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Caregiving is filled with many emotions.  Rayna Neises, ACC, your host, talks with Laura Beth DeHority, a Licences Marriage and Family Therapist, who specializes in supporting caregivers.  Emotions are a big part of caregiving but often a silent part.  Laura Beth shares about the many emotions experienced by caregivers and what anticipatory grief looks like.

Primary Emotions:

• Fear- of present, past, and future
• Anger- the most passionate of the caregiver emotions
• Guilt- caused by thoughts that you haven't done enough for your loved one
• Doubt and Confusion- irrational thoughts that are the outgrowth of fear, powerlessness, overwhelm, and guilt.
• Bargaining- a tool used to move past the guilt
• Isolation and Abandonment- feeling all alone, though you aren't
• Overwhelm- exhausted and lost the ability to ask for or receive help
• Despair- sudden waves of pain, fear, and overwhelm
• Crisis of Identity-feeling confused as to your purpose, your passion and who you are as a person
• Resentment-a feeling of unfairness or irritation at the situation
• Denial- avoiding the pain and disappointments involved in caregiving

Anticipatory Grief

• The loss of hope due to the ramification
• The stages are the same as other grief

Components of healthy grieving

• Spiritual time
• Physical activity
• Focused/ productive time
• Active playtime
• Inactive downtime
• Connection with supportive people