The difference between what we expect and reality can set us up for frustration, anger, guilt and disappointment among other emotions. Caregivers often have little previous knowledge of the scope, demands, and intensity of our new role. In fact, if you get hooked on this myth, you will neglect other important aspects of your life, put your self-esteem at risk, and find yourself confronted with emotional reactions, which add to your stress. Acknowledging Your Emotions To really gain some measure of control over your emotions you must first acknowledge and understand them. You must identify and accept that strong emotional reactions are a part of caregiving.
Emotions can be positive or negative.
They range from joy, passion, and hope to anger, depression and guilt. Emotions are not necessarily rational. As a caregiver you may not want to talk about or even acknowledge your negative feelings. You deny, keep busy, defend against them. Too often though, these are short-term fixes, and emotions catch up with you anyway.