Caregiver stress
Dec. 21, 2011
I was reminded recently of the amount of stress that family caregivers live under 24/7. My father died of Alzheimer’s Disease and every member of the family on my father’s side for two generations (and probably further back than that) who lived long enough has died of, or of complications resulting from, Alzheimer’s Disease. I witnessed the toll my father’s condition took on the family members responsible for his care. The emotional toll continued even after they no longer had direct, daily responsibility for him. Having seen first hand the effects caregiving can have on peoples’ lives, my wife and I make a generous gift annually to the Alzheimer’s Association.
When the request for our gift came this year it included a list of 10 symptoms of caregiver stress. These include:
Denial
Exhaustion
Anger
Sleeplessness
Social Withdrawal
Irritability
Anxiety
Inability to Concentrate
Depression
Health Problems
These symptoms are commonly made worse by the holidays, a period of great stress all by themselves. Taking care of a family member while also having to assume responsibility for shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, attending kids’ holiday pageants, and on and on and on can easily be just to much.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or just need a break from everything you are having to deal with this season, please feel free to call or email me. In an effort to make my services more available during this season of heavy stress, anyone making an appointment with me between December 21, 2011 and January 21, 2012 for any stress related issue will receive a 25% discount.
Wishing all of you a healthy and happy holiday.