{"id":5288,"date":"2022-12-19T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/125\/?p=5288"},"modified":"2023-10-25T10:19:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T14:19:07","slug":"coping-as-a-family-caregiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/bostonnw\/massachusetts\/blog\/coping-as-a-family-caregiver\/","title":{"rendered":"Coping with Feelings of Helplessness as a Family Caregiver"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Although serving as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/pi\/about\/publications\/caregivers\/faq\/family\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">family caregiver<\/a> can be highly gratifying, there may be days when you feel helpless while watching your loved one&#8217;s condition grow worse. If you are experiencing feelings of helplessness right now, take heart knowing you&#8217;re not alone because countless other caregivers are probably going through the same thing \u2013 including ones in your own family. Thankfully, confronting any pent-up feelings of helplessness you might have and navigating through them in a healthy, productive way is possible by taking these steps.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Caregivers Often Experience these Negative Emotions<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to the physical demands of providing care, for instance, bathing, feeding, or helping a loved one get around, caregivers often deal with negative emotional reactions that include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Guilt<\/li>\n<li>Frustration<\/li>\n<li>Anger<\/li>\n<li>Denial<\/li>\n<li>Worry<\/li>\n<li>Regret<\/li>\n<li>Sadness<\/li>\n<li>Helplessness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If allowed to persist, negative feelings can cause or exacerbate <a href=\"https:\/\/caregiver.com\/articles\/caregiver-stress-syndrome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">caregiver stress<\/a> \u2013 a common condition that may threaten the quality of life of both caregiver and care recipient.<\/p>\n<h2>How Feeling Helpless Affects Caregiver Health<\/h2>\n<p>With respect to helplessness, that emotion can surface any time the caregiver witnesses the care recipient \u2013 for instance, their elderly mother \u2013 in physical and\/or psychological pain. Once the caregiver starts to feel helpless, their mental health can suffer, resulting in depression, anxiety, moodiness, and changes in their physical health.<\/p>\n<p>In many caregiving situations \u2013 most notably those involving a terminally ill loved one \u2013 the care recipient\u2019s pain intensity is the strongest predictor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caregiver.org\/resource\/depression-and-caregiving\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">caregiver depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Coping Skills for Stressed Caregivers<\/h2>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s helplessness or something else, here are some positive ways for you as a caregiver to diffuse negative emotions:<\/p>\n<h3>Confront your feelings<\/h3>\n<p>Ignoring bad feelings that include helplessness won\u2019t make them go away. Conversely, they can\u00a0get worse and eventually threaten your health and well-being. Take a few minutes to confront your feelings while doing an honest personal assessment of why they\u2019re there. Once you identify the root cause of those emotions, you can start diffusing them. Because you\u2019re only human, it\u2019s also essential to not feel guilty about how you feel.<\/p>\n<h3>Accept your limitations<\/h3>\n<p>No matter how hard you try \u2013 and helpless you feel \u2013 your loved one\u2019s condition is probably going to get worse. Accept that reality and focus instead on how to make them feel as comfortable and loved as possible. Celebrate small victories along the care journey, for instance, when Dad smiles because you took him fishing or on a long walk at the park.<\/p>\n<h3>Utilize positive outlets<\/h3>\n<p>Rather than keeping negative feelings like helplessness bottled up inside, find positive ways to release them.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ways to decompress:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Discuss your feelings with a spouse, partner, or close friend.<\/li>\n<li>Exercise regularly.<\/li>\n<li>Speak to a faith leader or licensed counselor.<\/li>\n<li>Join a local caregiver support group or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agingcare.com\/caregiver-forum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online caregiving forum<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Keep a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/basics\/info-2021\/family-caregiver-journal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">caregiving journal<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Do something that takes a lot of physical effort and concentration, such as cleaning out the garage or attic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Take time off<\/h3>\n<p>Another way to overcome negative emotions and stay refreshed is by asking a trustworthy family member or friend to step in for a while so you can take a break, or \u201crespite.\u201d If no volunteers are available, consider hiring a professional respite caregiver from a <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/\">reputable home care provider<\/a>. While doing so, be honest with your loved one about why you\u2019re taking a break, and let them know that you\u2019ll be back soon to take care of them!<\/p>\n<h2>Flexible In-Home Respite Care for Families in Bedford, MA, and Northwest Boston<\/h2>\n<p>Finding a trustworthy home care provider isn\u2019t always easy. At Assisting Hands Home Care, our professional in-home <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/services\/\">senior care services<\/a> allow clients in Bedford, MA, and the greater Northwestern Boston area to remain safely and comfortably in their own homes. Our trained, dependable caregivers and personal assistants can help your family overcome its <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/services\/senior-care-services\/\">eldercare<\/a> challenges while making your loved one\u2019s home an even better place to be.<\/p>\n<p>Our turnkey home care services include everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/services\/personal-care-companion-services\/\">companionship<\/a>, meal preparation,\u00a0medication reminders, and transportation to light housekeeping, laundry, and personal care assistance with bathing and dressing. From a few hours a day to around-the-clock care, our customized in-home care solutions have got your family covered. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/\">here<\/a> now to learn more about Assisting Hands Home Care or schedule a free consultation for a senior in Northwest Boston.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are experiencing feelings of helplessness right now, take heart knowing you&#8217;re not alone because countless other caregivers are probably going through the same thing \u2013 including ones in your own family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"featured_media":5289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[248],"tags":[406,317,446,238],"class_list":["post-5288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-caregiver-wellness-tips","tag-caregiver-health","tag-caregiver-stress","tag-caregiving-journal","tag-family-caregiver"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5288"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5325,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5288\/revisions\/5325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}