Impact on Caregivers

By Medha Saraiya

April 15

Parents and guardians are informal caregivers. They tend to their child’s every need and continuously advocate for them. This is a full time role that parents, and caregivers take on. Caregiver burnout is real and it’s important to understand its impact.

Here are some of the signs of caregiver burnout:

• Feeling tired often
• Irritability
• Feeling numb or developing an uncaring, negative attitude
• Feeling overwhelmed or constantly worried
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Frequent illness, headaches, chronic pain, or other physical symptoms
• Difficulty concentrating
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Changes in appetite and/or weight

Remember, you need to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. Next week I will share some tips on how to manage the stress and mitigate burnout. Take care!