Sometimes caregivers feel as if certain emotions, like anger, are ones that they should never experience. The problem is that you're a human being and humans experience a full range of emotions, including anger.Anger Is Normal
Anger helps you to see potential threats around you because it sharpens your attention. Anger is just an emotion, but it often feels as if there's more to it than that. If you let your anger cause you to do things that you regret, then it's not the anger but how you're not managing it properly that is the real problem.
Managing Your Anger Is the Key
Since you may feel guilty about expressing anger as a caregiver, you might try to bottle it up. The problem with that is that anger still needs somewhere to go. You're going to find that bottling it up causes you to express anger in situations that don't warrant it and that can be terrible. You need to be able to find positive ways to channel your anger, such as through journaling or calmly discussing what has made you feel angry.
What Makes You Angry?
Understanding what makes you angry allows you to determine what you can do to channel the anger properly. Specifically as a caregiver, there may be situations that cause you to feel angry. For example, you might be angry when your senior refuses help or doesn't want to take her medication. The underlying feeling there may be frustration, which morphs into anger. Start tracking when you're feeling angry and what the situation is so that you can determine your triggers and how to manage them.
Get Help if You Need It
Managing your anger properly, even if it's justified anger, is vital. If you're finding it difficult to learn how to deal with your anger, then it's a good idea to get some help. A counselor or therapist can help you to get to the root of your anger and learn how to express it and channel it in a way that isn't damaging to you or to others.
The bottom line is that anger is a cue to let you know that you need to be paying attention to certain situations. When you can do that and understand what triggers your anger, you're halfway to managing it effectively.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED-ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME CAREGIVERS IN LA GRANGE, IL, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT BRIGHTSTAR CARE OF LA GRANGE. CALL TODAY 708-551-2500.