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Caregiving struggles

I'm a caregiver for my father with a rare neurological disorder, it's a lot of work but I'm happy to be doing it, I know I don't do everything perfectly but I try to do the best I can, recently he has times that he verbally lashes out at me and I'm always very hurt by it and never know what I should be doing differently, I could really use some advice if anyone might have any for how I should be handling these situations in the future #cargiving

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Caring for Myself and Others#Cancer #cargiving #ChronicIllness

Some people have a natural instinct for looking after their own well-being, especially at crossroads when a new challenge lies ahead. Such is the case when parents find themselves immersed in long-term caring for a child with cancer.

In fact, this is a time when reflecting honestly on our own healing course of action really matters. Yet for many of us, and for those who watch and worry about friends and loved ones who don’t seem to know how to take care of themselves, the following questions offer a place to begin. Test them on yourself or share them with another.

Have I

Tended to my mental and emotional health?

Cared for my body and physical self?

Eaten well whether I’m alone or with others?

Made time for rest and refreshment?

Am I

Nourishing my spiritual self?

minding my important relationships?

Having some fun?

Attending to my creative self?

Asking for help when I need it?

#selfcare

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Acceptance -- the Sister of Hope#Cancer #cargiving

Acceptance often gets confused with grudging resignation. Though that might be our initial feeling about loss, injustice or illness of a loved one, acceptance is a separate matter. Acceptance, as a point of wholeness, means accepting conditions as they are, with all the hard-to-swallow suffering that comes with them. It also implies:

• an assured sense that you can transcend the present situation

• an attitude toward life, not just an occasional feeling to turn to when we need it

• an outlook that says the future is an open one and holds possibility

• a belief in future good that can occur even in the face of current conditions

• the capacity to see yourself in a larger landscape

What does acceptance mean to you?

What does it mean to a child you are caring for? #ChronicIlless

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An Exercise in Self-Care for the Caregiver Part 2 #Burnout #Selfacceptance #cargiving

One challenge that caregivers often face is something I would call lack of privacy. Unlike privacy to dress or bathe, I’m referring to the kind of space that enables you to freely laugh, cry, express anger, or rail against “unfairness” of your current situation.

Though multiple tasks and responsibilities might make it hard to find that private space, it is well worth the time to consider the following questions.

1. Do you have a space in which you can be vulnerable and free from judgment? Have you had adequate emotional support throughout your caregiving tasks?

2. Do you think that reflecting on and discussing (with another person) your own concerns, conflicts, and fears would benefit you as a caregiver?

3. If you were to discuss these issues with someone, whom would you choose as the listener – a friend, colleague, mate, minister, other?

4. Do you feel you have an adequate physical support system, meaning helpful others able to run errands, deliver children to school or soccer practice?

5. If you tried to describe your life as a journey, in what stage of the process would you say you found yourself today? Where would you like to be? How do you plan to get there?