Coping with Being a Carer

Coping with Being a Carer is a compassionate and supportive guide for unpaid carers on looking after their own wellbeing while they are caring for others. Written by a clinical psychologist with personal experience of caring for her husband after his stroke, the book combines a Compassion Focused Therapy approach with lived understanding of the challenges carers face.

The book seeks to support unpaid carers to feel less alone in their caring roles, and to find realistic ways to help themselves with their own wellbeing in the limited time they have available. It does not seek to tell carers how to be ‘good carers’, or how to look after the person receiving care; it is entirely focused on the needs of carers themselves. Focused on helping carers to build compassion for themselves, and understanding that the challenges they face are not their fault, the book explores topics including:

• How compassion can support carers in facing the challenges of life
• Managing exhaustion and burnout
• Keeping hold of who we are while caring for someone else
• Managing difficulties in the relationship with the person who is cared for
• Loneliness and isolation
• Loss, and adjusting to life being different than expected or hoped

This is essential reading for anyone who provides regular support to a family member or friend who needs help due to illness or disability. It is also a useful resource for anyone providing support to unpaid carers, or people who are cared for, including mental health, allied health and medical professionals.