Caregiver Burnout: The Burden of Retelling Your Family's Complex Story
- Kendra Lanni, LICSW
- Nov 23, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
If you’re a caregiver, you know the drill: doctor’s appointments, specialist visits, school meetings, therapy sessions. Each new provider, each new phase of care often comes with the same dreaded request: "Can you tell me a little about your history? Your family's journey?" ... And it’s never a little!
For caregivers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and beyond, retelling your family's complex history isn't just a simple recounting of facts. It's often peppered with frustrating questions and judgments like, "Have you tried this?" (Yes, you have) or "Have you considered that?" (Yes, you have— 5 years ago). It's an exhaustive, emotional, and often traumatic experience that you're asked to relive, over and over again, for every professional who enters your orbit. This constant repetition is a primary, hidden cause of caregiver burnout.
The Invisible Weight of Repetition and Caregiver Burnout
Think about the sheer weight of this requirement, a daily stressor for many RI caregivers:
The Emotional Toll: Each retelling is a re-opening of past wounds, a re-experiencing of difficult diagnoses and moments of fear.
The Cognitive Load: You become the living, breathing archivist, having to keep every detail, medication change, and symptom fluctuation perfectly straight in your head—a core cause of caregiver burnout.
The Frustration of Invalidation: You pour your emotional labor into the narrative, only to sometimes encounter a provider who fails to grasp the true magnitude of your experience.
The fragmented nature of healthcare means you are constantly asked to be the emotionally charged bridge between past and present care. While it's a necessary function, no one prepares you for the sheer exhaustion of it.
Specialized Caregiver Support in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
This constant repetition can lead to profound caregiver burnout, high-functioning anxiety, and a deep sense of isolation. You might find yourself dreading new appointments or feeling depleted before the day even begins.
At KML Counseling & Wellness, I offer telehealth therapy because I understand this unique burden. My practice provides a different kind of space for Rhode Island caregivers:
Your narrative is honored and understood. My nearly two decades of intensive clinical experience means I know the complex systems you are navigating. You don't have to spend half the session justifying the weight you carry; we focus immediately on your needs.
We focus entirely on your well-being. This isn't another place where you advocate for someone else. It's a dedicated space for you to reclaim your balance, build resilience, and discover strategies for sustainable self-care, including setting vital psychological boundaries.
