Nearly 1 in 5 American adults provide unpaid care to another person over age 50, according to 2020 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, millions of people serve as caregivers to spouses, aging parents, and other loved ones.
Although caregiving can be a source of pride and comfort for some, it also brings significant stress. Caregiving stress includes physical, emotional, and often financial burden. Understanding and addressing caregiver stress is important for the health and well-being of both the caregiver and the care recipient.
What Is Caregiver Stress Syndrome?
Caregiver stress syndrome goes by several names. It is sometimes called caregiver burnout or caregiver stress. Caregiver stress syndrome refers to the physical, emotional, and psychological strain that arises when a person is a caregiver to someone else. This could refer to caregiving to a chronically ill family member, someone with a disability, or an aging parent or relative.
Caregiver stress syndrome typically occurs when someone experiences a high degree of caregiver demand. This might include helping with daily activities, managing medications or medical treatments, offering social support, or providing financial support. This can lead to acute distress in the short term as well as chronic stress over longer periods of time.
It is important to note that not everyone who is a caregiver will develop caregiver stress syndrome. This syndrome is more common when a care provider does not have strong social support, is the sole caregiver for someone with high needs, and does not have the ability to prioritize their own needs.
What Are Common Signs of Caregiver Stress?
Whether you are a caregiver yourself or know another caregiver in your life, it is important to recognize common signs of caregiver stress. These can include physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, social withdrawal, and financial burden. Some of the most common signs of caregiver stress include:
- Chronic fatigue, exhaustion, or tiredness
- Changes in sleep, including insomnia or excessive sleep
- Frequent headaches, body aches, or chronic pain
- Changes in weight or appetite, whether decreased appetite or overeating
- Constant worry or anxiety. This is often centered on the well-being of the person you are caring for, but it may also lead to anxiety in other aspects of life.
- Increased irritability or short-temperedness
- Difficulty concentrating in your everyday life. You may find it more difficult to make decisions or follow everyday conversations.
- Feeling guilty, resentful, or overwhelmed with your caregiving responsibilities
- Social isolation, including withdrawing from friends or family
- Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy
- Decline in your physical health, including becoming more susceptible to illness or infection
- Feeling so overwhelmed that you stop caring for yourself, including bathing, eating, or grooming
- Skipping your own medical appointments or personal events because you feel too burned out from caregiving responsibilities
- Chronic worry about the expenses associated with caregiving
In severe cases of caregiver stress syndrome, caregivers often report a symptom that experts call “depersonalization.” Depersonalization refers to seeing the care recipient as a burden or a thing to be cared for, rather than a loved one. Depersonalization is a risk factor for poor mental health and physical outcomes for care providers. It is also a risk factor for abuse, neglect, and poor quality care given to the care recipient.
What Causes Caregiver Stress?
Caregiver stress is a unique form of stress for several reasons.
Caregiving Is a Big Responsibility.
Caregivers typically begin providing care because they love and want to help their loved one. As the care recipient’s needs escalate, the demand on the caregiver increases, too. This constant worry and vigilance about another person’s safety can be very draining.
Caregiving Can Be Physically and Emotionally Taxing
Often, caring for a loved one involves hands-on tasks like bathing, feeding, helping a person move in or out of bed, and administering medications. It may also involve helping the person cope emotionally, manage many complex medical appointments, and staying on top of household tasks.
Feeling Out of Control
Caregiving sometimes causes people to feel like they lack control over their own lives. This is particularly true when the care recipient’s health worsens or their care needs become very high. The unpredictability of caregiving can be particularly stressful. Many caregivers say that they always need to be “on,” because they never know when their loved one will need assistance.
Role Strain
Caregiving often leads to what experts call “role strain.” This refers to the difficulty of juggling multiple roles that often compete with one another. For example, your caregiving responsibilities might come into conflict with your responsibilities as an employee. Or, for many people, caregiving for aging parents can come into conflict with work responsibilities or responsibilities for parenting their own children.
Feelings of Grief and Loss
Finally, caregiving often involves feelings of grief and loss. It feels emotionally overwhelming to watch as a loved one declines or becomes more dependent on you. Particularly for people with chronic, degenerative illnesses, the progressive decline can be a large source of grief for the caregiver. The relationship between caregiver and care recipient changes, whether that is a parent-child relationship or a spousal relationship. This loss of the prior relationship and feeling that the care recipient is dependent on you can take a major emotional toll.
Tips to Manage Stress as a Caregiver
Caregiving is an often thankless role, but there are ways to make it more manageable. Learning new coping strategies can help you to feel more in control and empowered. Not only does this benefit you as the caregiver, but it will benefit your loved one as well. Consider the following tips for caregiver stress.
Support
Seek additional support from others. If you are the sole caregiver, consider ways that you can lean on others for help. This may mean asking other friends or family for assistance, whether that is direct physical care, running errands, or simply having a social outlet. Caregiver support groups can be a great way to connect with other people experiencing similar circumstances.
Scheduled Breaks
Build regular breaks into your schedule. Regular breaks are critical to maintain your mental health. Even if it is just a few hours at a time, having an opportunity to tend to your own needs makes a big difference. Respite care, either from friends, family, or a professional respite care service, can help to give you a break. While you can use this time to catch up on errands, if possible, do something that you enjoy or find relaxing.
Set Realistic Expectations
Set realistic expectations for caregiving. One of the hardest aspects of caregiving is recognizing your own limits. It’s simply impossible to do everything for another person. Set realistic goals for caregiving, prioritizing tasks that are most important. Then, let go of the things that you cannot control or do not have time for.
Practice Self Care
Self-care is critical to managing caregiver burnout and stress. Remember the adage from airplane safety about putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others. If you are not physically and mentally well, you will not be able to effectively care for another person. This means it should be a priority to eat balanced meals, get sufficient sleep, and exercise regularly. Mighty Health can help you get into a routine that fits with your caregiving responsibilities.
Prioritize Mental Well Being
Communicate openly and get professional help if needed. Caregiving can be emotionally exhausting. Bottling those emotions up inside can negatively affect your mental health. Instead, focus on open and honest communication with your loved one. Involve them in decision-making wherever possible, and discuss your needs as well as theirs. If you find yourself feeling burned out, depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, seek professional help. A therapist can help you find ways to cope with a difficult caregiving situation and improve your own mental health.
Take Care of Yourself with Mighty Health
Our Mighty Health family is here for anyone going through a difficult life transition, including caregiving. Our platform and personalized coaching can help you create a routine that keeps you healthy in body, mind, and spirit. Plus, our supportive community includes many people balancing caregiving responsibilities, offering a network of support. We’re excited to help you manage the stress of caregiving while prioritizing your own well-being.