Episode 119: CAREGIVING STIMULATES OLD HIDDEN EMOTIONS

09/24/21 • 21 min

Caregivers serve others in a stressful reality of suffering, disability, crisis, sickness, and death. The caregiving experience places emotional burdens on caregivers, and these experiences often stimulate painful, unresolved emotions from the caregiver's past. To release these old, stored negative emotions, it's essential for caregivers to learn to tune in to their bodies. Trapped emotions give clues to their presence in physical sensations. Awareness of these sensations - patterns that can be unique for each individual - can help caregivers resolve and recover from past pain and trauma. The opportunity for growth and resilience comes from resolving and healing old wounds.

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Episode 118: THE STAGES OF CAREGIVER STRESS

Caregivers - needed now more than ever - experience physical, emotional and psychological burdens as they empathetically serve those who are sick, disabled or dying. The toll these stresses take can result in depletion and ultimately caregiver burnout. Effective self-care protocols for caregivers are essential for resilience and longevity. From our caregiver training manual, we describe the stages and warning signs from stress to burnout. We introduce the concept of "energy exchange" and its potential contribution to caregiver distress. We also talk about the importance of caregiver awareness of their physical, bodily sensations and the clues these sensations give for releasing stress and restoring well-being.

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Episode 120: THE HARDSHIPS AND FULFILLMENT IN BEING A CAREGIVER: AN UPDATE

This podcast episode explores the hardships and rewards of being a caregiver through the lens of two recent articles of note. "Long Hours, Low Pay, Loneliness and a Booming Industry", published by the New York Times, profiles the difficult life and Covid-related death of two New York caregivers, and throws some light on the questionable practices of the caregiving industry in that state. In the Wall Street Journal, Patti Davis shares her transition from "getting so many things wrong" in her life to discovering her own "strength and capacity for compassion" in "Patti Davis Has Wisdom to Share With Alzheimer's Caregivers". We add our thoughts, insight and encouragement to caregivers (and potential caregivers) everywhere.