Question:
Well it is nice to know that I am emotionally stressed. I would have
never guessed.
But wait, my back, right hip, and left shoulder hurt too. Could it be
that there is physical stress involved with caregiving?
And what about dealing with insurance companies, narrow minded MD's,
ripoff medical equipment suppliers, and short sighted social workers.
Could there be mental stress in cargiving too?
Answer:
In the Netherlands they have national health insurance. The major source
of
stress for me isn't taking care of Synthia, its earning enough money to
keep her insured and supplied with the necessities that aren't insured
while simultaneously meeting the demands of caregiving. Caregivers for
stroke patients also know what to expect every day. With this disease,
caregivers are constantly torn between a
world that demands scheduled working time, meetings, and business trips and
a disease that is totally unpredictable.
It helps me to know that it is not done for nothing. God has chosen
me to be the one to provide this care. I do hurt emotionally and physically
at times, but I am comforted to know that I (and you) have been specially
chosen to do what we do.
I don't pretend to be perfectly content all the time, but I know I
am not doing what I do for nothing. Besides, if I were the one needing
help, I am confident that my wife would have spent the last nine years
(starting at age 34) taking care of me.
Obviously, the responsibilty of being a caregiver to a disabled person
has a heavy toll on ones emotionaly well being - especially if they are the
only one available to do the job. If they did the study on the same people
only with imaginary lives where they were not caregivers, I would bet the
results of their study would be different.
If caregiveing of stroke victims did not effect the emotions of a caregiver,
than support groups like this would not exist.
As I recall the entirety of the above synopsis of the study, it meant
something to the effect that the attutude of the caregiver and how the
caregiver took care of themselves had more to do with the stress of the
caregiver than the actual physical work.
Support groups are important to that well being for some folks. Others
would rather not listen to the problems of others because it brings
sadness and depression into their lives that would not be there
otherwise. I guess we all have individual needs and we do the best we
can to satisfy them.
