Topic Tuesday // Mindfulness and CBT for carers // 21 March, 7 - 9pm AEDT

Caring can be rewarding, but it can also be stressful and demanding.

I think as the posts stated earlier, carer simply does have time to look after themselves. The constant worry and concern for their loved one are real. One of the Australian studies has found carers have the lowest collective wellbeing, carers have an average rating on the depression scale that is classified as moderate depression and many carers are not receiving any treatment for their significant medical or psychological condition.

Mindfulness and CBT are strategies that carer can apply on daily basis to help them to cope with challenging situations.

I think there is a lot we can learn from the Buddhist way of life. They appear to be a very peaceful religion. Maybe we can all do with more calm in our lives.

I use CBT to "reprogram" my mind. That is to say I use it to replace thoughts that are recurring and unresolved and elicit adverse reactions in me, physcial and emotional

@snowlee127 can you tell us about how the goals of CBT and mindfulness differ?

A useful image that @snowlee127 shared with me earlier today

@soul Pet therapy is another wonderful therapy. I remember when I first started to work in the mental health sector, I was surprised how many times carers and their loved one mentioned about services that can help them to look after their pets when they are in a crisis situation. Rather calling it therapy, they are wonderful companions that provide unconditional love to human 🙂

we can all do with more calm in our lives. -- I agree @soul

and when My husband who has Mi tells me that I need something to relax me , I start thinking "Really ", what can I do ?? @snowlee127, @CherryBomb

@snowlee127, you're right - that worry and concern never ends. It's sometimes hard to separate the behaviour from the person. We wonder if the person we care about is acting purposely or if they are struggling with their behaviour. How we think about and react to these things can be confusing.

Hi there,

So happy to see this discussion.

Joining you from across the water in a cold, windswept Ireland. I'm involved in delivering a similar program, using 3rd wave mindfulness approaches with caregivers and parents of children with special needs. So lovely to see this wonderful approach take shape.

Would love to have a conversation sometime to see how we can possibly learn from each other's experiences to improve our service delivery.

@soul are you channeling me? This is just eerie. What you are saying is what I've experienced. I mean I could be writing what you are.