Family Caregiver?

Caregiving is by no means an easy task. There are many positive and negative sides. At first we are helping the individual with a very positive attitude. Inevitably, we end up feeling fustrated and even resentful somewhere along the way. I feel a big part of the negativism comes from the fact that with time the one being cared for becomes more and more needy. This means giving more time and more care. Therfore, we have less time for ourselves. Another issue is the one being cared for is slowy losing thier ability to control their world. They become more and more dependent on someone other than themselves for their daily wants and needs. This is very hard for a lot of people, especially men. When I feel myself becoming resentful or fustrated I try to remember that the one cared for is displaying behaviors not because they want to be mean, rather because they are sick or need help for some other reason and at the same time they are slowly loosing their independence. It is not me they ultimately are lashing out at. It is the disease. In other words, this is their way of dealing with situation they presently are experiencing. Yes, it is hard. However we have to keep reminding ourselves they these people are sick. In the end they really do appreciate the caregiver. They just don't appreciate their disease and it's consequences.