Signs that Caregiving May Be Becoming Too Risky for You or your loved one

• Missing or delaying your/their own doctor appointments
• Ignoring your/their own health problems or symptoms
• Not eating a healthy diet for lack of time
• Overusing tobacco or alcohol when you/they feel stressed
• Giving up exercise habits for lack of time
• Losing sleep
• Losing connections with friends for lack of time to socialise
• Bottling up feelings of anger and frustration and then being surprised by angry, even violent, outbursts directed at your spouse, other family members, co-workers - even strangers
• Feeling sad, down, depressed or hopeless
• Loss of energy
• Lacking interest in things that used to give you (and your spouse) pleasure
• Feeling resentful towards your spouse
• Blaming your spouse for the situation
• Feeling that people ask more of you than they should
• Feeling like CAREGiving has affected family relationships in a negative way
• Feeling annoyed by other family members who don’t help out or who criticise your care

All caregivers who experience elevated levels of stress are at an increased risk for physical and emotional issues, so it’s important to get support.

The hardest part for many is knowing when to ask, since some believe asking for help is a sign they aren't handling the situation well. The truth; your spouse/partner will be in better hands if you, yourself, are healthy. It is important to take care of yourself, while taking care of someone else.