with Charles Garfield and Cindy Spring
Some people are born to be caregivers. Some embrace caregiving to heal their own wounds. And some have caregiving thrust upon them by life circumstances. Sometimes My Heart Goes Numb offers compelling portraits of twenty exemplary caregivers...
Caregivers everywhere will treasure this book as a guide whose tales are raw, honest, funny, wide, and always inspiring. The book shows us:
* How to “say the right thing” when a parent accuses you of not doing everything you can to help her child.
* How to set healthy limits.
* How to understand someone’s heartfelt gratitude when you “only” bring over a self-healing book or some homemade chicken soup.
* How to know when to encourage someone’s fight for life and when to accompany them to death’s door.
* How to identify your own special needs as a caregiver and implement effective self-care strategies to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue.
These men and women demystify the caregiving process as they talk candidly about the risks and rewards of supporting someone with a chronic or life-threatening illness. They share their hard won ideas about active listening, establishing boundaries and coping with multiple losses, bereavement overload, and relentless uncertainty. Finally, they show all of us--whether we care for people with AIDS or not--how to really make a difference in the lives of the people we love.
