The caregiver burnout syndrome implies a physical and psychological exhaustion of the person who takes care of another, usually an elderly person, who becomes dependent after suffering some type of brain injury or degenerative disease.
If you are caring for someone with some type of brain injury or disease, you are likely physically and psychologically exhausted. What's more, you may feel guilty for feeling this bad, because it is supposed to be your duty to take care of this person and you should be able to do it alone..
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It appears frequently in people who care for a relative with Alzheimer's disease or who have been left with serious consequences after suffering a stroke.
The care of this type of patient is very demanding, as they completely depend on another person to have their basic needs covered. You have to help them eat, you have to dress them, give them their medicines, help them go to the bathroom and a long etcetera, all day, every day.
It is undoubtedly an exhausting job for someone who assumes responsibility for the care of such a dependent person. This continuous stress over time begins to cause physical and psychological symptoms in the caregiver, symptoms that together make up the so-called caregiver syndrome.
In many cases, the caregiver is an average-aged woman who:
Over time, the person assumes a great physical and mental burden. By personally taking care of everything related to the care of the patient, the caregiver gradually loses his independence, since all his time is dedicated to caring for his family member.
Thus, the caregiver neglects himself. He leaves his recreational activities, his social life is greatly diminished, he stops going out and after a while, the quality of life of the caregiver is greatly affected.
If you take care of a patient who is very dependent, you will not necessarily suffer from caregiver syndrome. But you must be very attentive to these symptoms, because physical and emotional stress can begin to affect you at any time..
In addition, the syndrome does not appear from one day to the next, but it is installed little by little. The red flags you should pay close attention to are the following:
That you feel identified with some of these symptoms does not mean that you necessarily have the syndrome. However, you must be attentive because without a doubt you are in a very vulnerable situation.
As is often the case with psychic or psychological disorders, these are installed little by little, through a process that takes a certain time. We briefly explain this process to you, so that you can better understand what may be happening to you.
Many times a vascular accident is the cause of the brain injury that leaves the person disabled, and in other cases, it is degenerative diseases that one day the doctor diagnoses.
After knowing the news, and naturally, someone assumes the leadership and although the whole family will be able to collaborate, only one person will be the main reference, and that person is you. That day begins your great path of effort and dedication.
It is possible that already in the first days of care you realize that the demand for time and other resources is really very great.
You try to cover all the needs of the patient, dedicating more time and more care to them. Many times the patient is not even in a position to collaborate minimally in their care, which is very exhausting for the caregiver.
After a certain time of great dedication on your part, of a lot of stress and effort, your body begins to react to the excess demand.
Soon you will feel exhausted, physically and mentally. You may feel anxious and depressed. As mentioned above, sudden mood swings, sleep disturbances, and social isolation are likely to appear..
Maybe you feel guilty for being really tired and for wanting (even for a moment) to leave the sick person and have some time to yourself. At this stage it can be said that you are suffering from caregiver syndrome.
Some people are hesitant to express their sense of relief once the person has passed away. The relief and the feeling of liberation is completely natural, to the extent that the caregiver was imprisoned in that situation.
Caregiver syndrome can present much more marked signs in people who care for patients with degenerative disorders of the nervous system, whose cognitive processes deteriorate more and more over time..
Imagine what it means to take care of a very dear person, who in reality does not even know you anymore, does not know who he is, where he is or in what time he is living. Nor is he able to say two coherent sentences in a row.
It is psychologically draining and very frustrating. And furthermore, the caregiver knows that the disease is irreversible, and that it will only get worse. At the same time, he also does not know how long it will last.
According to WHO data, there are currently more than 36 million people living with senile dementia. On the other hand, it is anticipated given the greater life expectancy, that in two decades this number will be substantially higher.
The large number of patients will increase the cases of caregiver syndrome. This means that resources will have to be dedicated not only to the care of the sick, but also to the care of those who care for these sick people..
There are different types of caregiver, and the syndrome affects each of them differently. Formal caregivers are those who belong to an institution, such as a hospital or a nursing home.
Then there are family members who are informal caregivers, who only take care of the sick from time to time, but not all the time.
And then there is the family member who lives with the patient and who takes care of him almost all the time, usually his wife, daughter or mother. These are the caregivers most at risk for Caregiver syndrome.
Of those affected, 63% are women and 37% are men. To address this situation, today there are containment, training and assistance programs for this type of people..
Whenever there is an illness or an accident that generates dependence of a loved one on another person, there will be negative effects.
You would not be human if you did not feel sadness, helplessness, and even what is much worse: a feeling of great guilt. Why? Because that loved one is depending on you to live, and sometimes you will feel the need to go out to distract yourself or take care of yourself..
All that you feel is completely normal. But in addition to this, you should know that there are tools and measures that you can take that will help you mitigate the effects of the syndrome, or what is even better: prevent that situation from becoming a disorder for you..
Here are some recommendations that can help you:
Indeed, the illness of that loved one has generated a problem. As such you have to assume it, and plan the strategies to face it successfully. Many people, either out of shame or because they are concerned about “what will they say”, minimize the situation and hide it.
It may be that for different reasons you are the leader of this great mission that is to take care of the sick, but this does not mean that you are the only one responsible.
You may think that if you don't give the food or the medicine yourself, no one else will be able to do it right. You must learn to share these tasks and involve other family and friends in caring for the sick.
Talk about your feelings with a friend or other family member. When a problem is shared, the perspective changes completely. Sharing will ease your burden. It is also important to inform health professionals if you have noticed progress or setbacks in the situation of the patient you care for.
Never assume that this or that change is typical of the disease. Trust the specialized people.
Perhaps you have neglected your diet or your activities, by spending more time caring for the sick person.
But it is important that your diet is balanced, healthy and natural and that you have moderate physical activity, so that your body can maintain its good health.
To a certain extent it is natural that you put aside your desires, tastes or even your routine to take care of that person.
Without a doubt, when you take care of someone you have more responsibilities but you cannot stop taking care of yourself. If you do, you will feel bad, you will get sick and you will stop being a good caregiver.
Take time to go to the movies with a friend, to go to the hairdresser or for that hobby that you like so much. This will help you clear your mind, you will feel much better and you can also take better care of the sick.
Sometimes and totally unconsciously, you protect that special being that you are caring too much.
You can hear yourself repeating: "You can't do that because it hurts you" or "I'm afraid something will happen to you and then I prefer to do it myself." The truth is that you are placing more burden on your shoulders than necessary. Besides that it does not do the other person any good.
Sometimes you can feel irritated and frustrated because you think that the sick person is doing nothing to contribute to their rehabilitation or you think that they act like that just to annoy you. Learn about the brain damage of that person and thus you will better understand the way they behave.
This caregiver syndrome is much more common than you think. You must be alert to the first symptoms and share the responsibilities of caring for the sick with other people, to avoid exhaustion and deterioration in your life.
What is your experience with Caregiver Syndrome? How are you coping? Your experience will help other people with the same problem. Thanks!
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