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carer burnout

23_56
Community Member

I'm a carer of a 13 year old severely autistic kid. I'm beginning to realise I may be suffering from burnout or depression or both, I don't know.

I feel trapped, that I have no life and I don't honestly remember the last time i was truely happy.

I'm not suicidal. 

 

I'm not sure where to start to sort myself out. I suppose going to the doctor would be the first thing.

 

Guess i actually know, just needed to "say" it out loud.

 

4 Replies 4

smallwolf
Community Champion
Community Champion

hello and welcome.

 

Firstly ... Sorry that it has been a while for you to get a reply.

 

I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through such a tough time. Caring for a severely autistic child can be incredibly challenging, and it's natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes.

 

It's a big step to acknowledge your feelings and consider seeking help. You're not alone in this (cliche), and reaching out to a doctor is a great first step towards.

 

It's important to look yourself as well. Take things one step at a time, and be kind to yourself.

 

Lastly, if you just wanted to vent, that OK. If you want to chat some more, I'm listening.

james1
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello 23_56,

Welcome to our forums. I'm sorry you were left on your own without a reply for some time. I hope even the act of posting and saying it out loud was helpful for you. I know we get a lot of people who read posts but don't reply, so you certainly weren't speaking to a void.

 

Going to a doctor sounds like it could be very helpful since you sound unsure how to proceed. I found speaking to my GP was a good way to even just validate to myself that I was dealing with something that maybe needed more professional support, and that bumbling around myself probably wouldn't resolve things.

 

Caring for others is such a monumental task and unfortunately the carer often gets lost or forgotten. I hope you can find the support you need, and we're certainly here for you if you'd like to speak some more.

 

James

quirkywords
Community Champion
Community Champion

23_56
welcome to the forums. There is an organisation  Carers Australia who are there to help people carers. You can ring them  or look at their website. 

David35
Community Member

Carer burnout is a real problem. I've had it living and caring for my mum who had bladder cancer. I've organised more counselling with Carer Gateway. I have feelings of stress, emotional exhaustion, even resentment, especially considering I have no support. It's easy to say look after yourself, but there are often no warning signs. There is also a Carer support forum on Facebook. I've received a lot of valuable support and feedback there. It's very isolating being a Carer and sometimes the forums can help.