Feeling guilty
There are many reasons why dementia carers can experience feelings of guilt. Feeling guilty can have a big impact on your well-being and it’s important to practice being kinder to yourself
Find out more about why you may feel guiltyCoping with your emotions
Carers are likely to experience a wide range of strong emotions. Every carer’s experience is unique and its OK to feel differently to other carers.
Becoming a carer for a person with dementia can trigger a range of emotions. These may include feeling anxious, worried, fearful, confused or angry. There can also be positive emotions. It can be a real rollercoaster. Dr Gemima Fitzgerald, Clinical Psychologist, Dementia Carers Count
Coping with your emotions
Being a carer can lead to a range of emotions that can be hard to manage. However, it’s important to recognise and learn how to cope with your emotions. How you feel impacts on your emotional well-being and this is one of the factors that will determine how long you will be able to care.
The impact of your feelings on the person you are caring for
How you are feeling can impact on your interactions with the person you care for.
You may feel that you are concealing your emotions, but how you are feeling may come across in your body language and in the way you speak and interact.
Your emotions might affect:
- your body language
- the way you speak
- how you interact
- how you approach your caring tasks
The person with dementia may pick up on how you are feeling, even if they don’t understand why you are feeling a particular way.
This can sometimes impact on their behaviour and they way they approach a situation. Sometimes this can lead to behaviours that are harder to manage, or situations that are more tricky for you as a carer.
You might have a shorter fuse, you might rush the person you are caring for, or your face may give away how you are feeling inside. These things can impact on how the person with dementia might feel and respond to a situation. Dr Gemima Fitzgerald, Clinical Psychologist, Dementia Carers Count
Understanding your feelings
Understanding why you are feeling what you might be feeling is the first step towards being able to work with your emotions – whether they are negative or positive. This will help how you are able to cope with your caring role.
Sharing your feelings
Many carers feel that their friends and family don’t always understand their needs. It’s important to be able to share your feelings.
It can be helpful to connect with other carers who can talk about how they feel and emotions they have experienced.
Counselling
You may find it helpful to speak to one of our experienced counsellors about how you are feeling. They will be able to help you understand and process your emotions.
Francesca was excellent at listening and guiding me through what has been a very difficult couple of months emotionally. I am now much better at prioritising my responsibilities and making sure that I pay attention to self-care. I cannot thank her enough. Dementia carer who accessed our counselling support
All our counsellors are qualified and accredited and offer good flexibility with appointment times.
Our counselling sessions are free and are delivered fortnightly for one hour, over a six week period, over the telephone or by video.
Read Next
Looking after yourself
Managing stress
Understanding more about stress and how to calm down when you’re feeling stressed can make a big difference to your ability to cope.
Staying healthy
Social and emotional connections
Social and emotional connections can have a range of benefits for our mental and physical health.
Dementia carer support groups
Emotional support group for dementia carers
Meet other carers in our online peer support group, all about supporting your emotional needs as a dementia carer. Afternoons and evenings.
