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Could you be a stressed-out caregiver?

You might, if you exhibit the following signs:

1. Lots of tears. If you seem to be on the verge of tears, or crying regularly, you may be over-stressed.

2. An over-emotional reaction to every day situations. Do you overreact to common problems, such as the dog barking or the mail arriving late? A person exposed to a lot of stress sometimes loses the ability to distinguish between small nuisances and large problems.

3. Nervous habits. Someone who chain-smokes, overeats or bites her nails is probably exhibiting behavior of an over-stressed person.

4. Scattered thinking. Are you unable to think clearly or express your thoughts and ideas effectively? If so, you're probably on overload--you're over-stressed.

Who's at risk when a caregiver is overloaded?

1. The family caregiver. Persons under a lot of stress are susceptible to illnesses, such as colds and flu. Studies show that prolonged stress may increase the chance of developing a serious illness, such as cancer and heart disease.

2. The care recipient. A stressed-out caregiver may lack the patience and clear thinking to handle the overwhelming needs of a person suffering from a chronic illness.

What can alleviate stress?

1. Regular breaks are very important. Caregivers need to distance themselves from their caregiving burdens daily--even if only for an hour. Distance can help caregivers keep their perspective--and patience.

2. An outlet to vent their feelings. Sometimes stress results when caregivers cannot vent their feelings of guilt, anger and frustration.

Some great stress-relievers:

1. Join a support group and attend as often as you can. Check into the online support groups that are available.

2. Take a walk around your neighborhood.

3. Meet a friend for coffee.

4. Read a "so-good-I-can't-put-it-down" book.

5. Rent a good movie.

6. Make time for a regular massage.

7. Join a health club for some regular exercise.

8. Meditate for five minutes every day.

9. Put on soothing music to enjoy.

10. Take your best friend out for dinner.

11. Plan a vacation that you can take whenever you have the time.

What should you do if you know a stressed-out caregiver?

1. Be a good listener. Ask how they are feeling, how they are holding up. Often, we focus on the patients' feelings, and overlook the family caregivers'.

2. Support their outside interests. Family caregivers may feel guilty about time spent away from the care recipient. Caregivers often need reassurance that their participation in an outside activity is okay.

3. Finally, if you notice a caregiver that seems particularly stressed, ask if she is feeling well. Share your concerns with her. If she agrees with your concerns, ask if you can contact your Area Agency on Aging on her behalf. The Area Agency on Aging will have a suggestions on agencies and resources that can help.

Remember, though, you can only supply caregivers with information.
Let them decide what they will do with that information.

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