I'm a carer struggling mentally to cope

frenchywendy · January 2020

Hi. I'm new to this group. I'm a carer and struggling mentally to cope

chiarieds · January 2020

Hi @frenchwendy - Welcome to the community & thank you for joining. I'm sorry you're facing such struggles; it must be difficult looking after someone all the time. You don't mention whether you're looking after a child or an adult, but there's some information here on Scope's website that 'may' be helpful. See: https://www.scope.org.uk/search/?query=carers&category=advice-and-support

In case you haven't come across it there's also a charity for carers: https://www.carersuk.org/

& some links from the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/

These websites mention carers assessments: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/ which I'm mentioning in case it's something you haven't considered.

The important thing is you need to look after you, & if its affecting your mental health you too need some support.

You could also discuss this with your GP who should be able to help & advise.

I hope some of the above may be useful, but know that you can chat here any time as well.

Ami2301 · January 2020

Welcome to the community @frenchywendy

I'm sorry to hear you're struggling, @chiarieds has given some great resources to check out. Are you currently receiving any support regarding your mental health?

kamila199 · January 2020

Hi @frenchywendy

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling to cope with being a carer. It can be very overwhelming and can take toll on your mental state. There is support out there for people dealing your situation, I read a few article that i think might be might help you and provide some advice.

https://www.guardiancarers.co.uk/care-information/impact-of-being-a-carer
https://www.mind.org.uk/media/859562/how-to-cope-as-a-carer-2014-.pdf

I hope this will be be useful for you.

Chloe_Scope · January 2020

Hi @frenchywendy and a very warm welcome to the community. I really hope the advice provided by others will help. Please do let us know how you get on and if there is anything else we can do.

DaveTheWasp · January 2020

Just a thought, some areas have support groups for carers, that hold local events for you to meet other carers in similar situations and meet support workers in an informal environment.

I'm a carer and I find that while it's not a substitute for proper help and support, just talking can sometimes help unburden you a little.

It's also definitely worth discussing this with your GP too, if you haven't already done so. Our GP definitely helps me out from time to time if I need additional support for my own health.

I know it's tough, but try and remember to make some time for yourself too.

Chloe_Scope · January 2020

Hi @frenchywendy! How are you doing at the moment?

DaveTheWasp · January 2020

Sorry, I've just remembered that some local authorities/councils have a discretionary fund that can be used towards providing small breaks for carers. If this is available in your area, you may be able to get information from a local carer's support group/disability support group, or your local Council on how to apply.

Either way, as others have said, there are always people here willing to listen if you ever need to talk.

I'm a carer struggling mentally to cope

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