Taking Care of Yourself

You are important too!

Taking care of someone who is ill with schizophrenia can take a tremendous emotional and physical toll. In their effort to do the best for their friend or relative, some caregivers often find they are neglecting the very person who also needs solid support – themselves.

Putting in constant effort and vigilance – without acknowledging your own health and well-being – can lead to burnout and depression. This will, in turn, affect your ability to care for the person with schizophrenia.

To be effective over the long term, you must take care of yourself. This does not mean telling yourself that things are fine when they're not. In fact, one of the first steps of proper caregiving is to be aware of how the illness has affected you emotionally and physically.

The following are some of the emotions that families and caregivers of patients with schizophrenia may experience:

• Sorrow: You may grieve over your friend's or relative's lost potential.
• Fear: You may be afraid that they may commit suicide.
• Disruption of family relationships: You feel your family has been torn apart by the friction.
• Despair: You feel hopeless, as if things will never get better.
• Anxiety over treatment: You worry about side effects.
• Emotional exhaustion: You have nothing left to give.
• Shame: Your friend or relative does embarrassing things in public.
• Isolation: You withdraw socially because you don't feel others can understand what you're going through.
• Guilt: You worry that you're not doing enough or may have caused the problem.
• Anger: You resent the way your friend or relative is being treated.
• Confusion: You have no idea how to treat your friend or relative any more.
• Difficulty accepting the illness: You can't accept the fact that your family member has a mental illness.
• Apprehension about the future: You don't know who will take care of your friend or relative after you're gone.

Once you have acknowledged these feelings, it's time to move on to developing some coping strategies. This can mean any number of things; e.g., doing something you enjoy, focusing more attention on someone else or going to a support group.

It's also important to know when you are overwhelmed, because this may cause you to lose perspective on your situation and impact your decision-making capabilities. Signs of caregiver stress include:

• Sadness or feelings of hopelessness
• Feeling stressed
• Losing weight
• Having trouble sleeping
• Drinking too much alcohol or coffee
• Smoking too much
• Losing your temper
• Crying

If you start experiencing some of these things, take time out. The key is to find a stress –relief program that works for you, and then try to stick to it.

Here are some recommendations:

• Exercise at least three times a week to blow off steam. Regular exercise has been shown to relieve stress and anxiety. You don't have to go to a gym.
• Simply taking a brisk walk at least three times a week has enormous emotional and physical benefits. Be sure to check with your physician before starting any exercise program.
• Join a support group so you can be with people who understand what you're going through.
• Try to get a proper amount of sleep. Nap during the day if necessary.
• Keep up your social life and outside interests.

Despite your best efforts, there will be times when you feel completely defeated and exhausted. If that's the case, you might want to think about seeing a counselor or healthcare provider.

Even though there may be setbacks and uncertainties, there is hope. Celebrate the small steps that your friend or relative takes in the recovery process. This will serve to motivate them and, yourself as well. Remind yourself that you are doing something positive to help someone you care for. This can be a gratifying experience. As they move towards greater independence they will rely on you less – you will be able to focus on your self more and pursue your own goals.

To help you chart your friend's or relative's progress click here to download the progress report.

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