According to Carers NSW, key contributors to carer stress include:

• The daily physical and emotional demands of caring
• Lack of choice
• Conflict and frustration
• Lack of support
• Social isolation

The greater the physical and emotional demands of your caring role, the more likely you are to feel stress. Many carers feel they have little or no choice in taking on caring. They may sometimes feel trapped and resentful.

Even the closest of relationships can fray under the pressures of illness and adversity. This may lead to increased levels of conflict and frustration within families.

Carers may even be supporting someone with whom they have always had a difficult
relationship. Many carers feel alone and unsupported. They may find it hard to access services and supports that meet the needs of themselves and their family. They may also wish that friends and family members would help out more.

Carers can become socially isolated simply because of their caring role. They may have to give up their job, or it might be harder to leave the house to visit friends and do the activities they enjoy.

When you feel stressed your heartbeat, breathing rate and blood pressure all increase. The longer you feel stressed, the greater the impacts on your body. This may eventually lead to stress related illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, mental health problems, decreased immunity or chronic fatigue.

This means it is important to learn ways to manage stress in order to look after your health and wellbeing.

See practical advice from Carers NSW on managing carer stress here

Source: Carers NSW