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Devastated! The Worst Has Happened
I am now one of “them”, so now what do I do?!
Life inevitably happens in unexpected ways at unexpected times, so…
…is it even possible to prepare for the unexpected?
Yes. And No. I talked about ways you can prepare in my last article.
Today I am addressing something that you cannot prepare for very much which creates a lot of anxiety for many trauma survivors: the shift of identity when your life changes due to a significant trauma or crisis. If you’re a survivor who has participated in any kind of group for therapy or support, you may have heard (or even said it yourself) that survivors compare their current selves to their former selves, almost as if they’re whole new people since whatever happened happened.
Becoming a family caregiver, be it sudden or gradual, is traumatic.
Ask me how I know. There’s often a seismic shift in a person’s life, for instance, a wife who is caregiving for decades for her partner who has developed a chronic and progressively disabling illness over time will no longer have much contact with friends that she used to attend events with or volunteer with. Initially, when the family discloses that their loved one has been ill, friends may come by and try…
