Recognizing and Avoiding Caregiver Depression

When I had to give up my life to care for my elderly parents, both of whom were developing dementia, I was so surprised to learn that caregivers are more often depressed than those they care for, and that they have a 63% higher death rate than their peers. A year later, without a single day off, I was surprised the statistic was so low.

Researchers have found that a person who cares for someone with dementia is twice as likely to suffer from depression as a person providing care for someone without it. Since more than 4.5 million people in the United States are afflicted with Alzheimer?s (just one form of dementia), and 7 out of 10 are being cared for at home by family and friends who provide nearly 80% of their care, millions of family caregivers are coping with depression or are at great risk of developing it.

 Depression often occurs when caregivers become overwhelmed managing numerous responsibilities for an ailing family member or friend. The resulting feelings of sadness, loss, isolation, anxiety, exhaustion, anger and ? finally -- the guilt for having those feelings, can exact a heavy toll. Oftentimes caregivers are so inundated with responsibilities they sacrifice their own careers along with their own physical and emotional needs (even ignoring their own medical checkups), resulting in their own ailments going undiagnosed and treated.

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