Caregivers

Dear Caregivers, Massage can help you replenish the energy you expend helping others.
It can also relieve symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, a form of secondary stress, which affects health care, social service, disaster relief personnel, first responders, clergy and people looking after family and friends.
It occurs when the caregiver absorbs impacts of the circumstances of people being helped, and/or, when the strain of meeting clients' needs accumulates in the caregiver.

Add a dose of other stressors

job intensity,
multitasking,
dead-lines,
doing the impossible everyday,
personal life disruptions,
putting the needs of others first, and many caregivers develop symptoms that

resemble post traumatic stress. Anxiety, depression, despondency and/or compulsive activity are common. Ideally, self care would be valued so highly that every caregiver job would have a Code of Ethical Standards for Self Care.

Return to Your Senses Handbook has simple approaches to helping you cope with your demanding work and life.