Caregivers face special challenges and many responsibilities. Be sure you are taking care of yourself and staying strong emotionally. Join one of our Caregiver Support Groups available online. In the meantime, we hope these thoughts listed below help guide your mind in a positive, healthy direction.
I will hold on to my passions, because they are the essence of who I am.
I will give myself credit for staying strong despite being pushed to my limits.
I will forgive myself when I occasionally blow it.
I will look for the gifts that only this type of situation can afford.
I will let the love flow, even when it is hard.
I will expect that some people will find it difficult to visit my loved one. That’s okay—it doesn’t mean that they’ve stopped caring.
I will make meaning out of this diagnosis.
I will do one thing for myself this month.
I will ask one person to do one thing for me this month.
I will accept help from others.
I will give myself credit for what I have accomplished.
I will accept the limits of what I can do.
I will accept that every day is a chance to start over.
I am not alone.
Even though I feel the stress of caring for my loved one, I am thankful to have them in my life.
I know that I have done my best even if I fall short of what others expect of me. Given the choices, I made the best decision at the time. My choices may be limited and beyond my control, yet I make the best decision I can.
There are no perfect solutions and no perfect families.
New problems are not related to what I did or didn’t do.
Choices, options and lives are different.
I can only do my best. I can’t do it all.
I must consider “good-enough-for-now” solutions.
Family members have competing needs and loyalties. I choose to stay focused on my loved one.
We must continue to celebrate good times as a family and feel good about what we have been able to do for and with each other.