Understanding Caregiver Grief

From a breakout session at the Wisconsin State Conference on Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases, Caregiver Speaker, Elaine K. Sanchez, wwwElaineKSanchez.com, speaks about the importance of caring for the caregiver. In this segment she talks about recognizing and coping with caregiver grief. Grief is the normal, natural, healing response we experience when we lose someone or something we value. Caregivers go through a different process known as Preparatory Grief. Preparatory Grief is different from other types of grief in that it requires continual adjustment to ongoing losses. It includes losses we have already experienced, losses we are experiencing in the present, and losses we fear are still ahead. We need to stay connected to the person we are losing, while we are in the process of losing them. It can be especially painful to be caring for the body of a person we have known and loved for so many years knowing that emotionally and mentally that person is no longer present. It is not unusual for caregivers who are experiencing Preparatory Grief to display the following symptoms Difficulty Sleeping General fatigue; lack of energy Change in appetite, either a gain or a loss Physical ailments such as headaches, stomachaches, intestinal problems, back and shoulder pain Irritability Withdrawal from friends, family, and social connections Sadness is a common emotion associated with Preparatory Grief. It is not unusual to experience: Longing for what was and will never be again …
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Tagged as: Caregiver, Grief, Understanding