Caregivers are particularly susceptible to stress because they tend to overlook what they’re experiencing in order to focus on their aging family members. If that describes you, you’re likely creating some bigger issues for yourself that you shouldn’t have to battle.
Depression
Depression is a big problem for caregivers of all experience levels. Your senior’s health as well as your own ability to manage your stress levels can be big contributing factors. If you’re experiencing any signs of depression, make sure that you reach out now to your doctor or to a therapist for help. You don’t have to deal with depression alone.
Pain
Stress often causes you to clench your muscles, which is extremely painful. Stress can also contribute to health issues that have pain associated with them. Pain is an indication that something isn’t right, so don’t ignore pain thinking that it will just go away. Talk to your doctor about what might help if you’re dealing with pain, especially if you’re not sure what’s causing it.
Sleep Issues
You might find that your sleep patterns are way off from normal if you’re more stressed than usual. You might be sleeping more, sleeping less, or finding it difficult to stay asleep at all. Sleep issues can be particularly frustrating because when you’re not sleeping, that magnifies the other problems you’re experiencing.
Concentration Problems
Stress makes it difficult for you to think or to concentrate, which can create even more stress. Often stressful situations require you to find solutions for problems and that is difficult to do when your brain is already feeling overwhelmed. You may find that it helps to have someone you trust with whom you can talk over solutions and possible answers.
Weight Issues
Stress can cause you to gain or to lose weight without realizing that it even happened. You might find that you can’t stop eating when you’re stressed, or you could be at the opposite end of the spectrum. Regardless, stress might be the reason for your inability to get your weight where you want it to be.
Find ways to deal with your stress as a caregiver. If you don’t, you’re going to find that it’s more and more difficult to maintain your balance with every aspect of your life. Look for ways to give yourself time away and to manage how you’re feeling. Those are going to be the two biggest ways for you to learn to manage the stress that you’re experiencing throughout caregiving.
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