In fact, family caregivers, while struggling to adapt to new responsibilities and roles, may experience negative psychological outcomes that include new or worse symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you think that PTSD only happens to people who have experienced a life-threatening danger, think again. PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can arise after any traumatic event or experience. It may surprise you to learn that providing Home Care in Cranbury NJ can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder for caregivers.
In fact, providing care is one of the main causes of post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the condition often goes unnoticed and therefore goes untreated. This is because the person receiving the care is often the primary target of both healthcare providers and the family as a whole. To quickly answer your question, yes, caregivers can definitely develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Like you, many people associate PTSD with active-duty military personnel or with veterans.
The truth is that anyone who has experienced trauma can develop it. Whether you are prone to developing post-traumatic stress disorder due to caregiving depends largely on your emotional and physical resilience. According to an article in BMC Psychiatry, reliable support can make the burden more bearable for a caregiver under intense stress. While professional treatment would be beneficial, in the absence of profound dysfunction, techniques that can be practiced while caring for others are more practical.
As a family caregiver, it's essential to be aware of the caregiver's warning signs of PTSD, which are markedly different from other types of PTSD, and to seek help if you have them. Studies on stress, exhaustion, and compassion fatigue have identified the challenges faced by caregivers and often provide tips for survival. Once the caregiver train leaves the station and heads into unknown territory, the only thing certain is that the trip will be full of ups and downs, gains and losses, joy and sadness. Jennifer McAdam, associate professor at the Samuel Merritt University School of Nursing and co-author of a study on family caregivers of ICU patients, says that more research is needed to establish the true impact of post-traumatic stress disorder among caregivers.
As a family caregiver, it's important to know the caregiver's warning signs of PTSD, which are markedly different from other types of PTSD, and to seek help if you have them. Caregivers can also have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder when a person receiving care has a chronic illness or disability, such as Smith's mother. And if you've had problems with trauma in the past or if you're suddenly assigned the role of caregiver without being prepared, according to experts, providing care can cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The fact that most caregivers fail to develop post-traumatic stress disorder is the result of multiple factors, most notably the resilience that many people encounter during crucial moments in life.
My husband thinks I might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or a serious case of caregiver burnout. In addition to being overwhelmed by the demands of caregiving, watching a loved one's health deteriorate is traumatic.
