3 min read
Caregiving is not an easy task. It takes a tremendous amount of physical and mental energy. In addition, those who recognize themselves as caregivers can find making time for self-care difficult. Attempting to balance caregiver energy required and self-care is the perfect recipe for burnout. Stress-related to caregiver burnout (and the stress of the less healthy lifestyle can promote) exposes caregivers of patients with heart disease to at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease themselves. If you want to be successful as a caregiver, but also want to avoid the dangers of heart disease, strive to understand and recognize the stages of caregiver burnout.
Caregiver Burnout vs. Compassion Fatigue
Caregiver burnout is related to another term, compassion fatigue, but they are not one and the same. Caregiver burnout is a state of overwhelm and exhaustion caused by caregiving pressures. Compassion fatigue occurs when negative emotions that come from feeling compassion for someone who is suffering, which may be the person receiving care, overwhelm a person to the point they stop feeling compassion for others.
While these two psychological phenomena have similar symptoms, they stem from different causes. Caregiver burnout tends to involve a slow onset of emotions, while compassion fatigue onset may be quick. Both can impact heart health, weaken the immune system, and cause fatigue or headaches.
Stages of Caregiver Burnout
Caregiver burnout tends to move through the following stages:
1. Honeymoon Period
A new caregiver typically spends the first year to 18 months in this period. During the honeymoon stage, it may feel as though they can do everything to care for a loved one, from addressing general challenges to becoming an expert on their health. Phase one may also offer significant intrinsic motivation and excitement around a new caregiver role.
However, this is a short-lasting period in the full caregiver journey. Challenges without solutions may arise, and setbacks should be anticipated. Eventually, caregivers begin to feel tired as mental and physical resources are depleted; exhaustion pushes them toward the second stage of burnout.
2. Early Warning Signs
The initial signs of burnout can be subtle and are not unusual in any stressful care situation. The caregiver might feel frustration or fatigue. After all, caring for someone with heart disease is a difficult process that can be understandably confusing and frightening to everyone involved in the circle of care. It’s normal to feel guilt about these physical and emotional reactions and want to keep them quietly contained inside rather than sharing them and potentially upsetting others. However, when held inside, such feelings can compound and grow into a larger problem than if the caregiver had immediately sought a way to release and diffuse them.
3. Middle Stages
After the first year and a half, caregivers begin to grasp the intensity of caregiving challenges. It may take longer to finish tasks often leaving the caregiver feeling tired and overwhelmed. During this stage, physical symptoms of burnout, such as increased anxiety or depression, tend to appear.
Symptoms of caregiver burnout might include these feelings:
- A desire to withdraw from others
- Intense fear and anxiety
- Growing sense of depression
- Exhaustion or fatigue
4. State of Overwhelm
The final stage of caregiver burnout culminates in a “state of overwhelm” whereby the caregiver is at risk of significant health impacts, emotional numbness, or even a sense of hopelessness. Caregiving tasks on one’s plate no longer feel like a welcome challenge. Instead, they may seem like insurmountable obstacles. At this point, caregiver burnout symptoms will also become clear to others. Feelings of intense sadness or being trapped are typical.
In this late stage, sleeping may be a daily struggle. Irritability is common, and a loss of interest in things that once brought balance or joy may occur. Concentration will likely suffer and could lead to caregiving mistakes. Overall energy levels drop, and a cynical view of the world may emerge.
The caregiver’s own heart health during this stage is very much at risk. Ongoing stress is taking a toll, and one’s heart may not be able to persevere.
The important thing to remember when facing advanced burnout symptoms is that, no matter how isolating this stage can feel, no caregiver is truly alone. Others have experienced these feelings and struggles yet found a positive path to persevere and overcome.
How to Protect Yourself from Burnout
If you want to avoid heart dangers and other issues associated with burnout, the key is to practice good self-care.
First, learn to recognize the stages of caregiver burnout in yourself and others. Paying attention can help you to take the right steps early and avoid complications of burnout, such as increasing your own heart health risks. Importantly, allow space to acknowledge the enormity of being a caregiver; you do so much to support your loved one, and it is enough.
Next, take time to rest and manage stress as it will help avoid caregiver fatigue. Schedule breaks for yourself, and even weekly respite care — if needed — so you can truly relax. Sleep is invaluable. There are many simple stress management techniques available in the Caregiven app that could become trusted tools which help you to best cope with a daily rollercoaster of caregiving emotions.
Seeking emotional support is also important. Online groups and supportive friends will help you avoid burnout. Consider therapy or seek counseling to help deal with the intense pressures of caregiving. Thoughtful support will offer you hope that things will improve and help you generate the strength to carry on. Build and leverage a Care Circle in the Caregiven app so that you can more readily lean on one another for emotional and practical support in times of need.
Finally, access available resources to escape burnout. Caregiven, for instance, is a mobile app that not only provides the information you need to make good decisions about your loved one, but also offers the compassion and support you deserve for shouldering such a challenging role.
Sign up for Caregiven today to begin protecting your heart and mind from the real risks of caregiver fatigue and burnout.