We live in a world where approximately 43.5 million Americans have provided unpaid care to a child or an adult in the last 12 months (National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015) Caregiving in the U.S.). Many of these caregivers are “sandwiched” between caring for children and aging parents, or other elderly family members. Additionally, caregivers may be involved in demanding careers, still others can be middle aged and suffer from their own health issues, that go untreated.
Faced with multiple stressors, and challenges on many fronts, can lead to feelings of resentment, fatigue, anxiety, sadness and in some cases depression. Left untreated these feelings can become more intense and lead to burnout. Sometimes caregiver burnout is mistaken for tiredness and “normal fatigue"
If you, a loved one or someone you know is responsible for caring for another, it can be helpful to know the signs of caregiver burnout and reach out before symptoms become more intense. Some signs of burnout for a caregiver are as follows:
1. irritability
2. Poor sleep patterns
3. Changes in appetite
4. Somatic symptoms (ex. headaches, frequent illnesses)
5. Reduction in social activities.
On the resources tab of this website are some useful links to get help for yourself. Above all take the time to care for yourself. Take the example from flying on an airplane—in the event of an emergency put your own oxygen mask on first and then help others with theirs's.