When caregiving causes anxiety Anxiety is a complex emotional response that’s similar to fear. Where fear is associated with a clear threat, anxiety occurs in the absence of immediate peril. Caregiver anxiety is the fear of immediate peril due to the demands and stress of taking care of someone. Causes of caregiver anxiety include but are not limited to: Loved ones Initial trauma associated with the loved one’s illness Loved one being ostracized by friends/family due to mental illness and/or addiction Constant worry and “what if” scenarios Lack of a diagnosis to help explain what is going on with the loved one Taking care of someone without any expertise Healthcare Not feeling/being included in treatment planning for the loved one Not having the loved one’s medical issues explained clearly by health providers Last-minute appointments/admissions/cancellations Specialized care that is not available locally Lack of discharge planning for the loved one At work Worrying about the loved one when the caregiver is at work: how are they coping; have they burned the house down? Constant interruptions at work: phone calls from doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, banks; fear of losing a job due to the demands of caregiving Life responsibilities Added responsibility Added financial strain due to taking care of the loved one Negotiating with insurance companies Worrying about the future; who will take care of the loved one if something happens to the caregiver? Symptoms Intense fear of something horrific happening, panic, terror Rapid heartbeat, banging heart, feeling like you will take a breath and it won’t be there Feelings of unreality or reality slipping away Light headedness/dizziness Nausea Stomach distress Hot flashes Fears attached to specific things, places, smells Trembling Fear of going crazy Negative thought processes/catastrophizing Compulsive behaviours Perfectionism Worry Visualizing the worst outcomes Ruminating Harms of caregiver anxiety Impedes the caregiver’s desperate need for sleep Isolation, loneliness, hopelessness Lack of joy and happiness Feelings of guilt for having anxiety about taking care of the loved May lead to depression May lead to other physical problems: sore back, gastrointestinal, headache/migraine May lead to negative coping strategies, e.g. substance use/addiction Can lead to burnout, inability to function What to do It is always a good idea to consult with a professional; you can speak to your family doctor or nurse practitioner and get a referral to a social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist; some workplaces provide employee assistance programs that include counselling services Deep breathing Exercise Progressive muscle relaxation; find this on YouTube Write down all your anxious thoughts, worries and ruminations in one column and beside each point, write a positive, calming statement; put these on your computer, phone or other device and when you start to feel anxiety, pull this out; add to it as new worries surface Break the pattern; if you are stuck in an anxious mood, call a friend, take a shower, paint; starting a new activity can break the hold that the anxiety has over you Practice gratitude A healthy outlook While caregiver stress won’t go away, over time you will handle it better Feel confident in your ability to say to others that your situation is difficult and causes you to feel anxiety; the more we speak up and tell the truth, the less isolated and ashamed we feel Rise above the fear of being judged or disliked for asking questions or advocating for your loved one; you are doing your best to understand your loved one’s condition and create a safe and healing environment for their recovery Links to learn more: Pittman, Catherine M., and Elizabeth M. Karle. 2015. Rewire Your Anxious Brain. New Harbinger Publications This book discusses the impact of anxiety on the brain. It gives a detailed understanding of how the brain contributes to anxiety and how you can change the way your brain works and reduce or eliminate anxiety. Turcotte Family caregiving: What are the consequences? Statistics Canada 2013 This Statistics Canada report gives detailed information on caregiving in Canada, what it looks like, and the impact. Support for Families and Caregivers List of resources in Canada for Caregivers Mental Health Commission of Canada The MHCC’s Mental Health Strategy for Canada calls for increased levels of support and recognition to help caregivers provide care and foster recovery in people living with a mental illness, and to help caregivers meet their own needs in handling challenges such as stress and loss. Working from these recommendations, the MHCC is championing a number of activities to support Canada’s caregivers. Government of Canada. Balancing work and caregiving responsibilities. Revised 2016-10-25. As the population grows older, more and more people are assisting in caring for a family member or friend. Did you know that there are more than 6.1 million employed Canadians, or 35 percent of our workforce, providing care to a family member or friend? Ottawa Public Health; Canadian Mental Health Association; Canadian Public Health Association; Mental Illness Caregivers Association; Military Family Services. Mental Health Caregiver Guide: A guide for caregivers of persons living with mental illness or experiencing mental health challenges. Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Public Health; 2016. This guide was created out of a need identified by a caregiver of a person living with severe mental illness and the president of the Mental Illness Caregivers Association (MICA). This caregiver reached out to Ottawa Public Health (OPH) to identify a gap in resources for caregivers of individuals living with mental illness or experiencing mental health challenges across the lifespan. OPH partnered with the national offices of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) and Military Family Services (MFS) to develop a national resource for Canadian caregivers of children, youth, adults, and older adults facing these issues.