Aug 01 2008
Avoiding Depression Carer Burnout
All the research I have done stresses how important it is to have the emotional support from family and friends when we are going through depression.
What I have come to realise however, is the tremendous toll this takes on carers. In research I did for BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO (Available September 9 in bookstores) I found out quite clearly the extent of the burden. Below is one of the questions I asked:
|
2. If you have experienced any other frustrations/problems which weren’t covered above please list them here (unprompted – open ended). |
Times Mentioned |
|
I feel I am always giving – I am running on empty |
24 |
|
My loved one refuses to see a doctor or won’t follow their advice |
21 |
|
I have great difficulty communicating with them and they often get irritated/angry |
16 |
|
Privacy laws prevent some health providers speaking with me which negatively impacts on my ability to provide the best care |
13 |
|
I can’t find the right professional help for me |
12 |
|
Friends and family drop away as they don’t know how to handle the situation |
12 |
|
It took a long time to get the correct diagnosis which prolonged recovery |
9 |
|
I feel that nothing I do helps |
8 |
|
It has a very great impact on the children of the loved one and no one seems able to give advice on how this should be handled |
7 |
|
Fear of self harm and suicide |
6 |
|
No one seems set up to handle advice for teenagers with depression |
4 |
|
There is no case manager so follow through is non existent – my loved one has prematurely gone off medication |
4 |
This really reinforced to me how important it is that carers look after themselves, as well as their loved one. This sometimes means finding professional help such as a psychologist or therapist or building personal support through family and friends.
This topic is so important that I dedicate two chapters to it as well as an extensive resources section just for carers.
If you go to the News section of www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com you will find a couple of excellent recent articles on relieving stress and taming the worry habit.
Eliminating Stress
Essentially these articles says that:
- With any problem you first need to accurately define what you are concerned about.
- Is it a problem worth devoting time to? - you can’t solve everything - only invest your time in the important things that you can do something about
- What would make the problem go away?
- Brainstorm solutions - be creative - ask friends
- Decide on your course of action
- Take action
85% of worries don’t happen
In another study, chronic worriers were asked to carry around a notebook and record everything they stewed about for two weeks. Astonishly, 85% of things that they spent lots of time worrying about didn’t happen.
I’m not trying to minimise the overwhelming nature of depression, but what I am trying to do is to encourage those living with depression and their carers to analyze their concerns and take action against the important issues.
Kind Regards
Graeme
