"Caregiver burnout" is a term used to describe the physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that can result from caring for a sick loved one. Feelings of frustration, hopelessness, and resentment are common in caregivers and may creep up on you unnoticed.

Being a caregiver can be disruptive and stressful. You might have to change your living arrangements to accommodate your loved one, rearrange your finances to afford healthcare costs, quit your job, or travel long distances to complete all your tasks—not to mention that someone you care about is ill.

You owe it to yourself, and to the person you love for whom you're caring, to know the symptoms:

• Depression. You may experience profound sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, anxiety, anger, irritability or apathy (lack of emotion).
• 
  
• Social problems. You may find yourself overreacting, having emotional outbursts, being hostile or otherwise clashing with others.
• 
  
• Health problems, including fatigue, headaches, backaches and high blood pressure.
• 
  
• Substance abuse. People experiencing caregiver burnout often turn to alcohol, drugs, tobacco and caffeine to cope with or escape stress.
• 
  
• Changes in appetite and sleep patterns. You may find yourself eating more or less than usual and find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. You may sleep too much.
• 
  
• Difficulty concentrating. This can affect your ability to make decisions, remember appointments or comprehend instructions.
• 
  
• Loss of self-esteem. You may have feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach or excessive or inappropriate guilt.
• 
  
• Decreased energy level. You may find yourself becoming emotionally and physically exhausted.
• 
  
• Loss of interest in daily activities. You may find you've lost interest in activities you used to find pleasurable, such as sex, hobbies and entertainment. In some cases, you may even begin to neglect your own health and personal hygiene.
• 
  
• Thoughts of death and dying. You may have recurrent thoughts of death and dying, including what would happen if you died or how you would cope if your loved one died.

If you think you are suffering from caregiver burnout, call your doctor. You can get help and learn to take care of yourself while taking care of someone else.

Related Links

• Caring for the Caregiver
• Resources for Alzheimer’s Caregivers
• Alzheimer's Disease: Preserving Memories