By Sandra Ray, Staff Writer
If caregivers do not manage their own personal
feelings and emotions with relation to their already
pressure-packed situation, they can set themselves
and their loved ones up for even more demanding
situations. Burn-out in caregivers is common,
unfortunately. It manifests itself in many ways,
including:
- Illness for the caregiver
- Apathy about their role as caregiver
- Depression
- Social withdrawa
- Irritability or increased anxiety
There are simple activities that can go a long
way in improving caregiver attitudes and relieving
stressful situations. Some of these include:
- Setting realistic limits
- Taking a walk
- Keeping a journal of feelings and emotions
- Joining a caregiver support group
- Talking to friends
- Going on a mini-shopping spree
- Eating lunch out with a friend
- Learning a new hobby or restarting ones you
may have put aside.
By paying attention to your needs during these
challenging times, you can improve your ability to
care for your loved one. In addition, redefining
“success” in your given situation can also help to
overcome some of the anxiety of the situation.
Redefining success means recognizing that reaching
smaller goals during the treatment and recovery
process can be just as rewarding as overcoming large
barriers.
If Death is Unavoidable:
For women facing stage III or IV ovarian cancer,
treatment may only delay a woman’s death. Survival
statistics for advanced ovarian cancer are low,
especially the longer the disease is undetected and
the further it has spread throughout the body. If
the cancer recurs in other areas of the body, it may
also be a sign that the disease has reached terminal
stages.
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