Looking after yourself
Helping a young person through a difficult time can be very rewarding but does sometimes cause you to feel stressed and tired.
It is important that as you care for someone that you also look at
what you need to remain fit and healthy. Being at your best
means that you can offer greater patience and a more considered
approach as to how you can help.
Parents and carers of young people can often neglect their
own needs and not know where to get information and support for
themselves. The Carer Information Pack produced by the
Commonwealth Carer Resource Centre contains fact sheets that
provide information to support carers:
The parent in the above clip, 'Stick to your boundaries', talks
about the importance of looking after yourself when caring for a
young person.
The parents in the 'Talk to Others' video clip discuss the
benefits of talking to other carers in coping with their own
situation. These video clips are taken from a DVD entitled 'Where
there's hope' produced by Orygen Youth Health Research Centre (click here to order the full DVD).