Caregiver Burnout for Alzheimer’s Caregivers
Providing care to someone who is ill can be deeply satisfying, but it can also be overwhelming. The strain of balancing a job, a family, more work in the home, and the care of someone can make you tired, frustrated, angry and may even make you sick if not handled properly.
Taking care of an alzheimer or dementia carereceiver can be frustrating. Elements of caregiver burnout will probably surface at some point. People close to you may be the first to notice changes in your behavior. When those signs begin to show up, you owe it to yourself and your carereceiver to take appropriate steps.
Some of the signs that you need to watch out for include the following:
- Being on the verge of tears or crying a lot
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Overreacting to minor nuisances
- Feeling constantly exhausted
- Losing interest in work
- Decrease in productivity of work
- Withdrawing from social contacts
- Increasing use of alcohol or stimulants
- Nervous habits such as chain smoking
- Change in eating patterns
- Change in sleeping patterns
- Increasing use of medications for sleeplessness, anxiety, depression
- Inability to relax
- Scattered thinking
- Feeling increasingly resentful
- Being short-tempered with care recipient frequently
When these signs begin to grow in frequency or intensity, it is time to seek help. Take our Caregiver Burnout Challenge. If you discover that you need help, then take a look at our Avoiding & Coping with Burnout for Alzheimer's or Dementia Caregivers.
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