Common Signs of Caregiver Stress
- Being easily flustered or frustrated
- Extreme tiredness
- Disinterest in things they previously enjoyed
- Feeling anxious, depressed or hopeless
- Withdrawing from family or friends
- Changes in appetite, weight or sleep patterns
Types of Caregiver Stress
These signs can arise from caring for people with a multitude of challenges, each coming with its own set of difficulties and sources of stress for caregivers.
Physical Disabilities
Caregivers of people with physical disabilities not only have to cope with the physical demands of helping someone with a physical disability, but they also usually have to learn specific skills to do so. This may make it hard for them to entrust the care of their loved ones to others, such that they have even greater difficulty finding time to rest and attend to their own needs. Moreover, people with disabilities sometimes face discrimination, and the impact of this may add on to a caregiver’s struggles in the form of increased emotional stress.
Mental Health Conditions
The severity and signs of mental health conditions fluctuate, and caregivers of people living with such conditions may find that there are many changes to their roles. This could contribute to the stress felt by caregivers, if they have to continuously adapt and adjust other responsibilities in accordance with these changes. Furthermore, the everyday functioning of the people they are caring for, and the life that they are able to have with them, may be dependent on the current status of their condition. If caregivers have difficulty accepting this change, it may pose an additional emotional challenge that they have to overcome.
Terminal Illnesses
There are a variety of things that could contribute to stress in caregivers of people with terminal illnesses. Caring for someone with a terminal illness is likely to be physically demanding, and around the clock care may even be needed depending on how sick the person is. This may leave the caregiver with little time for much else, affecting their well-being and their relationships with others. Aside from these physical and mental stresses, there is potentially also a need to come to terms with the eventual passing of a loved one, which could affect the caregiver’s emotional state in detrimental ways.
Coping with Caregiver Stress
As caregivers, it is important that you take the time to tend to your own needs and manage your stress levels. There are many online resources with suggestions on how to do so, and some examples include:
- Setting aside time for self-care
- Spreading out and delegating tasks that can be divided up
- Reaching out to others for support
If despite all these, you still seem to be struggling to cope, seeking professional help may be an option to consider. It could help you learn ways to better deal with the stress that comes with caregiving, improving your life and enabling you to continue as a caregiver in a sustainable manner.
