Mental, Physical and Emotional Exhaust

Understanding Caregiver Burnout

Being a caregiver, takes a lot of mental, physical, and emotional strength, along with immense compassion for others. Caregiving can be extremely rewarding as well as extremely exhausting, which can begin to weigh on the person providing care.

Caregivers work in a variety of settings, like nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in homes providing home health services. Their job is to provide a person (who is chronically ill, has disabilities or an older adult) with the support they need to perform daily tasks and chores. They may care for a person in a nursing home that they do not know, clients or friends and family members in need of their help.

While they help assist others in performing personal care tasks and daily functions, they may not have the energy to care for themselves afterwards. If they don’t set time aside, or are not able to, their mental health can deteriorate quickly, resulting in physical, mental and emotional burnout.

Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout

Caregivers may or may not realize when they’re experiencing symptoms of burnout until they become more pronounced. The telltale signs of caregiver burnout are as follows:

  • Fatigue and exhaustion
  • Loss of interest
  • General discontent
  • Feelings of sadness and hopelessness
  • Difficulty sleeping or disrupted sleep patterns
  • Emotional exhaustion
  • Irritability
  • Changes in weight
  • Withdrawal from friends or social situations

A person experiencing these symptoms may feel that they are carrying a caregiver burden and feel guilty about feeling stressed due to their caregiving responsibilities. This can be confusing and make it difficult to recognize and honor the burnout they’re experiencing.

Reasons for Caregiver Burnout

There are many factors that may contribute to feeling burnout from caregiving. The following are a general list of common causes and types of burnout in caregivers:

  • Difficulty balancing personal needs with those of the person they’re caring for. They may find it hard to set aside time for themselves.
  • Confusion in their role as a caregiver. They may not be able to separate their job as a caregiver from their home or personal lives.
  • Caregivers may have unrealistic expectations, especially when it comes to caring for someone with chronic illness or a progressive disease (like Alzheimer’s disease or cancer). They may feel a sense of failure when a person’s condition does not improve or worsens, even though it is not their fault.
  • If they’re caring for a loved one, they may be frustrated by the lack of resources they have to provide them with the care they deserve. Family caregiving is more personal, making it harder to separate their feelings from their job.

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many factors that go into a person’s experience with caregiver stress.

Treatment

Whether a person is caregiving in an assisted living facility or working in home care, their caregiver duties should be recognized. There are several treatment options for caregiver burnout.

Therapy

Therapy can be a helpful tool in releasing pent-up emotions in a neutral, judgment-free setting. Not all therapeutic approaches are the same. Depending on a person’s personal needs, the following may be used:

  • Psychotherapy – General talk therapy for mental or behavioral disorders
  • Family therapy – Psychotherapeutic counseling with loved ones to efficiently communicate and resolve conflicts. This can also be an opportunity to discuss and coordinate care for a loved one.

Support Groups

There are many different kinds of support groups and joining one can have many benefits. Support groups can be a comforting space for those who feel alone in their struggles with caregiver burnout.

Being able to connect with others over a shared experience can help to lessen the burden and shame. In caregiver support group meetings, a person may learn healthy coping mechanisms and techniques, while becoming part of a community that understands them.

Lifestyle Changes

Implementing healthy habits can be the first step toward a more fulfilling life experience for anyone. Although it may require discipline, there are easy, risk-free ways to lessen mental stress and emotional reactivity. Take part in the things you love to do, set aside time for yourself and treat your body right with nutritious meals and daily movement.

Speak to your health care provider and/or connect with a mental health professional for further guidance and support.