4 Emotions that Family Caregivers Deal with Constantly

Elder Care in Freehold Township NJ

Family caregivers take on a lot for their loved ones and that can often mean coping with difficult emotions as they crop up. Being able to recognize these emotions can go a long way toward helping yourself work through them.

Anger

Anger is a really common emotion for family caregivers, but they often wind up feeling guilty for feeling angry. There’s a lot to get angry about when you’re caring for a loved one. You might be angry at the illness your loved one suffers from, his doctors, or relatives who don’t follow through on offers of help. It’s also possible that you’ll get angry with your loved one from time to time. This is a normal reaction and it’s not something that makes you a bad person or a bad caregiver. It’s important to learn how to channel that anger, however.

Guilt

Guilt is particularly prevalent for family caregivers. They can feel guilty that they can’t do more for their loved one. They can feel guilty that they still have to work. They might even feel guilty that they’ve hired elder care providers to help their loved one when they have to do other things. You have to remember that you’re human and that you can only do so much. Once you can accept that, it’s a little easier to keep guilt at bay.

Depression

Depression might show up as a result of a specific situation, such as bad news from your loved one’s doctor, or it might be more of a long term situation. If you’re feeling despondent and helpless, it’s likely that depression is behind those feelings. When you start to feel any of the warning signs of depression, it’s time to seek out care for yourself.

Grief

You’ll likely feel grief when you lose your loved one, but grief doesn’t just show up at the end. You and your loved one might mourn the life that he used to live or the losses that he sustains every day as his health worsens. Guilt is complicated and it can show up in sometimes seemingly unrelated situations, but it needs to be dealt with in order to work through it.

If you’re experiencing difficulty with any of these emotions, talk to a therapist or counselor who can help you to cope with and express them safely.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Freehold Township, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Lares Home Care 1-800-781-7435 or 732-566-1112.