Food for Thought: Do You Suffer From Caregiver Syndrome?

Do you take care of someone in your family with a chronic medical illness or dementia?

Have you felt anger, depression or guilt? Has your health deteriorated since taking on the responsibility of caring?

If your answer is yes to any one of these questions, you may be suffering from caregiver stress.

Caregiver stress is the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. Caregiving for another person takes time, effort and work.

Plus, most caregivers juggle caregiving with full time jobs and parenting. In the process, caregivers put their own needs aside. Many exhausted ill caregivers do not seek help because they don’t realize they have a recognizable condition.

Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and a comprised immune system. Elderly caregivers are at a 63% higher risk of mortality than non-caregivers in the same age group according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Caregiver stress is not only related to caregiving, but also the grief associated with the decline of the loved one’s health.

The majority of caregivers go through a period of shock followed by a major adjustment in their roles.

A number of spouses and adult children describe their roles slowly evolving from partnership into a nurse-patient relationship.

How can you tell if caregiving is placing too much stress on you?

1. Sleeping problems - sleeping too much or too little.

2. Change in eating habits - resulting in weight gain or weight loss.

3. Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy.

4. Easily irritated, angered or saddened.

5. Frequent headaches, stomach aches or other physical problems.

Physical symptoms are often the result of prolonged and elevated level of stress hormones circulating in the body and put strain on the adrenal glands.

Here are a few recommendations to try to relieve some of the stress:

1. Don‘t try to do everything by yourself.

2. Don’t assume that other relatives won’t want to help if you ask or insist.

3. Stay in touch with family and friends. Social activities can help you feel connected and may reduce stress.

4. Ask and accept help.

5. Look to faith based groups for support and help.

6. Take care of yourself - eat right, exercise and get enough sleep and rest.

7. Get on line and chat with others in the community who have experience with caregiving.

8. Learn and practice relaxation techniques.

9. Seek professional supportive counseling.

10. Contact your local/state Area Agency On Aging - usually listed in the government section of the phone book.

11. Ask your doctor for local information. There are two kinds of health care: home health care and non medical home care services.

12. Medicare, Medicaid (must qualify financially) and some private insurance companies will cover the cost of limited home care.

Remember you can not adequately take care of someone if you are physically or emotionally exhausted.

Dr. Leta A. Livoti Ph.D., LCSW, LCPC is a psychotherapist in Thompson Falls. She can be contacted at 827-0700.