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, and even shock or numbness might be signals that someone is going through burnout. Caregivers might also see an increase in anxiety, depression, and mood swings. It is important to reach out to a trusted loved one, a primary care physician, or counselor when these warning signs are displayed.

Behavioral Symptoms

Due to exhaustion or emotional fatigue, caregivers might begin to withdraw from their normal social activities or start neglecting their responsibilities. They might experience a disruption of sleep patterns or an increased use of alcohol or alternative substances.

Cognitive Symptoms

Difficulty concentrating, even on simple tasks, may develop as burnout increases. The caregiver might experience memory problems, indecisiveness, and may begin to feel overwhelmed by the weight of their responsibilities. The caregiver may also feel inadequate for the position of caregiver and doubt their own abilities.

Interpersonal Symptoms

Unfortunately, caregivers sometimes see an increase in conflicts with others when they are feeling overwhelmed. This might include conflicts with the person being cared for as well as with family members, friends, co-workers or co-caregivers, healthcare providers and anyone they interact with regularly. The caregiver might develop resentment toward the person they are caring for or others involved in the caregiving process.

Spiritual Symptoms

A caregiver experiencing burnout might even begin to feel distant from God, a lack of motivation, or a lack of joy in their normal prayer or worship routines. The caregiver might question their faith or God’s plan and feel a loss of hope as they witness suffering and struggle. It is also possible that the caregiver might feel shame or failure for not being a better caregiver or Christian. Sadly, they may view their situation as a consequence of sin or lack of faith.

Risk Factors that Contribute to Caregiver Burnout

These risk factors increase the likelihood that someone will experience burnout when providing long-term care for another person:

Lack of Support

As the primary individual responsible for another person’s well-being, the caregiver may experience isolation or feel overwhelmed. It can add to anxiety and lead to burnout. Lack of support from family, friends or even healthcare professionals may leave the caregiver thinking that others are unsympathetic or cruel.

When someone is caring for another person on a regular basis, they might find that other people in their lives do not understand the full scope of care that is required. Non-caregivers may underestimate the sheer work, effort, and sacrifice involved for the caregiver. Thus, the caregiver can end up feeling underappreciated. Lack of practical help and support to the caregiving process can exacerbate matters.

High Demands

The continuous collective load of a caregiver’s responsibilities can compound the risk for burnout. Because caring for their loved one typically involves regular physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental support, the caregiver can easily become burned out in the unrelenting demands.\

It could be as simple as preparing and delivering food or could include full physical assistance such as bathing. The more the demands, the more likely someone could struggle from burnout.

In addition to caring for the patient, the caregiver must balance their own responsibilities to work or family obligations.

Financial Strain

Often caring for someone can be a financial burden which increases the likelihood of burnout. The cost of supplies, medicines, and special dietary items can add to the caregiver’s expenses. A loss of income due to increased responsibilities can also contribute to burnout. This can be complicated by a lack of resources, financial constraints, or delayed financial supplements. If this is the case, the caregiver is more prone to burnout.

Poor Self-Care Practices

Caregivers often neglect their own physical, mental, or emotional needs due to a lack of time or energy. This might manifest itself in a poor diet, disrupted or insufficient sleep, or stress. Neglecting the care of oneself ultimately hurts the individual and everyone around them. If a caregiver is not practicing some self-care habits, they are more likely to burn out sooner.

Personal Health Issues

It is not uncommon for caregivers to neglect their own health issues when they are experiencing burnout. They might feel too overwhelmed to deal with any additional medical issues. It’s also possible they may have developed medical anxiety because they are constantly surrounded by health issues, or they may simply not have the time to devote to their own needs. Those that are in this situation are more likely to burn out.

Preventing Caregiver Burnout

Ideally, a caregiver will take steps before burnout occurs. It’s important to create a strategic plan to avoid burnout altogether. Here are some ways to help prevent burnout:

Build a support network

A caregiver should enlist the help of other people in their life. Maybe the recipient of the care has other family members who would be willing to step in and assist. Consider asking close, trusted friends, church members, and neighbors for practical help.

This might include a meal train, assistance in house cleaning or lawn care, or simply having someone to come and visit with the person in their care. It is also important to create a support network for their own needs. Getting support through carpooling, grace from employers or school, or another person cooking dinner all add up. Asking for practical help can also help alleviate some stress.

Set realistic goals

It’s important that the caregiver sets realistic goals for themselves and the person in their care. There is likely to be a temptation to believe that the caregiver can take on all the responsibilities alone. The truth is that in most cases, that is not a practical or reasonable care plan.

It is also important to set attainable goals for the person receiving the care. Don’t expect that person to run laps around a track right after a hip replacement, for instance. The caregiver should talk with a healthcare professional about managing expectations accordingly.

Practice self-care

Practicing self-care is one of the primary ways to prevent burnout. Caregivers should schedule breaks from the daily care for self-care. Maintain a healthy diet, schedule time to visit with friends, and talk with mentors. Prioritizing proper sleep and exercise are needful self-care practices. It is also important to schedule time for an enjoyable hobby or simply to relax.

Seek professional help when needed

Most people are aware that there are a lot of resources available for disabled and elderly people. What many caregivers are not aware of is that there are government and community resources available to caregivers, too. Caregivers should work with healthcare professionals who can point them to the appropriate care partners, including therapists, for both them and their loved one.

Use respite care

Many insurance companies or government programs will pay, in whole or part, for respite care. If a caregiver needs to travel or take a few hours or days away from the role of primary caregiver, respite care might be the solution. Respite care can occur in the home or at a long-term care facility.

Coping Strategies

Coping with caregiver burnout is necessary for the well-being of the caregiver and the people under their care. As soon as signs of burnout emerge, it is wise to talk with a therapist, health care providers, and loved ones about the situation. Caregivers can make lifestyle changes that reduce stress and seek professional counseling. Finding purpose and meaning in the caregiving process is another way to help alleviate stress.

If you recognize any of the signs of burnout in yourself and would like help to feel better, reach out to our office today at Seattle Christian Counseling in Washington. The Christian therapists in Seattle are trained for these types of struggles and would be happy to walk with you in the caretaking process.