An over-emotional reaction to every day situations. A person exposed to a lot of stress sometimes loses the ability to distinguish between small nuisances and large problems. Persons under a lot of stress are susceptible to illnesses, such as colds and flu. Studies show that prolonged stress may increase the chance of developing a serious illness, such as cancer and heart disease. A stressed-out caregiver lacks the patience and clear thinking to handle the overwhelming needs of a person suffering from a chronic illness.
Regular breaks are very important.
An outlet to vent their feelings. Sometimes stress results when caregivers cannot vent their feelings of guilt, anger and frustration. Join a support group and attend as often as you can. Check into the online support groups that are available. For instance, support groups on Prodigy can be found in the Medical Support Bulletin Board.