by Henry Becky | Jun 15, 2019 | Caregiving, Education, HUG Kits, Oxygen Mask, Self Care, Support, Tools for Caregivers
Speaking on the phone with a family caregiver the other day talking about their overwhelm and exhaustion, they were telling me that their self-sacrifice was draining. I asked them one of my favorite questions: “How much of your time is spent taking care of you?” They... 
by Henry Becky | Jun 8, 2019 | Caregiving, Distress - Yours, Mine and Ours, HUG Kits, Oxygen Mask, Self Care, Tools for Caregivers
Irony amuses me. Promoting self-care for caregivers is what I do daily. And I give it a valiant effort to walk my talk. Well this past week I was told that even though the respiratory virus I had for two weeks had run its course and I was feeling better, I needed to... 
by Henry Becky | Jun 4, 2019 | Boundaries, Caregiving, Communication, Distress - Yours, Mine and Ours, Eating Disorders Resources, Education, HUG Kits, Oxygen Mask, Support, Tools for Caregivers
Many of us as family caregivers have lived this polarizing, high wire, balancing act of vacillating between hyper-vigilance and being complacent. For the first year or so of being a family caregiver of someone with an eating disorder, the vigilance to keep our loved... 
by Henry Becky | May 9, 2019 | Boundaries, Caregiving, Distress - Yours, Mine and Ours, HUG Kits, Self Care, Support, Tools for Caregivers, Uncategorized
When a family member is diagnosed with an eating disorder and we’re frantically trying to keep them alive and find a good fit for treatment, often the last thing on our minds is setting boundaries to keep them AND us, safe. Most families tell me that they’ve been... by Henry Becky | Apr 26, 2019 | Boundaries, Caregiving, Communication, Distress - Yours, Mine and Ours, Education, Self Care, Support, Tools for Caregivers
Every day in the USA at least 23 people die from eating disorders. Full disclosure, I dislike the term “enabling” a lot. And it is the 8th topic in my HUG Kits because this is a real issue that families are facing. The line between being a supportive caregiver or... 
by Henry Becky | Apr 22, 2019 | Boundaries, Caregiving, Distress - Yours, Mine and Ours, Self Care, Tools for Caregivers
Your loved one is in a crisis and needs a parent/family caregiver who is in top form and ready to provide loving support without erasing your own dear self. It may feel greedy and selfish to do things for yourself. I get that-it seemed that way to me when I was in...