Getting to know Caregiver Burnout

By Kshitija Ghan, Intern Psychologist at Heart It Out, Bangalore

Almost one year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic started, and with it came a wide range of emotions that people all over the world are experiencing, from isolation, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and much more. Initially, people engrossed themselves in various hobbies while some started with their own small businesses. For the first time in history, everything shifted to online and work from home, from school and college lectures to office work. This shift from an offline world to an online, virtual world was definitely not easy. Everyone went through a hard time adjusting to it. As much as the general public was affected, the category of people who were affected tremendously was the caretakers and the essential workers — including nurses, doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists, essential services personnel — who continue to work relentlessly in such hard times. The mental health of these people along with other individuals all around the world has been severely affected. Among these, comes the mental health of caregivers of kids with special needs, they had to face their own set of unique challenges. These are individuals on whom the focus is quite less compared to those who have some kind of mental health concerns.

Let’s see what Caregiver Burnout is. Caregiver Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. When a caregiver experiences burnout, they might experience a shift in attitude — from positive to negative and from negative to that of being unconcerned. Burnout happens when the work resources exceed the capacity of a human. In the case of caregivers, when they don’t receive the required help or when their work exceeds their capacity, either financially or physically, they experience burnout. Caregivers get so involves in giving care and helping their kids who have special needs that they start experiencing stress and anxiety, and feel guilty for doing anything for themselves be it spending time or money. This leads to them experiencing burnout because they are giving everything for their child.

Caregiver burnout is prevalent more in women than men because of the general notion of the society wherein women are expected to cook, take care of their homes and also look after the general well-being of the entire household. This can become even more exhausting, especially in the case of caregivers, if their partner is not supportive enough and all the responsibilities fall upon the shoulder of one person, which is usually the mother. Being a caregiver for someone you love can be rewarding and exhausting at the same time. It might bring you happiness to look after your child but at the same time, it also limits your social life outside of the home and sometimes can also lead to financial issues.

Here are some symptoms to look out for caregiver burnout among caregivers:

1. Loss of interest in activities which was usually enjoyed

2. Withdrawal from their closed ones

3. Change in appetite and sleep patterns

4. Emotional and physical exhaustion

5. Feeling blue, hopeless, and cranky very often

6. Bursting into tears on issues that wouldn’t have bothered them otherwise

7. Getting sick very often

8. Feel like harming the person they are caring for or themselves

9. Getting sick often and neglecting their health

10. Avoiding people.

Here are some causes of Caregiver Burnout:

1. High demands from the care receiver

There are older children with special needs who are not toilet trained and need help to bathe and dress themselves. They are not able to perform basic tasks in their daily life. In such situations, it can be difficult for the caregiver to perform all tasks which might take a toll on their physical as well as mental health.

2. Role Confusion

There are parents who are the caregivers of their own children. In such cases, they might find it hard to differentiate their roles as parents and caregivers.

3. Caregivers Helplessness

Usually, the focus is mostly on individuals with mental health concerns. The caregivers, the ones who look after them are not paid any attention. Hence, there is a lack of social support for caregivers increasing the likelihood of burnout in them.

4. Unreasonable Expectations

Caregivers often have high expectations from themselves. They forget that they are also human beings who need love, care, and support. Instead, they believe that caregiving is their only responsibility which they will try to fulfil at all costs.

5. Money and Resources

Many caregivers do not have any control over the money and resources required for caregiving. This means that they have to depend on what they have or are receiving. Hence, they are unable to ask for any kind of help.

6. Other factors

Caregivers themselves must not be aware of the fact that they could be experiencing burnout. This might lead them to work themselves out to the extent that they might not function well and fall sick.

However, there are always ways in which one can prevent the occurrence of burnout among caregivers: Here are some of them:

1. Setting realistic goals — A caregiver can set realistic goals only when they accept that they need help.
2. Prioritizing self-care — Caregivers need to realize that they have to prioritize themselves. Only if they take care of themselves will they be strong enough to take care of someone else.
3. Strong Support System — Caregivers must build a strong support system, recognize someone they know, and can trust, be it a friend, sister, or co-worker.
4. Taking breaks — Caregivers should take breaks from time to time. This would give them a rest and would help them refresh for further tasks.
5. Know yourselves — Caregivers should know their potential as well as their limits.
6. Support Groups — Caregivers can look ut for support groups. This would be of great help as they would meet people who come from similar backgrounds.
7. Seek Professional Help — If required, it is important to seek professional help. There are times when it can become too hard to deal with everything, hence seeking help from a mental health professional is a good option.

Apart from this, there are other resources through which caregivers can seek help. Some of them are:

1. National Organizations — You can search online for national organizations that are offering to serve and take care of the needs of children with special needs.
2. Caregiver Support Services — The pandemic has made everyone realize the value and importance of caregivers. Hence, today, there are many programs and support groups for caregivers who are serving specific needs of a person. Here you will meet others with similar issues, get information, and find more resources and give you a platform to speak about your troubles and issues.
3. Private Mental Health Setups — The individuals who are working in their own private health setup can also help you with your needs and services and figure out a way to manage them.

To conclude, caregiver burnout happens when the stress and burden of caring for your children become overwhelming. This can affect your physical as well as your mental well-being. However, it is necessary for caregivers to know that burnout in caregivers is common. They have to acknowledge their feelings and understand their own capabilities and limitations. They have to accept that they are human beings and can experience burnout. Once you do that, it will become easier for you to recognize the signs and prevent or manage them. Getting all the required help and preventing burnout can help you in a long way and help build a healthier space for you and your child as well.