Caring for someone with EDS
How do you care for someone with EDS or HSD while caring for yourself too?
You may be a parent, spouse, child, friend, or have another significant relationship with someone that has EDS and needs your care. Caregivers play a vital role in the lives of those with EDS and related disorders. Because these disorders are genetic, often times parents of children with EDS share the same disorder. This presents an even more difficult challenge in balancing self care and providing children with the care they need. Often times caregivers experience burn out, feel disappointment in themselves, and even sometimes taken advantage of. This can be related to the expectations we set for ourselves believing a caregiver needs to have adept medical knowledge, filled with strength and positivity at all times. The reality is that we are all human. We have limited energy and we experience real human emotions but we are all capable of loving. You have the ability to be the caregiver you and your loved one needs.
It is imperative that caregivers, while providing care to others, take special precautions to care for themselves. That being said, the Ehlers-Danlos Society provides a few helpful tips on how to care for someone with EDS and HSD.
“Tip #1: Learn all you can about EDS and HSD and how it presents in your loved one. This will help you learn what your EDS/HSDer is experiencing. Does she have joint problems? Does she have digestive issues? Your knowledge about EDS/HSD will help if you accompany her to doctor appointments, talk with family or friends, and research symptom treatment or management options. Learning about EDS/HSD will also help you and your loved one talk about what she is experiencing. You can learn about EDS/HSD from sources like this website, medical journal articles, and from others on message boards like ours (https://www.inspire.com/groups/ehlers-danlos-national-foundation/).
Tip #2: Watch, listen and communicate. Your loved one with EDS/HSD will likely say or show you what he needs. There will be days when what he needs most is simply for you to believe he is in pain, fatigued, or experiencing symptoms making him feel awful. There will be days when your loved one needs you to encourage him to be more independent and to problem-solve ways or tools to help. There will be days when he needs time completely alone, maybe in a dark room curled up in bed. And there will be days when your loved one wants to be seen as “normal” but may need your help how to pace activities. Neither you nor your EDS/HSDer are mind readers so you both need to ask and explain. If you are uncertain what your loved one needs – ask. If your EDS/HSDer does not understand what you are doing, explain in a matter-of-fact manner. Two-way communication is crucial. If needed, a professional counselor can help you both increase your skills to have these important, honest conversations. Remember that your loved one is more than their diagnosis (separate who he is as a person from his condition) and you are more than his Caregiver (separate your role from who you are as a person). While it is necessary to talk clearly about EDS/HSD, it is equally necessary to set times when it is not discussed. Having open, frequent communications between you and your loved one will help you be a better Caregiver and both of you will feel better understood and supported.
Tip #3: Accept your feelings. Being a Caregiver can be hard work and it is perfectly normal for you to have feelings like anxiety, anger, grief, or guilt. Understand that your feelings are neither good nor bad; they are your feelings and need to be felt. Some find talking with other Caregivers in a support group helpful while others use journaling to express their feelings. There are family, friends, community groups, faith-based resources, professional counselors, and online forums you can use for more tips and strategies.
Tip #4: Take care of yourself. You cannot be an effective Caregiver for your loved one if you do not take care of yourself every day. This means eating healthfully, getting quality sleep, exercising regularly, and taking care of your own medical needs. But it also means nurturing more than just your body. Take time for yourself each day relaxing, doing something you enjoy, and connecting with what is important to you. Maybe you have a hobby or are part of a book club. Or perhaps a good nap or meditating restores your balance. Make this time for yourself each day. It is also important to seek social connections for both you and your loved one. These may be with your best friends, a group you belong to, cultural events in your community, the regulars at a neighborhood coffee shop, or wherever you are with others you enjoy. Being around other people can help you cope better with the responsibilities of being a Caregiver. Use community resources when needed and accept help from others. You cannot be the Caregiver you want to be if you do not take very good care of yourself physically, emotionally, and socially.
Tip #5: Remember that life is more than EDS/HSD. You can help create opportunities for humor, adventures, problem-solving, and discussions that have nothing to do with the condition. Have conversations and show what you love about her personality, intelligence, outside interests, or passions. Have your loved one help make important decisions. Plan activities that are EDS/HSD-friendly so you both can have fun but not make anything worse. Allow them to help you when you need help. Celebrate what you both love about life and about each other – knowing that this condition is just one aspect in your lives.”
The life of a caregiver can be challenging at many times. Some days will be good and other days will be hard. We are here to to help you and your loved one on the journey of managing and minimizing the obstacles that comes with EDS.
“Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can.” – Unknown
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/caring-for-someone-with-eds/
