Caregiver Notes: Functioning In Times Of High Stress

Do you experience a lot of daily stress?  It's kind of weird that one person's high stress day is a normal day to someone else.  Each person handles stress differently.  What is debilitating for me could be a walk in the park for you. 
At this time in my life I am under a great deal of stress and any little, normal teeny weeny stress that comes along is something that could be the straw that broke the camel's back.  I feel as though I'm on the verge of checking in to our local psych unit for an extended stay.

I guess I'm just venting here, I have no real qualifications to give you an accurate and responsible account of what stress does to a person's body and mind.  I do have the experience to share with you and sometimes that is more valuable than a degree.   No one can truly understand what it is like unless they have experienced stress that is so overwhelming a person simply shuts down completely.

Sometimes when I talk to someone about what is causing my anxiety, my schizoaffective symptoms, and my body aches and pains, I can hear myself talking and at the same time I find me telling myself "That's ridiculous, it's not that bad, you're just whining about everything, get a grip!"  It's not that easy though because if I could I would.

I barely get by as it is, looking after my mother and trying to take care of myself (which is more difficult than caring for my mother!) .  Stress makes my symptoms worse and right now I am able to do next to nothing.  I'm supposed to be the caregiver here and I am at a point that I need someone to take care of me.  The guilt I have from being so needy is compounding my stress and making my symptoms worse.  I tell myself, "You should be able to do this!  You made promises to everyone that you would do this for your mother!  You are letting everybody down!"  The voices I hear are worse than that, telling me horrible things, making me feel even worse.  Gloom and doom.  In the Pit and seeing no way out.  I know there's a "way out" but I just can't see it right now.  It seems like everything is getting worse with no hope of getting better in sight.

I try to tell myself the same thing I would tell one of my kids who was having troubles like this.  "Things DO get better, I promise you that!  There IS a light at the end of the tunnel even though you can't see it right now.  These feelings are not permanent, these feelings will pass - maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe a week from now but they will pass".  Now I just have to believe, have faith, trust in someone and God that I am not alone and I am loved no matter what.

It ain't easy but it's do-able.  I think.

BTW - This book, Feeling Good by Dr David Burns, is one of the best self-help, informative books on emotional and mental disorders that I've come across in twenty five years of scouring book stores for something to relieve my symptoms.

Also, "Happiness Is A Choice" is another wonderful book, see link below...