Signs of Caregiver Burnout and Finding Balance

Taking care of a loved one with dementia or a medical ailment can be rewarding and intimate, but it's also extremely demanding. To protect your own health, you should be aware of the signs of caregiver burnout. The effects of caring for another person full-time or part-time can include physical, emotional, and mental symptoms such as exhaustion, depression, and behavioral changes.

Learning to identify burnout and taking advantage of respite care or assistance managing your caregiving responsibilities can help you support your loved one's needs and your own well-being.

Physical Symptoms of Burnout

You may spend a good part of your daily life checking on the medical needs of your loved one. But have you stopped lately to evaluate your own physical health? Consider these red flags that you need some support.

Fatigue

Fatigue isn't just feeling tired at the end of a busy day. It's defined as a debilitating exhaustion that lasts for extended periods, which makes it difficult to carry out everyday activities.

A number of factors come together to cause fatigue, including stress, not eating well, and being overcommitted. Managing fatigue while balancing caregiving responsibilities may require you to make adjustments to the arrangements you have with your loved one. Strategies include:

• Getting roughly eight hours of sleep every night
• Making time for at least 15 minutes of exercise every day
• Spacing out activities with time in between to rest
• Incorporating relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises during the day
• Staying hydrated
• Eating healthy foods

Sleep Problems

Sleep disturbances can be a separate symptom of burnout as well as a factor that contributes to fatigue. Lack of sleep, frequent wakings, walking in your sleep, and other disruptions may be due to the need to be on call for your loved one or having to stay up late to get all your responsibilities done.

Inadequate sleep can leave you feeling irritable, jittery, and depressed. You may feel unmotivated and be interested in things that you previously found enjoyable.

Changes in Weight

Weight gain and weight loss are both common when you are under any type of strain. As a caregiver, you may be prone to skipping meals or not eating if your loved one is eating very little or if you're too busy to remember or have time to prepare your own meals.

Irregular eating may lead to unintentional weight loss, but it can also lead to weight gain if you reach for convenience foods that are high in fat and calories.

Following a healthy meal plan is essential for caring for yourself. Without proper nutrition, you are at risk for becoming sick yourself, which can pose a danger for your loved one as well as yourself.

Some steps to take to ensure you're eating properly include the following:

• Don't skip meals; this can cause you to binge on unhealthy food later.
• Strive to eat 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables daily.
  
• Read food labels and foods with saturated fats, trans-saturated fats, cholesterol, and added sugars.
• Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.
• Take in less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

Pain

A variety of physical ailments can affect caregivers who are feeling burned out. These include:

• Muscle pain, especially in the back, shoulder, or neck
• Headaches
• Stomach problems
• Chest pain

Some of these pains can be eased by following the recommendations for healthy sleep and diet. It's also important, though, to keep up with your own medical check-ups, screenings, and wellness appointments. If you are feeling ill or have pain that doesn't respond to over-the-counter treatment or doesn't ease with time, see a healthcare provider.

More Frequent Illness

One of the great risks of burnout is the increased likelihood that you will become ill. In fact, caregivers often suffer from a weakened immune system, the cumulative effects of poor diet, lack of sleep, and neglected injuries or disorders.

Taking care to eat well and rest is important, but you can also boost your immunity by ensuring you are getting these vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc

You can ask your healthcare provider about using elderberry extract, which has been shown to help fight colds and the flu, and echinacea, which may boost immune function and fight infections.

Psychological Symptoms

The stress of being a caregiver is connected to a number of mental health issues that can range from mild to extremely severe:

• Depression: Everyone has a bad day from time to time. But being clinically diagnosed with depression means you show persistent symptoms such as neglecting activities that usually interest you, having changes in appetite or sleep, or being socially withdrawn.
• Anxiety: Being consumed by worry and fear related to your caregiving duties can lead to constant anxious feelings that manifest with physical and emotional symptoms such as panic, sweating or trembling, heart palpitations, stomach pains, and difficulty being around other people.
• Difficulty concentrating: When you're overwhelmed by responsibility, it can become easy to lose track of what you're doing and not complete tasks. You may have trouble focusing and remembering things.
• Unhealthy behaviors and addictions: Some caregivers who struggle to manage their responsibilities turn to alcohol or self-medicate with prescription or illicit drugs. This can lead to other health issues and addiction.
• Feeling guilty: Caregiver guilt or self-guilt is common. It's based on the feeling that you want to do more but are unable to. These feelings can be intensified if your loved one's condition declines or they need to move to a hospital or long-term care facility.
• Negative attitude: As time wears on, it's understandable that caregivers may start to feel some resentment and negativity towards the person in their care. Accepting your emotions, setting boundaries, and acknowledging that some tasks are beyond your skills or ability can enable you to accept the difficulty of your responsibilities and ask for help when needed.
  

What to Do if You're Struggling

Before you reach the end of your rope, start to recognize signs that you need help or a break from your caregiving responsibilities. It can be difficult for a person who has become the caretaker to accept help, but learning to reach out to others can make you and your loved one happier and healthier.

Take proactive steps such as these:

• Ask for help. Perhaps there is another family member you can ask to be more involved, or maybe you can get a few volunteers from a church or another social group to take short shifts with your loved one.
• Consider hiring in-home help, such as companions or home health care, who will provide assistance.
• Reserve time for yourself. You may even need to schedule it in your calendar.
• Prioritize. Give yourself permission to acknowledge the challenges of being a caregiver and decide what you're going to let go of on your "To Do" list.
• Consider joining a caregivers' support group. Check with your local Alzheimer's Association or other groups where you can find people who understand what you're dealing with.
• When you need an immediate and substantial break, consider a period of respite care.

Summary

If you're the primary caregiver of someone who needs constant medical care or lives support, it's understandable that you might feel overwhelmed at times. Before your own health begins to suffer, learn to spot the signs of burnout and seek help from others to allow you time to regenerate. This will enable you to care for your loved one as well as yourself.