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It’s not uncommon to freely, and without hesitation, give your time and energy to occasionally or routinely help an adult family member or friend in need. Finding support early in your caregiver role is a good first step to protect the health and safety of yourself and the person you help. Caregiving situations can easily snowball into feelings of uncertainty and be extra stressful when faced alone. Overtime, you may have less energy to care for yourself or find help that will benefit the both of you.
Burnout is typically a familiar term used to describe feeling overwhelmed and stressed for a prolonged time and is often experienced, at some point, by all caregivers. Compassion fatigue, a sometimes less-familiar term and one that people think only applies to professionals, can also be experienced by informal, family/friend caregivers and can overlap with burnout.
The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) helps explain the two, as below. Read CAN’s full article HERE for more information and ways to get help. Read the Cleveland Clinic’s article, HERE about caregiver burnout: risks, causes, signs & symptoms, experiences, and coping and prevention ideas.
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Caregiver Burnout refers to a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by the prolonged stress of caregiving. It often develops gradually as the demands of caregiving accumulate over time. Common signs of caregiver burnout:
- Feelings of frustration, irritability, anxiety, depression, or hopelessness
- Difficulty sleeping or fatigue
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, or digestive issues
- Feeling secluded or alone in your role, that no one wants to help, or that asking for help is a sign of weakness (Cleveland Clinic article)
- Feeling passive about your role/reduced desire to do a good job (Cleveland Clinic article)
Compassion Fatigue is a condition that affects caregivers who are constantly exposed to the trauma or suffering of others. Symptoms of compassion fatigue:
- Emotional exhaustion or numbness
- Difficulty maintaining empathy
- Loss of motivation or sense of purpose
- Physical symptoms like headaches or gastrointestinal issues
- Feelings of self-blame for not doing enough
Resources
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