Coping with Caregiver Burnout
Caregiver burnout. Two words that can have drastic and long-lasting effects when it comes to the [mental] health and wellness of both those who give care as well as those who receive it. Family caregivers provide a monumentally valuable service to a family member who is unable to care for themselves. But in doing so, they neglect their own basic needs. So, who cares for the caregiver?
Becoming a caregiver comes with a steep learning curve. It also demands a strong ability to deal with uncertainty because of unanticipated changes in the loved one’s health and even mental health. So, being a caregiver is incredibly demanding and often overwhelming. Anyone who has ever worked in a particular high-stress job field has experienced burnout in some form or another; and caregivers will experience the same feeling, all while still trying to take care of other responsibilities, such as a career and other family life.
CareGiver Burnout Counseling
Burnout can take many forms for caregivers. It can damage their physical health; high amounts of stress have been proven to weaken a person’s immune system, opening them up to illness and disease more easily. Burnout can also be mentally and emotionally debilitating, leaving the caregiver to feel broken and inadequate in the care they provide to their loved one. Whether the caregiving role was taken on from a sense of devotion or a sense of duty, resentment can occur, affecting the relationship and the quality of that care.
CareGiver Burnout Effecting Job Performance
Caregiver burnout can impact other areas of the person’s life. For example, the demands of caregiving can cause other relationships to deteriorate, job performance decline, social life to become non-existent. Professional counseling is a beneficial and cost-effective means of acquiring necessary skills, knowledge of your loved one’s medical condition, and emotional support for managing the stress that contributes to burnout. A wise, experienced counselor will walk along side you through the emotions, the crises, the feelings of doubt and anxiety over the many decisions you will have to make.
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