Bharat SainiLast Updated on October 8, 2021 by Bharat Saini
When you have to care for somebody, you find that there is a range of emotions involved in the process. It can sometimes be very difficult and upsetting, whereas there are other occasions when working in care can be rewarding and bring you closer to the person you’re looking after. Regardless, there is no right or wrong way to feel and no right or wrong way to cope with those feelings. There are steps you can take to prepare yourself better, though, and this article will discuss all of that in more detail.
Common Feelings You May Have as a Carer
If you are caring for somebody who has a terminal illness, or an illness that is not terminal but that they don’t seem to be able to recover from, your feelings can often change on a daily basis. Having to provide physical and emotional support, whether this is in a professional or personal setting can be extremely difficult. Being empathetic towards their feelings, whilst also juggling your own is exhausting, and you may often feel unprepared and overwhelmed as a result.
As previously mentioned, there is no right or wrong way to feel; however, a lot of carers talk about being:
- Anxious and stressed
- Sad, depressed, and even helpless
- Fatigued
- Lonely
- Guilty and ashamed
- Frustrated, resentful, and sometimes angry
A lot of the time, these feelings can develop into depression, the symptoms of which include feeling tired, forgetful, and losing your appetite. If you feel this happening (or even if you don’t but are experiencing the above), it is important that you talk to people as this can help how you feel.
Managing Your Feelings
While there is no getting around the fact being a carer is a difficult task, there are some things that you can do in order to try and deal with your feelings better. These include but are not limited to:
- Referring Tasks
There are organizations out there who are willing to help you with all of your caregiving needs that you should absolutely take advantage of in order to help manage your workload (and subsequently your feelings) better. You can reach out to organizations such as ChartSpan, which assist with CCM Medicare assessments and will help you with tasks that need carrying out for the benefit of your patient. These tasks include the likes of:
- Assistance with medication refills
- Support in achieving the health care goals that have been established
- Assistance in finding home care
- Assistance in accessing labs, x-rays, and tests
- And much more
Be Sure to Make Time for Normal Life
Being a carer really can start to take over your life, making it feel a lot of the time like there aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s for this reason that it is very important to take a moment just to yourself, as this can really help. If you read a segment from a book, listen to music, or take a long bath, you will start to feel the benefits and be able to calm down a bit as a result.
