Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout and How to Prevent It
How can you give your best if you aren’t at your best? As a primary caregiver, you are expected to monitor and provide for the essential needs and comfort of another person. While caring for a loved one can be a rewarding experience, it sometimes comes at a cost. The mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual cost of caring for another individual can leave you feeling overwhelmed and alone and bring on caregiver burnout. What is caregiver burnout? Caregiver burnout can happen when someone who is responsible for the care of another person falls into a state of mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual exhaustion. This can even occur when someone is caring for themselves while dealing with a long-term illness, disability, or age-related issues. It is often a result of prolonged stress, overwhelming levels of responsibility, or a lack of support. Caregiver burnout can have serious consequences for both the caregiver and the person who is receiving the care. Symptoms of Caregiver Burnout The symptoms of caregiver burnout manifest differently in everyone. Here are some common symptoms that might indicate that someone is experiencing burnout: Physical Symptoms Caretaking puts a physical toll on the body. Many caretakers are required to perform very physical activities to assist the person in need of care. This could include lifting or assisting the person in physical activities, running errands, standing for extended periods of time, and bending or reaching in various positions. This can lead to muscle aches and tension along with physical fatigue. Likewise, the caregiver may feel exhausted or fatigued all the time. There could be changes in weight or appetite as well. Frequent headaches and body aches might also be present and serve as warning signs of burnout. Emotional Symptoms Feelings of sadness, grief (sometimes referred to as pre-grief), irritability, hopelessness, helplessness, [...]
