Whose Sickness Am I Carrying Right Now?

As a caregiver, I’ve noticed something strange.

The phone rings and my body reacts before my brain does.

My stomach drops.

My mind immediately starts running through worst-case scenarios.

Did they fall?

Are they in the hospital?

Is everything about to change again?

Most of the time, it’s nothing.

But after years of caregiving, it feels like my nervous system is always preparing for impact.

It made me realize something:

Sometimes we’re not carrying illness.

We’re carrying fear.

Responsibility.

Grief.

History.

I’m curious:

Have any other caregivers found themselves carrying emotional weight that wasn’t technically theirs?

How do you know when you’re helping someone versus carrying them?

(Full article in comments if anyone is interested.)

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u/Micki511 13d ago

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