Caregiver Anxiety

"I'm so paranoid that I am going to do something wrong," says Julie, a caregiver for a quadriplegic man. Julie has reached a point of worrying that if she cleans him improperly, she will be responsible for causing a fatal skin infection. Julie is experiencing caregiver anxiety---a stressful and potentially debilitating condition.

What is a caregiver?

A caregiver assists someone in need of help with daily life functions and provides physical or mental support. Those who need a caregiver may be elderly or have a physical disability, degenerative disorder, mental illness or terminal disease.

Caregivers perform tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, administering medicine, grocery shopping and other household chores.

Formal caregivers are paid employees who provide support to clients in their homes. Informal caregivers act in an unpaid capacity and are often a family member or friend of the person in care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 80 percent of the long-term caregivers fall into the informal category.

Features of Caregiver Anxiety

Caregiver anxiety is one significant component of caregiver burden, also referred to as caregiver stress. Caregiver burden entails the stress felt by regular caregivers and can come in forms of frustration, anger, loneliness, sickness and anxiety.

Caregiver anxiety may cause the care provider to set an unrealistic goal of having to provide perfect care and if it is not perfect, feel that she is risking the patient's life. Other stresses than can lead to anxiety include the deteriorating state of the patient, the lack of help a caregiver receives, the lack of proper coping strategies and a predisposition to anxiety or depression.

In some cases, caregivers neglect their own care because they feel as if they have to devote their sole attention to the person in need. Poor eating and sleeping habits on the part of the caregiver exacerbate the anxiety.

Overwork can also lead to anxiety; 59 percent of informal caregivers hold down regular employment in addition to their caregiving duties.

Identification

Symptoms of caregiver anxiety include feeling overcome by chronic worry, sleeping too much or not enough, experiencing weight change, becoming easily irritated or sad, losing interest in previously enjoyed activities, feeling constantly exhausted, muscle tension and developing an excessive dependence on drugs and alcohol.

In some cases, caregiver anxiety may lead to panic attacks. These episodes may involve a feeling that one's heart is racing, chest pain or tightness, dizziness, a shortness of breath, sweating, shaking or numbness.

Prevention/Solution

If you are a caregiver feeling anxious, do not dismiss it as something that will pass, and do not be afraid to ask for help. Anxiety could not only affect you adversely but also, in turn, the patient.

Seek community resources such as support groups, learn coping techniques and go see your doctor. You may have access to a variety of services that can provide respite care.

If you feel overwhelmed from working a day job and being a caregiver at the same time, find out from your human resource office whether you are eligible to take some time off as part of family and medical leave.

Coping Strategies

Learn healthy coping skills by talking to other caregivers, reading or talking to your doctor. Some examples of coping strategies include taking deep breaths, visualizing a relaxing place, going outside for a breath of fresh air or coming up with a reasonable list of tasks you will accomplish each day. In addition, try keeping a journal writing about situations based on the prompt "If I make mistake X, what is the worst that can happen and how can I improve on it for the next time?"

References

• "Julie" (Wishes to remain anonymous); formal caregiver; Halifax, Nova Scotia
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Caregiver Stress
• emedicinehealth: Panic Attacks
• Health and Quality of Life Outcomes: Caring for Family Members with Chronic Physical Illness
• Medscape Today: Caregiver Mental Health and Potentially Harmful Caregiving Behavior