Wayne Martin, LCSW, BCIAC
Baylor All Saints Hospital
1400 Eighth Ave., Suite C6
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817-922-2060
Transcript: Advice for caregivers
What advice do I have for the loved one, for the caregiver of a person who has trigeminal neuralgia? That’s a difficult position to be in because you are caring for someone who has the high alert alarm bells going off on a regular basis. It’s easy to feel really helpless and in face of that and not know what can be done.
You may have tried to help them find medical help as best as possible but sometimes that’s adequate at best. And so you’re dealing with a chronic stressor.
The important thing is for the caregiver to do a good job of taking care of themselves. I know that goes against your natural reflexes when your loved one is in excruciating pain but if you take good care of yourself – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, you will be in a better position to be truly of help to them so I would encourage you to focus on eating well, getting exercise, maintaining as much of an ordinary flow to your life as you possibly can so that you have the benefit of a sense of perspective and you can be an advisor to someone who whether it is because of the pain they are experiencing or the consequences of the medication that they are taking may not be thinking very clearly.
They need you to be functioning very well so take good care of yourself.