No matter how hard you try, you will not be able to avoid feeling stressed in your caregiver role, particularly when your loved one is suffering from a debilitating chronic condition such as Alzheimer’s disease. The constant diligence in your role is commendable but it is important that you understand how to manage your stress to avoid burnout and depression.
Understanding Stress
Stress is the response to changes in your life (such as caregiving) in which your body is required to respond. Not all stress is a bad thing as it could be the only thing keeping your reflexes sharp and focused in a dangerous situation. It sometimes keeps your mental synapses firing full cylinder too. However, when you internalize stress it becomes a problem and can affect you physiologically.
You have control over your body to a certain point before those involuntary muscles take over, so you have to do what it takes to minimize stress. By recognizing the signs, you can address them individually. Here are some examples:
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