Depression Is a Major Issue
Depression is the number-one enemy of caregivers. Many are older adults themselves, and like everyone, they carry their own burdens. Their stresses may relate to income, physical ailments of their own, their relationship with the person to whom they’re providing care, or their relationships with others. Because of the many stresses of caregiving, it’s not unusual for a caregiver to become overwhelmed.
Depression can manifest in several ways. You may feel tired, sleep too little or too much, gain or lose weight, become irritable at the slightest provocation, lose interest in friends and activities that formerly brought great pleasure, start having headaches or other physical manifestations of mental distress, or start to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.
But there are things that can be done to lessen the burden. While the suggestions aren’t going to fit every situation, at least some of them can be accomplished by nearly everyone. It may not solve the problems and stresses, but it can certainly help ease them.
Exercise Is A Panacea
The exhaustion and stress of caregiving can bring on any number of ailments, all of them exacerbated by sleeplessness or other manifestations of stress. It’s important that you stay healthy by eating the right foods and taking some steps toward preventive medicine like flu shots in anticipation of that season.