By Pamela Fitch , M . Ad . Ed ., RMT
Hollowed Out : The challenges of being a practitioner who cares .
By pamela fitch , M . AD . ED ., RMT
Caregiving provides rich opportunities for unexpected self-discoveries and learning . It also helps to develop empathy and appreciation for some people ’ s suffering . At the same time , when caregivers cannot balance the needs of others with their own requirements for rest , or struggle with their own internal demons , they are at risk for caregiver fatigue and burnout . In the short term , this might result in insomnia , anxiety or tension headaches . In the long-term , caregiver fatigue may result in very serious life-threatening consequences that include major depression , despair and a deep sense of isolation .
Burnout is recognized in the World Health Organization ’ s International Classification of Disease as “ problems related to life-management difficulties ”. Caregiver fatigue and stress result from increased caregiving in combination with everdiminishing energy reserves . When caregivers extend themselves beyond what is physically and emotionally possible , they become profoundly exhausted , disconnected from the needs of others , and they may experience an unremitting sense of failure and inadequacy . It is essential to remember that neither the people requiring care nor the caregiver cause this caregiver fatigue . Rather it is the relentless physiological and emotional toll of caregiving that is the culprit .
In an essay about caring for her mother in the final stages of dementia , Eleanor Cooney ( 2007 ), wrote in anguish , “ I ’ ll sign off now . I ’ ve eaten the last of the sled dogs and the wind is howling so that my lantern ’ s flickering and the walls of the tent are about to blow down . I ’ m running out of lamp oil anyway . I ’ ll just roll up in my sleeping bag and wait for morning if it comes .” Her despair , so palpable in this precarious imagery of isolation and awaiting death , demonstrates how serious and life-threatening caregiver fatigue can become . According to the Canadian Mental Health Association ( CMHA ), suicidal thoughts may accompany caregiver fatigue . Suicide means that someone ends their life “ on purpose ”. It does not happen out of a desire to die but because the individual feels over-
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