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By Kathy Bosworth
More than one quarter of the adult population
(26.6%) has provided care for a chronically ill,
disabled or aged family member or friend during the
past year. Based on current data, that
translates into more than 50 million people!
Sixty-one percent of “intense” caregivers (those
providing at least 21 hours of care a week) have
suffered from depression. Heavy-duty caregivers,
especially spousal caregivers, do not get consistent
help from other family members. One study has
shown that as many as three fourths of these
caregivers are “going it alone.” Is it
any surprise that caregiver stress or burnout is
becoming a critical issue?
Dealing with stress is not a new concept.
None of us have immunity from the challenges of
getting through life with the least amount of
stress. Some people drink, over eat, smoke,
bite their nails, yell at the cat, or retreat inside
themselves when the going gets too tough. I’m
sure you have your own ways of protecting yourself
from the ravages of stress. I have often
thought my cat has the right idea when stress enters
her life. After one loud meow and an angry
swish of her tail, she retreats to another room to
take a nice long two-hour snooze. Bamm!
The stress is gone. Unfortunately, people do
not have the same luxury.
Are you caught in the web of stress while being a
caregiver? In the book, “Living with Stroke”,
there is an interesting section on stroke stress
analysis. People list nine sentences that sum
up all the different ways that stress exhibits
itself in families of stroke survivors. Do any
of these ring a bell with you?
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Panic
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“Ohmigod, I can’t handle this.”
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Anxiety
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“What if he needs
me in the middle of the night and I can’t
hear him?”
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Denial that leads to over-optimism
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“Oh, he’ll be fine. He just needs
to come home.”
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Irritability and Anger
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“It’s all the rehabilitation team’s
fault.”
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Frustration
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“I can’t stand one more thing going
wrong!”
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Fatigue
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“I’m utterly, completely exhausted from
the experience.”
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Hopelessness and helplessness
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“What’s the use? Nothing’s going to
change.”
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Guilt
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“How can I be so angry at him?
It’s not fair.”
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Ambivalence
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“I don’t know how I feel anymore.
I can’t make a decision about anything.”
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