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Being a Carer

Being a Carer

Caring for someone—particularly someone you love—can be deeply meaningful. It can also be physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding.

 

Whether you are supporting a partner, child, parent, or friend, the role of a carer often involves ongoing responsibility, uncertainty, and sacrifice. Over time, this can take a significant toll on your own wellbeing.

 

It is common for carers to prioritise the needs of others, sometimes at the expense of their own health. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness—it can be an essential step in sustaining both your wellbeing and your ability to care for others.

The Impact of Caring

  • Carers often experience a wide range of emotions, including:

  • Feeling overwhelmed by responsibility

  • Exhaustion or burnout

  • Guilt (e.g. for wanting time for yourself or feeling frustrated)

  • Resentment or ambivalence about the caring role

  • Anxiety, low mood, or depression

  • Loneliness or social isolation

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  • You may notice that:

  • You rarely have time to yourself

  • Your own needs come last

  • You feel constantly “on duty”

  • You have less energy for relationships, work, or hobbies

  • You have stopped looking after your own physical or emotional health

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  • Research shows that carers providing high levels of care are significantly more likely to experience poor physical and mental health compared to non-carers.

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  • Many carers also report that others do not fully understand the impact of their role, which can add to feelings of isolation.

How Common is Caring? (UK Statistics)

  • Around 5.7 million people in the UK are currently providing unpaid care

  • It is estimated that this will rise to over 9 million by 2037

  • 3 in 5 people will become a carer at some point in their lives

  • Millions of carers provide 50+ hours of care per week

  • A large proportion report difficulties maintaining relationships, work, and social connections

 

Caring is a common experience—but often a hidden one.

When Might Therapy Help?

You may benefit from support if:

  • You feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or close to burnout

  • You experience ongoing anxiety, low mood, or irritability

  • You struggle with guilt about your thoughts or feelings

  • You feel isolated or unsupported

  • You are finding it difficult to balance caring with your own needs

What Treatment do we offer?

Therapy offers a space that is focused entirely on you—something many carers rarely experience.

 

Initial work often involves:

  • Understanding your current responsibilities and pressures

  • Exploring how caring is affecting your wellbeing

  • Identifying what is making things harder or more manageable

 

From there, therapy can support you in making meaningful, sustainable changes.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT can help to:

  • Manage anxiety, stress, and low mood

  • Address unhelpful thoughts (e.g. guilt, self-criticism)

  • Develop practical coping strategies

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT supports carers to:

  • Cope with difficult emotions

  • Reduce struggle with guilt and worry

  • Stay connected to personal values alongside the caring role

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

Particularly helpful for carers who are self-critical or feel guilty. It focuses on:

  • Developing self-compassion

  • Reducing emotional burnout

Creating a kinder, more sustainable relationship with yourself

Schema Therapy

Useful where caring patterns are longstanding (e.g. always putting others first). It helps:

  • Identify deeper patterns such as self-sacrifice or neglect of your own needs

  • Build healthier balance in relationships

  • Strengthen a sense of identity beyond the caring role

Practical Support in Therapy

Depending on your needs, therapy may include:

  • Rebalancing your time and energy

  • Setting boundaries where possible

  • Finding ways to rest and recover without guilt

  • Improving communication with family or professionals

  • Managing difficult emotions such as anger, sadness, or resentment

  • Reconnecting with parts of your life outside of caring

 

The aim is not to reduce your care or commitment, but to help you provide it in a way that is sustainable and less detrimental to your own wellbeing.

Looking After Yourself Matters

Caring for someone else should not mean losing yourself in the process.

 

With the right support, it is possible to:

  • Feel more balanced and less overwhelmed

  • Reduce guilt and self-criticism

  • Improve your emotional wellbeing

  • Maintain meaningful relationships and a sense of identity

 

Supporting you to care for yourself is an important part of supporting you to care for others.

Further Support

If you are in a caring role, the following organisations offer valuable support:

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