How can caregiving affect my health?
Caregiving can affect your health in many ways, especially if you do too much of it and don't take good care of yourself. In this video, psychologist Ramani Durvasula, PhD, discusses the impact caregiving can have on our physical and mental health.
Transcript
Caregiving is also its own form of stress. And we know that stress can really have negative effects on health, on our immune system,
on our cardiovascular system. [MUSIC PLAYING]
Caregiving can affect your health in so many ways, especially if you do too much of it and don't take care of yourself.
So many times, caregivers don't take the time to take care of them. They don't get enough sleep. Or they don't get a healthy diet.
Or they often don't even do the basic things they need to do, like, for example, go to the doctor or take their own medications, because they're so focused on other people.
And all of those things can obviously negatively affect your health. But keep in mind too, caregiving is also its own form of stress.
And we know that stress can really have negative effects on health, on our immune system, on our cardiovascular system.
And so in many ways, through many mechanisms, caregiving can really affect our health. And keep in mind too, part of health is our mental health.
And when we're under that much pressure and concerned that we're not measuring up, we're not doing enough, or, in fact, are doing too much,
it's easy to feel depressed, anxious, worthless, or guilty. And all of those can combine to really, again, not
be able to see through your usual responsibilities. So caregiving has numerous impacts on both physical and mental health.
caregiving
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