Caregiving is a journey filled with complex emotions and experiences, one of which is anticipatory anxiety. It can plague those who care for their spouses with serious illnesses, leaving them in a constant state of worry about the future and what it holds. It’s like bleeding before you’re cut–a fear of pain that hasn’t happenedContinue reading “How to Overcome Anticipatory Anxiety for Spousal Caregivers”
Tag Archives: Caregiver Coach
How to Deal with a Difficult Sick Husband
Caring for a seriously ill spouse is an emotionally taxing undertaking. It can test your patience, stir up a variety of feelings from sorrow to frustration, and leave you grappling with a profound sense of powerlessness. When your partner is frequently angry or irritable, caregiving for them can be even more challenging. If this isContinue reading “How to Deal with a Difficult Sick Husband”
From Overwhelm to Empowerment: 7 Strategies to Avoid Caregiver Exhaustion
Are you experiencing caregiver exhaustion? Embarking on the journey of being a caregiver for your spouse can often feel like a lonely path. It’s not uncommon for friends and family to struggle to comprehend the unique challenges you face. Adapting to the caregiver role demands a significant amount from you, and it can take aContinue reading “From Overwhelm to Empowerment: 7 Strategies to Avoid Caregiver Exhaustion”
6 Steps to Defining the Role of Caregiver When Your Partner Is Sick
When your partner gets sick, you take on a new role: the role of caregiver. Sometimes, it happens subtly and over time. They get a diagnosis, and as the weeks and months go by while they fight the disease, you gradually take on more tasks and deal with new thoughts and emotions as a result. Continue reading “6 Steps to Defining the Role of Caregiver When Your Partner Is Sick”
How to Make Tough Decisions as a Spousal Caregiver
Knowing how to make tough decisions quickly and effectively is an essential skill every spousal caregiver needs. When you’re caring for your sick partner, you’re constantly making decisions. You are faced with everything from deciding what to tell friends and family about your spouse’s illness to choosing doctors or treatments to figuring out how toContinue reading “How to Make Tough Decisions as a Spousal Caregiver”
5 Tips for Navigating Caregiver Spouse Intimacy
Are you struggling to navigate caregiver spouse intimacy? When your partner is sick, developing and sustaining intimacy becomes challenging because it’s different from what you might be used to. However, it’s not impossible to keep the spark alive in your marriage. For one of my clients–we’ll call her Nancy–her husband had always been her emotionalContinue reading “5 Tips for Navigating Caregiver Spouse Intimacy”
A Guide to Self-Care for the Caregiver When Your Partner Has a Serious Illness
It was summer, and we had recently found out my husband’s cancer had returned. We were back in the routine of constant doctor appointments, treatment decisions, and feeling fear and anxiety about what the future held. I was working full-time as I always had been, but the sleepless nights were beginning to wear on me.Continue reading “A Guide to Self-Care for the Caregiver When Your Partner Has a Serious Illness”
What to Do When the Fear of Losing Your Spouse Paralyzes You
“I can’t live without my husband.” I hear this a lot from clients whose spouses have cancer. The fear of losing your spouse is completely normal, even rational, after a terminal diagnosis. When I first met with Cindy, her husband had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. They had been together since she wasContinue reading “What to Do When the Fear of Losing Your Spouse Paralyzes You”
The Power of Gratitude When Your Spouse Has Cancer
Feeling grateful when your spouse has cancer sounds like an oxymoron. But once you truly understand the power of gratitude, it doesn’t feel so contradictory. Instead, it begins to feel like the one thing that will keep you strong, resilient, and hopeful on this journey. Feeling Sorry For Yourself When Your Spouse Has Cancer ForContinue reading “The Power of Gratitude When Your Spouse Has Cancer”
“My Husband Has Cancer. I’m Scared.” How to Deal with Fear as a Spousal Caregiver
Whether you are new to caregiving or have been a spousal caregiver for a while, experiencing fear when your spouse has cancer is a normal part of the journey. Cancer and everything that go along with it can feel very frightening. The good news is that the more you understand your fear, what causes it,Continue reading ““My Husband Has Cancer. I’m Scared.” How to Deal with Fear as a Spousal Caregiver”