I am 81 years old and a carer for my husband who has a diagnosis of cancer. We had to shield from the start of the pandemic, and this meant that our support network diminished.
Our weekly routine, which consisted of medical appointments, going shopping and for walks, had broken down. I felt overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for my husband without the usual support we had.
My husband’s health deteriorated, and he was taken into hospital. I was not able to visit him for 4 weeks and did not physically see him until he was discharged.
I contacted my GP and the Crisis Team as I felt I could not cope any further with the restrictions. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and was prescribed medication.
All my promises to my husband have been broken through no fault of my own but it doesn’t stop me feeling guilty all the time. I worry constantly about the next news update and what this will mean to us. I have started to become fanatical about cleaning and making sure both my husband and I keep safe and do not pick up any infections but this in turn means that I try not to leave the house. I am in a vicious circle and not sure how it will all end.
I have telephone counselling now, on a weekly basis and I also get wellbeing calls, every two weeks, to support my feelings of loneliness. I am also receiving cognitive behavioural therapy to help me to learn more about my mental health diagnosis. I am hoping this will improve my levels of health and wellbeing. I now feel I have been able to make more informed decisions in a practical way about what is best for both me and my husband. I feel emotionally more stable and have put in place an information pack in case an emergency arises, so I know who to contact. I am also using coping techniques to reduce my obsessive thoughts around cleaning.
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Support services
If you are affected by any of the content in these stories, please click on the following links for more support:
- Dearlife - dedicated to help you find local and national support and advice
- Ring 08081 966 798- a 24/7 free confidential helpline providing crisis support to residents
- We provide a range of public mental health services across the Warwickshire area.
- Information on NHS Services provided
- Information on Veterans mental health support
- Information on bereavement support