiver must remember to take care of themselves. Additionally, a caregivers’ own health and daily needs are oftentimes neglected and this can be detrimental to that individual’s well-being. “Caregiver stress” is when caregiving becomes too overwhelming.
The most common feelings associated with caregiver stress include:
- Exhaustion
- Frustration
- Loneliness
- Guilt
- Anger
- Burden, feeling of weight on your shoulders
- Anxiety
It is important to remind a caregiver to set aside time for themselves, to focus on their own mental and physical health, as well as other pressing needs. Meditation, reading, and yoga are a few ways in which a caregiver can relax. It would also be helpful to seek other forms of aid for that patient, whether that be the help of other family members, daily visits from nurses, or considering putting your loved one into a nursing or residential assisted living home so they can be cared for 24/7 by professionals. However, if you or someone you know is struggling due to being a caregiver, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for some coping mechanisms.
If you or someone you know is struggling with the stress of caregiving, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .
Sources: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/caregiving
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