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Support Program > Dealing With Stress
Dealing with the Stress
...when caring for your loved one
It is normal to feel stress as a result of taking care of someone
with a disability. It can be emotionally and physically difficult,
and caregivers need to watch out for signs that it’s becoming
harmful to their own health. You can take better care of your loved
one if your own health is good.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
 Do you
feel low energy and less pleasure in living?
Are you
becoming more isolated?
Do you
feel out of control?
Are you
using more alcohol, caffeine, tobacco or medications?
Are you
having more health problems, such as high blood pressure or ulcers?
Do you
have trouble sleeping or are you sleeping most of the time?
Are
you having problems with memory or concentration?
Are
you more irritable or impatient with others?
Do you
think about suicide?
A “yes” answer to any of these warning signs may mean that you
need to stop and consider your current situation. What is stressful for one
person will not necessarily be stressful for someone else.
What is causing the stress for you?
Consider:
Are there
too many demands on your time, energy and money?
Is it
difficult to meet the physical or emotional needs of your loved
one?
Do you
feel that your freedom is limited to the point of being trapped?
Do you
feel that other family members are not doing their share?
Are
you uncomfortable having friends in your home because of your
loved one?
Do you
have less privacy?
Do you
think your loved one asks for more help than is really needed?
Are
you sometimes embarrassed by your loved one’s behavior?
Is there
a lack of good communication with your loved one?
Are
there other problems with finances, children, marriage and/or
health?
When you take time to think about these questions and your answers to them,
it will give you a good idea about the causes of your stress. And once you
know what is causing the stress in your life, take time to identify the things
you can and cannot change.
You cannot change another person, but you can change how you respond to that
person. You can change your own actions and thoughts. And you can change how
involved you are in caregiving. At some point you may need to make different
arrangements for your family member if caregiving is damaging your own health.
Take care of yourself, too!
Don’t
try to do it all. Having someone else do part of the work can reduce
your resentment.
Ask for
help from family and friends.
Take time
to get away and do what you enjoy.
Find a
good counselor, spiritual advisor or friend to confide in.
Exercise
several times a week. It will help your physical and mental health.
Eat well
and get enough rest.
Learn
and use stress reduction techniques.
Join a
support group.
Explore
other care options so you’ll be ready if your relative’s
condition suddenly worsens.
If you
are feeling especially frustrated at a particular time, take
a short break and go for a walk, listen to music or call a friend.
Use community
resources for information and support services.
(Portions of this information, from The Caregiver Helpbook, Powerful Tools
for Caregiving, are used with permission of Legacy Health System.)
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For more information,
call the Family Caregiver Resource Center:
360-694-8144 - Clark County
360-577-4929 - Cowlitz & Wahkiakum
Counties
509-427-9466 - Skamania County Senior
Services
509-493-3068 - White Salmon, Klickitat
County Senior Services
509-773-3757 - Goldendale, Klickitat
County Senior Services
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