How can caregiving for someone suffering from mental illness affect you? How can caregivers practice self-care?
Caregiving for someone with a mental illness can be a difficult task. Caring for our loved ones when they are unwell can leave us feeling exhausted, worried or lonely. In some cases caregiving may be a long term commitment, making it even more stressful. It is important that while caring for sufferers, we also look after ourselves or our own health may worsen. Besides being bad for ourselves, this would also prevent us from effectively looking after sufferers. Our own stability is a source of strength which can enable us to be there for the people we love.
Some steps that caregivers can use to practice self-care include:
- Taking time out for yourself when caring for sufferers, may seem difficult, but it is extremely important. You need to recharge your batteries regularly in order to continuously share your energy with others. Here it can be helpful to remind yourself of what you enjoyed doing before you became a caregiver, such as meeting friends, playing some sports or engaging in other hobbies.
- Practicing acceptance, when caring for sufferers, can help us deal with the feelings of guilt, blame, fear and confusion that accompany having a loved one suffering from mental illness. When confronted with life’s difficulties such as a loved one’s mental illness, we often ask ourselves questions such as “Why them?”, “Why us?” or “What could we have done differently?” No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worrying can change the future. Therefore, we must accept the situation as it is and focus on things that are in our control.
- Developing and maintaining a social support network. Think about the people in your life you can turn to for support. You may have a family member who helps you relax, or a friend who is good at taking your mind off things. There may be times when support from family or friends may not be available or enough, in those times it is important to seek professional help. Since other caregivers may be in a good position to understand what you are going through, it could also be worthwhile to connect with them.