Category: Caregiver Issues / Stress
The Good Therapy Blog
February 9th, 2012 |
Depression doesn’t go away for everyone. For most people, depression is temporary and passes naturally or passes once the person has expressed the feelings and resolved the thoughts causing the depression. But there are a small percentage of people who can talk about their issues, express their feelings, take very good care of themselves emotionally, even take medication and have a great life and still be depressed throughout their entire lives. They may have periods of feeling good, periods of feeling less bad, and periods of feeling horrible, but the depression never goes away permanently.
Major... Read More
February 6th, 2012 |
All too often, women and some men (in my experience, mostly women) experience the fatigue of “having it all.” More and more women, by choice or necessity, work a full-time job in addition to family and home responsibilities, leaving little, if any, time for them. Likewise, many of us in the helping professions struggle or have struggled with the balance of giving so much emotionally to not only clients, but also family and friends, and find ourselves depleted. In both cases, it is very easy to face burnout.
When discussing work, we often hear the term job burnout, but how often have you... Read More
January 19th, 2012 |
Caring for an aging parent can cause increased stress and decreased mental health. In recent years, the number of people who provide eldercare services for family members while employed outside of the home has increased dramatically. Studies have shown that the demands of eldercare have negative impacts on mental health, which in turn results in lower work performance. But until now, no study has directly examined the link between eldercare demands and job performance. Additionally, no previous studies have identified why... Read More
© Copyright 2012 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Newport Beach Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
December 9th, 2011 |
More people will care for an aging parent in the coming years than ever before. Advances in modern medicine have extended life expectancy and the relationship between the aging and their caregivers, whether they are family members or not, is of critical importance. “Arguably, at no time is understanding care-seekers’ wishes more important than when care-seekers are incapacitated, especially when life-or-death decisions about medical interventions are required,” said Bulent Turan of the Department of Psychology at the... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Dallas Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
November 30th, 2011 |
Evaluating and assessing someone’s need for care is a critical component of acting as an effective and objective caregiver. However, according to a new study led by S. Jeffrey Bailey of the Department of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick Saint John in Canada, the attachment style of a caregiver can influence how they respond to a patient’s needs. “The Social Communication Model of Pain raised the possibility that characteristics of those observing pain may also influence evaluations of individuals experiencing... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Mountain View Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
September 30th, 2011 |
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Caregivers experience a heavy burden when they are giving unpaid care to family members. “It is well established that providing informal care for a family member poses risks for the caregiver. Compared with non-caregivers, caregivers face greater physical illnesses, stress, and mental health problems,” said Jennifer Q. Morse of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Relationship attributes have been related to greater caregiver depression, burden, and providing problematic... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Tampa Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
July 6th, 2011 |
New information reveals the importance of support for those caring for people with mental health challenges. Family-to-Family (FTF) is a 12 week support program that is available to people throughout the country, sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The program is run by volunteers, and is free to anyone who cares for someone with mental health challenges. To determine its effectiveness at relieving caregiver... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Lake Oswego Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 24th, 2011 |
A new study shows that people who care for those with mental health challenges can be at risk for increased stress, substance abuse and depression. "Being the principal caregiver to a mentally ill family member is a stressor that often creates high levels of burden and contributes to depressive symptoms," says Carsten Wrosch, a professor in the Concordia University Department of Psychology,... Read More
© Copyright 2011 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Fresno Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
February 4th, 2011 |
Caregivers are people of any age, gender, cultural background, economic level, and health status. The one thing that caregivers have in common is stress. Even in optimal situations, stress is part of most every caregiver’s life.
Chronic stress impacts one’s body and immune system. If you are currently caring for a loved one you probably are experiencing some physical symptoms of caregiving. You may be losing or gaining weight. Your body may have been injured by the rigors of caregiving or you may be having chronic back pain. Headaches are common when you are stressed. Most caregivers experience... Read More
January 25th, 2011 |
Beginning in infancy, relationships, food and feeding become intertwined. Think about it: Baby cries and baby gets fed. Someone has to do that feeding, and that someone is usually holding the baby and relating to him or her. So, from our earliest memories, food and being fed is one of our first ways of connecting to one another. As we grow and develop, social events often revolve around mealtimes; whether it is family dinner or a social gathering with friends, we are enjoying the nurturing that food and company can provide.
With the eating-disordered population, however, the connection between... Read More
November 30th, 2010 |
So far this series has explored how the body-mind reacts to situations in early life where there is stress from external tension or inconsistent care. But what happens when care is forthcoming to the point where a growing child feels stifled? Let’s conjure up a scenario to explore this.
Imagine a child who is oohed and ahh-ed over. This is a good thing right? Right, but the saying “everything in moderation” has merit even here. When a baby is fondled and oohed and ahh-ed over, it is meant as encouragement and an exchange of joy- this is essential for healthy development. But for... Read More
November 10th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
When a person serves as a caregiver for their loved one, they are taking on not only the daily care of that person, but also a certain level of personal sacrifice and weight within their own life. The social and emotional baggage of caregiving often goes unspoken, as caregivers fear it is selfish to think of their own needs when the needs of their loved one seem far more pressing. But these needs are real, and deserve therapy or counseling and social and familial support all the same. This is certainly true for those who care for a loved one living with serious... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Longwood Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
August 17th, 2010 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Those who provide daily care to an adult who is mentally ill or physically impaired experience a high level of stress and emotional pressure, and are vulnerable to depression as a result. Two new studies show how caregiving influences the mental health and well being of adult caregivers. The first study addresses depression among caregivers of adults with serious mental illness. This study looked at finding a way to recognize depression in its early stages,... Read More
© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Farmington Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
May 14th, 2010 |
I have taken on many roles in my life: daughter, sister, friend, cousin, niece, girlfriend, fiancé, college graduate, wife, and new mother. But in April of 2008, I took on a very unexpected role, one that challenged me more than I ever could have imagined: caretaker for my then 27-year-old husband.
My husband, Nolan, battled testicular cancer before we met. At the age of 18, when he should have been worrying about the prom and high school graduation, he began intense rounds of chemotherapy, underwent several invasive surgeries, and suffered from surgical complications that landed him in the... Read More
