By Rachel Egan, PMHNP-BC, Clinical Director and Co-founder of Harborside Psychiatrics
Whenever I meet with a new client, I always ask them who their strongest supports are. I work collaboratively with parents, siblings, adult children, and friends of many clients that play a pivotal role in their care. Clients are much more poised to recover and do well when they have supports around them. But what about those people providing the support? Helping someone navigate treatment for a mental health condition can be an exhausting process for the caregiver. Often family and friends might sacrifice some of their own needs in order to help a loved one get to appointments, organize medications, and follow through with other treatment recommendations. Over time, this can take a toll on caregivers. The term we use to describe the emotional burnout associated with this role is caregiver fatigue. Symptoms can include isolation, changes in appetite, irritability, changes in sleep patterns, poor concentration, and getting sick more often.
Sharing caregiving responsibilities is one way to reduce the risk of experiencing these symptoms. It is important for caregivers to still find time to set aside for themselves. It’s also OK (and very healthy) to acknowledge the strain of caring for a loved through a mental health challenge. Seeking support from others who have been through a similar experience can also help. Caregivers often describe feeling that they should be giving 100% of their attention to the person they are caring for, but this is not sustainable. It is important to recognize and honor the intense emotional work that goes into supporting someone else on their mental health journey.
References: Cleveland Clinic. Caregiver Burnout. Health Library. 2023.
