Providing compassionate care to your loved ones is among the most selfless acts any human can perform.
The issue?
It also comes at a cost. Too often that cost is paid for by the caregiver’s own physical and mental wellbeing. Family caregiver burnout is the silent killer affecting millions of families today — and rarely do you realize it until it’s too late.
Burnout creeps up on you. One day you’re fine, and the next you’re emotionally and physically drained.
Let’s dig into what caregiver burnout is exactly — and how to spot it before it puts you or your loved ones in danger.
Article Overview:
- Caregiver Burnout: What Is It?
- The Top Signs You’re Ignoring
- Reasons You Keep Ignoring the Signs
- Physical Effects of Burnout
- Signs You Need to Seek Outside Care
What Is Caregiver Burnout?
Burnout in caregiving is a state of complete physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It comes from giving too much of yourself to your caregiving duties without getting enough support and relief in return.
Caregiver burnout doesn’t happen suddenly.
Instead, it builds up over time until you reach your breaking point. It’s something almost every caregiver will face at some point or another.
Here’s the problem: 78% of caregivers report experiencing burnout already in their lives caring for a loved one. For many caregivers, burnout isn’t “Oh no I have burnout”, it’s “Ugh, not this week AGAIN!”
That’s not a statistic we can ignore.
Families in search of compassionate care services — like assisted living in Tigard — need to know the warning signs before they reach their breaking point. Only then can you fully prevent caregiver burnout before it does serious damage to both you and your loved one.
Top Signs of Caregiver Burnout to Look Out For
Burnout is insidious.
The dangerous thing about caregiver burnout is that the warning signs seem like other problems. They’re often written off as stress, being busy, or just having a “bad week.” That’s why people ignore these signs for so long.
Eventually, burnout catches up.
Here are the most common signs of caregiver burnout you should never ignore.
- You’re tired ALL THE TIME, even after sleeping or taking a break
- Withdrawal from friends and other family members
- You feel resentment toward your loved one
- You’re skipping doctors appointments, eating poorly, and not finding time to simply relax
- You feel numb towards everything — including your emotions
- Everything annoys you WAY more than it should
- You feel like you have no identity outside of “caregiver”
Does that sound familiar?
It only takes one or two of these signs showing up frequently to start pushing alarm bells. Any semblance of burnout is your body telling you to slow down — before it’s too late.
Why Do Caregivers Ignore the Signs?
Most people reading this will know exactly why they ignore these signs.
There is a feeling of having to keep pushing through. Nobody else will take care of your loved one like you do. There’s nobody that you trust to help out, so the suffering continues in silence because of guilt.
Caregivers are some of the hardest-working people you will ever meet.
The mentality that drives so many caregivers is also what stops them from reaching out for help. There is an unreasonable amount of pride that comes with providing round-the-clock care to your loved ones. But that pride comes at a cost.
Most caregivers feel that if they stop caregiving, they’re doing something wrong. They feel guilty asking for help, and there’s often a deep-rooted fear of judgement. Judgement from other family members. Judgement from their loved ones. Judgment from themselves.
This is a difficult subject to tackle because of how these feelings play into ignoring the burnout signs.
“I’m just tired. Everyone feels tired these days.”
“I can’t leave them alone, what if something happens?”
“This too shall pass.”
This isn’t something that just goes away. 64% of caregivers report high emotional stress, and 45% report high physical strain — according to The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. That’s not normal.
Physical Pain and Caregiver Burnout
Burnout is more than just an emotional and mental issue.
Your body doesn’t just mentally suffer from burnout. There is a significant chance you’ll start to experience physical damage from stress as well.
If you experience caregiver burnout, you’re more likely to face:
- Heart health problems
- A weakened immune system
- Sleep deprivation
- Higher risk of anxiety and depression
- Weight fluctuation
This data isn’t just scary. It’s tragic.
Only 23% of caregivers report good mental health according to the Caregiver Action Network. That means almost 80% of caregivers struggle with their mental health due to the stress of providing round-the-clock care.
And when health suffers, the quality of care provided suffers with it. Don’t let burnout negatively impact your loved ones.
When to Know It’s Time To Ask For Help
If you’ve made it this far, you’re already thinking about when it’s too late.
Here’s the thing — asking for help isn’t losing. Asking for help isn’t giving up on the person you love.
Caregiver burnout happens because one person is being asked to do too much. There are only so many hours in your day to provide care. That’s why compassionate care services were created.
You know it’s time to consider outside care when…
- Your loved one’s health needs have surpassed what you can provide.
- You’re incapable of providing basic self-care
- You’re starting to feel resentment towards your loved one
- Your loved one’s care is suffering because of your health
- You feel like you can’t enjoy life anymore
Calling in professional reinforcements is not a sign of weakness. Professional compassionate care services are there to fill in the gaps so families can spend less time worrying.
Outside compassionate care services give structure to your day, take stress off your plate, and most importantly: allow you to take a breath and recharge your mental batteries.
You are not alone.
Wrapping Things Up
Family caregiver burnout is easy to ignore.
It’s easier to pretend like everything is okay when you’re perfectly fine yourself. Once burnout starts affecting your physical and mental health, it’s often too late to do anything about it.
Nobody should feel like they don’t have a choice but to burn themselves out to care for their loved ones.
Luckily, there are plenty of signs that indicate you’re facing burnout. If you feel exhausted all the time, you’re guilty of ignoring your loved one’s health, feel resentful, or feel like you’re losing yourself — please reach out for help.
Too many families suffer in silence when they don’t have to.
Compassionate care services are there to help shoulder the burden. Professional teams understand how difficult caregiving can be on mental and physical health and are dedicated to helping alleviate that stress.
