As much as we love others we also need time for ourselves. Some people are uncomfortable spending alone time or time away from family. Others revel in it. When I was younger I would often take off one weekend every month to go camping or see friends out of town. This was my way of getting time for me with people other than family. It provided a mental break and a break from daily responsibilities. No matter how much we may love and feel responsible for caring for others it can affect our mental and physical well being. I talk to family members who have placed spouses with Alzheimer’s in facilities and there is a huge amount of guilt. However the care of the individual was talking a toll on the healthy caregiver. While family members can place a great degree of guilt on us, it up to us to determine whether the guilt is warranted. Often those placing guilt feel guilty themselves and want to share the feeling. If you find yourself in a similar situation seek counseling if necessary to work through the feeling, otherwise pass on the feeling of guilt and do something nice for yourself. It’s likely you deserve it.
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