caregiver support groups 04 by Publication Critique
Published Date: 05/03/08
When one of my coworkers told me that she had been going to a caregiver support group, I have to confess that I laughed out loud. I had never heard of anything so ridiculous as caregiver support groups. They don't have doctors support groups, computer programmer support groups, or engineer support groups. Why have care giver support groups? It is just a profession, like any other.
Soon, I started thinking about how much stress we caregivers are under, and I saw the answer. Going to a care giver support group can make a lot of sense. You see, caregivers are some of the most overworked, under appreciated medical professionals that there are. We get paid very little, yet we are often on 24 hour duty, caring for the old and infirm. If you opt for a medical caregiver career, you are in for a lot of work. This is what caregiver support groups are for ? to give caregivers a chance to share their experiences with each other.
Still, it was a big step from understanding why my coworker was going to caregiver support groups to going myself. I had been to mental health support groups before when I was suffering from a nervous breakdown, and I was not up to opening myself up like that again. It was just too much. I have always prided myself on being a strong person. I knew that if I went to caregiver support groups, I would feel more exposed among my colleagues. It can be nice to share common experiences, but it can also be nice to be able to keep up a tough exterior. At my job, working with severely mentally handicapped kids, I need to be able to keep up that appearance. I was worried that caregiver support groups could take that ability away from me.
As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. Caregiver support groups are great. I can go to the caregiver support group, talk about my day and the difficulties that I face, and then go back into my real life and be a different person. You see, we are different people everywhere. I am tough and no nonsense in my job, tender and wounded in my caregiver support groups, and friendly and laid back in my personal life. There is really no contradiction at all. Caregiver support groups are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I haven't felt this relaxed in years.
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