Research suggests that caregivers can experience burnout similar to health care professionals. If you are a caregiver, one of the ways you can protect yourself is by understanding caregiver burnout as well as knowing risk factors, warning signs and when to seek help. Caregiver burnout often looks like the caregiver disconnecting from the care recipient, struggling to function daily, and losing the sense of meaning and fulfillment they once found in caregiving. Read on to learn more about caregiver burnout. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out and take the first step towards you healing journey.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2012, 3 in 10 Canadians provided care to a relative or friend with a long-term disability or health concern. Caregivers were also present in each age demographic group from 15 to over 75. The study found that many caregivers experienced significant physical, psychological, and financial stress from caregiving. When caregivers were taking care of a spouse or child, their level of psychological distress increased to up to 50%. Caregiver burnout takes a toll on the caregiver and it also means that they cannot effectively take care of those that they are responsible for. Furthermore, COVID-19 has placed an increased stress on caregivers and reduced their ability to access helpful resources. This combination highlights the importance that caregivers are equipped with tools to help reduce their likelihood of caregiver burnout.
Caregiving can be a very meaningful experience that also takes an emotional and physical toll on the caregiver. Caregiver stress can quickly increase with unpredictable events such as the declining health of a loved one or the increased isolation of COVID-19. Some caregivers may also feel ashamed or guilty to ask for help. However, without proper intervention and support, caregiver stress can quickly turn into burnout which can lead to negative health outcomes for both the caregiver and their care recipient.
Understanding caregiver burnout allows you to better know what to look out for. Caregiver burnout impacts three specific areas:
There are many risk factors that influence a caregiver’s likelihood of developing caregiver burnout. Some of the risk factors include being female, having poor social support, having poor coping skills, having lower monthly income, and having depression or anxiety symptoms.
While there is no set timeline for when caregiver stress can turn into burnout. If you are a caregiver experiencing the following signs and symptoms consider getting professional support from a physician or mental health professional:
There are many protective factors against caregiver burnout including having strong social support networks, feeling confident in your role as a caregiver, using healthy strategies to cope with caregiver stress, and finding meaning in your role as a caregiver.
One of the common challenges that caregivers face is learning to accept the ambivalent or contradictory feelings of caregiving. Ambivalence can look like feeling both a deep love and resentment towards the person you care for. Ambivalence can also look like finding joy in caregiving while also grieving your life before becoming a caregiver. In these moments of ambivalence, we can feel guilty or blame ourselves for even thinking negatively about our loved ones or being a caregiver. But in reality, caregivers are human too and having mixed emotions about a particular person or event is a common human experience. The next time you feel these mixed emotions- instead of avoiding them or blaming yourself- try naming all your emotions out loud or writing them down. Grief and Joy. Love and Resentment. Hope and Fear. By learning to accept all the emotions of caregiving, the heavy emotions won’t feel so consuming... and you can learn to fully appreciate the pleasant emotions that can come from caregiving.
New research suggests that caregivers who practice self-compassion report less caregiver burnout and are more likely to use healthy coping strategies. Caregiver self-compassion consists of three parts:
As a caregiver one of the ways you can challenge the voice of self-criticism is imagining the kindness and compassion you show the person you care for. What kind words can you offer yourself when you’re struggling?
Strong social and professional support are essential protective factors against caregiver burnout. Research shows that when you are connected with people who understand what you are going through, you are more resilient to face difficult life experiences. Support groups provide a place for you to feel validated in your experience as a caregiver as well as connect with other caregivers, so you don’t feel alone in your journey. Holistic Healing Counselling is running a support group specifically for caregivers to both teach tools to prevent caregiver burnout and to connect caregivers with people who are experiencing similar situations.
Another source of non-judgmental support is one-on-on counselling. Counselling provides a nonjudgmental space for you to openly discuss the challenges of caregiving and also learn helpful tools such as self-compassion, boundary-setting and emotional regulation to reduce caregiver stress and improve your relationship with the person you care for. It also allows you to more deeply dig into your personal triggers and process past experiences which may be contributing to current levels of caregiver distress. Our specialized caregiver counsellor is trained in interventions and techniques to understand the root of the issues and help you integrate new strategies to improve your overall quality of life. Protecting your well-being as a caregiver not only will reduce your risk of developing burnout but will also strengthen your ability to provide compassionate care to others which in turn helps you to connect more deeply with the joy of caregiving.
Understanding caregiver burnout and its warning signs is the first step to coping with stress as a caregiver. In this blog, we talked about practical tools such as seeking nonjudgmental support from others, learning to accept all emotions that come from caregiving, and learning to treat yourself with compassion. If you are feeling stressed and isolated in your role as a caregiver, we have support available for you. Consider joining one of our caregiver support groups here. Online caregiver counselling is also available if you prefer to work 1-on-1 with a counsellor. No matter where you are in your caregiver journey, you don’t have to walk it alone, there is help available.
Meet our certified therapists, Adam, Selena, Danielle, and Shaheen. No matter what you want to work on, we have a therapist to help. Our Counsellors focus on helping you feel at ease by allowing you to feel heard and understood. By using a holistic, or whole picture approach, our trained Counsellors can help their patients live a happier, more authentic life. Our therapists offer adult counselling, couples counselling, and adolescent/teen counselling. Interested in learning more? Need to book a session? Contact Us here.
Counselling doesn’t just have to be for those who have reached a crisis situation. If you want to live a happier life by discussing the issues that are causing you stress, anxiety, or fear, contact Holistic Healing today to book your free initial consultation.