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Caregiving is a tough task, both physically and emotionally. There are many emotions that can arise while one is a caregiver, and many are not pleasant. However, it is important to recognize, acknowledge and process these feelings. Caring.com offers an excellent article, The 7 Deadly Emotions of Caregiving: How to Cope.
The 7 emotions the article focuses on includes:
- Guilt
- Resentment
- Anger
- Worry
- Loneliness
- Grief
- Defensiveness
The article explains how these emotions arise while caregiving, the risks that come with these feelings and most importantly, what you can do about it. Many caregivers will find the above list familiar; some of us will experience one emotion more than another. For my mother, it was loneliness and worry; for me, it was worry, guilt and resentment.
I think it is important as caregivers to acknowledge what we feel, and equally as important to figure out how to best process these emotions so we don’t damage our own physical and mental well-being.
What caregiving emotions do you feel most consumed by, and how do you cope?
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The Memories Project 
Joy, I would like to share this on my site and also respond in hopes it begins a larger conversation. Is that okay with you?
Yes, absolutely!
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I felt so stressed out and pulled in a million directions when my husband was recovering from his accident. On occasions when I’ve had to look after my mom after one of her many procedures, I get angry and frustrated, because she doesn’t follow doctors orders. She also likes to order me around for things that aren’t necessary. Thankfully, she isn’t in constant need of care-taking at this point. Only for a day or two when she comes home from a procedure.
I can certainly relate to those frustrations Lori, thanks for sharing.
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