You can take back control.
Therapy for caregiver burnout
As a caregiver, do you struggle with feelings of love vs. anger and frustration?
At the age of 12, I witnessed my Dad’s first cardiac arrest. My Mother was trying to assist him but neither of us were CPR-trained. I called the ambulance. To make a long-story short, the following nine years consisted of six major cardiac arrests and two grand-mal seizures. My Dad passed six months prior to my college graduation. I helped take him to doctor appointments, for lab work, stayed with he and my Mom in the hospital and took a wheelchair in and out of a vehicle, to name a few tasks. Caring for a loved one can bring a plethora of emotion, including love, compassion, and sadness along with anger, frustration and fatigue. It can leave the caregiver bouncing from asking “will this ever end for my loved one?” to “will this ever end for me?” These questions can cause guilt, condemnation and harsh self-judgment.
You want to be loving and caring throughout the caretaking process, but it feels impossible because some days you feel inpatient, frustrated and at your wit’s end.
How therapy works
It is possible to be a caregiver while still being you!
It is possible to:
have a life despite being a caregiver
find time for yourself
feel what you feel without judgment
Therapy for caregivers consists of helping them locate external resources (when needed), helping them create a schedule that includes time for them and providing a judgment-free space to express and to process their emotions…all of their emotions. Many times, the experiences of being a caregiver can bring up emotions left from previous experiences. These can be addressed, as well. Whether you are caring for a child with a disability or an illness, caring for a spouse or significant other or whether you are caring for an elderly parent, you deserve to live your life while you support your loved one. You have made a sacrifice that few are willing to make. You deserve respect, honor and to be heard. Therapy can provide that space.