JOAN’S WEEKEND BLOG – APRIL 18/19, 2009 – STRESS RELIEF PLEASE!!!!

Another very rough week for us Alzheimer spouses. Loneliness, repetitive questions, incontinence, finances, family problems in addition to dealing with AD, lack of sleep, caregiver health problems – WE ARE ALL STRESSED TO THE MAX. When we are so stressed, we are less able to handle caregiving, more apt to snap at loved ones and bicker with friends, and be just plain grouchy. We eat, drink, and smoke more, which feeds the cycle of poor health = poor coping skills = MORE STRESS.

If you go to the message boards, and do a search on topics related to “stress”, no less than a dozen discussions will come up. What causes stress, what our biggest stressor is, what pills to take to relieve stress, how to relieve stress without pharmacology.

WE NEED STRESS RELIEF! How do we get it? At various times, you and I have recommended exercise, yoga, meditation, “date night” with your spouse, “guy or girl night out for the caregiver”, tranquilizers, anti-depressants, reading a silly book, playing computer games, listening to soothing music, You Tube videos…………..the list is endless.

Whatever helps, we need to do something this weekend to try to relieve our stress. I invited another couple over tonight for pizza and a movie. We plan to sit, talk, relax, and enjoy the movie. When the night is over, the problems that stress me will still be there, but I am hoping good friends and a fun movie will de-stress me for few hours.

Feedback to joan@thealzheimerspouse.com

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