iSavta | 29.08.2022

Caregiving is almost a selfless job that is challenging in its own right. Sometimes, it is all too easy to assume that taking on this kind of job means that you have to do everything by yourself. Other caregivers are even afraid to ask for help, even when they know that they really need it. 

But whether you like it or not, there will come a point when you need to ask for help, and these instances include the following:

 

Your Feel Like You Will “Explode” Soon

Does it ever feel like your fuse is getting too short every time you hear someone else’s loud chewing? Maybe the TV’s volume is already getting under your skin. You might also be annoyed because of having to answer the same question over and over again day in and day out. 

While feeling bothered with these things is normal, and even very normal at that, once it feels that your fuse will snap soon to the point that you can no longer cope with your usual daily interactions without shouting, overreacting, or resorting to regrettable exchanges, it is time for you to ask for help. 

Your patient might not be happy with the situation, and maybe there are times when you also feel the same way. Once it seems that things are going downhill, take a step back and ask for help so both of you can return to your healthier ways and co-exist without any problems. 

 

Your Personal Wellness is Put into Jeopardy

It is not unusual to see caregivers who suffer a sharp decline in their health after long periods of taking on the job. This decline may sometimes take on the form of weight gain or weight loss, balance loss, scattered thinking, poor sleep, and emotional outbursts, just to name a few. 

Don’t forget that wellness is not just about your ability to unload and load the wheelchair or walker or lift the patient safely, although it is still important. Your wellness also has something to do with your intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual wellness. 

Engage with meaningful conversations and more experiences that will nurture not only your body and mind but also your spirit. Failure to do might lead to resentment, loneliness, and depression. Before these issues kick in, however, don’t be afraid to seek help. 

 

You Lose Your Connection with Your Relationships 

When you are a caregiver, it often means you have to look for ways to reframe your relationships. Just a few months ago, you were a wife. Today, you are a complex mix of a caregiver and a wife with indistinguishable and intertwined roles most of the time. 

It can make things conflicting, and confusing, and may leave you grieving your former role in the relationship and your former life as a whole. During this process, it is important to master wearing different hats so you can maintain your sense of personality identity in the relationship. 

For all you know, the patient might also be having a hard time recognizing themselves and their own roles in the new dynamic. Although you can continue to be the primary caregiver, don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone who can wear the hat for a while so you can take on your original role as a wife, for example, every now and then. It will let you hold onto those aspects of yourself that define you as a person. 

 

Always remember, asking for help doesn’t mean you failed as a caregiver. Not asking for one is what makes you fail in your job.