Reach for connection. Open up. The biggest threat is isolation, and it is a killer. Sometimes, I will be so stressed out with all of the appointments and therapies and medications and scheduling … and then trying to perform normalcy for others, too? Share your normal. It IS normal. Caring for others is as natural as being together.

DaKishia Reid

Cares for child with complex medical needs

Winston-Salem, N.C.

Find a caregiver support group that fits your needs. I belong to two online support groups that are disease-oriented, and they are mental health lifesavers. Find something that lifts your spirits — then do it on a regular basis.

Beth Nelson

Cares for her husband

Brooklin, Maine

Get rid of guilt. It serves no one. Don’t dive into beating yourself up. We come to caring for our loved ones at their most vulnerable. We are vulnerable, too.

Linda Robinson

Cares for her brother with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease

South Lyon, Mich.

The biggest “help” has been from other caregivers. They are the only people who “get it.” So my biggest advice is to find a community in person or online of other caregivers to vent and to get help.

Melissa Sinclair

Cares for mother-in-law with dementia

Columbia, Md.

The best advice is really all stuff you can find in a quick Google search. It sounds obvious and easy. And yet it’s not. Get help (therapy!). Exercise. Meditate. Take walks alone when you feel overwhelmed. Hang out with animals. Cats and dogs don’t need you to explain anything. Realize that what you’re doing is really hard emotionally, physically, mentally. The caregiver part of you is going to feel like a failure most of the time. You’re not a failure. There just aren’t enough resources that are available or affordable, so find ways to get creative.

Margot Moulton

Cares for her mother

Fayetteville, Ark.

A sense of humor is essential. Almost everything is funny, sometimes in funny/not funny ways.