This is a scene that hit home hard. I cried watching this scene. Tears were flowing off my face nonstop, then I showed it to my husband in hopes he will see that he is burnt out and that he needs to take care of himself. He often puts his needs aside, saying he doesn’t have the time, and I can’t convince him to do single thing for himself. I didn’t expect him to break down in tears. He bursted into tears, then I bursted into tears all over again. I’m glad New Amsterdam cared enough to make a scene like this.
Caregiver burnout is a genuine notion that many caregivers experience and they generally don’t even know they are experiencing it. It is also true that the ill person feels like a burden. Lyme disease, just like cancer, is a long term, exhausting journey. It’s a marathon filled with obstacles and sprints with a ton of unexpected turns with no end in sight. Unfortunately, most people with Lyme disease do not even have any support system. Even if they are oh so lucky to have supportive people in their lives, the palliative care system is not available to the families battling Lyme disease.
I share this video in hopes that people will see how difficult it is to battle a chronic illness. I hope people who are in a similar situation as I am will use it as a tool to express their feelings to their caregivers. This type of burn out can break families apart, or push the family into an emotionally crippled state. The added guilt of being a burden can cause the patient to become even more depressed. Nobody like being inapt and completely dependent on others to survive. Chronic illnesses are one of the leading cause to suicide and there is rarely any qualified professionals that can assist families to cope with their battle.