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Been doing this for so long and I am just tired don't want to do it anymore.

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You're burned out when your own health or personal care starts to suffer. You're burned out when, in the unlikely event that you're offered a break, you find that you cannot truly "take a break." You're burned out when you're yelling/snapping at people you truly love but who have nothing to do with the caregiving situation (I am specifically thinking of young children, but could apply to others as well). You're burned out when you secretly wish something bad would happen to you so that you don't have to do caregiving anymore (I used to wish for an emergency trip to the hosp where I could stay for at least a few days and not have to be a caregiver). This is not a complete list. If I think of more, I'll add them. Others will have ideas as well. Thanks for posting about this very important issue. I believe I was burned out and still have not bounced back years later, so it is something that really does matter and I'm sorry you're so exhausted right now.
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If you have to ask, chances are you have it.
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You know that you have burnout when you've "been doing this for so long and am just tired and don't want to do it anymore."
It's as simple as that. Please make sure you are taking care of yourself, and if needed look into placing your LO in the appropriate facility, so you don't end up in the statistics where the caregiver dies before the one being cared for.
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Davidreid79 Sep 2021
Let's change the words "Don't want to ..." to " just can't " ! Often it not a matter of not wanting to - it's a matter of "I can't " . Long Distance runners have a thing called "HITTING THE WALL" . A point where they want to finish the race, but collapse because they have exhausted ever ounce of "want to" they have !
I've been a 24/7/365 caregiver for my wife for 7 hears !
Since 2014 she's had 3 back surgeries , 3 knee surgeries ( staph infection after the first ! ). Revision knee surgery after the staff and a fall which broke her ankle on the same leg as knee surgery ! She's completely non ambulatory - and now , to top it off , just diagnosed with bladder cancer ♋️ . We've been married for 60 years ! Love her dearly ! There are many times ( especially during the night " when I "can't " sneaks into my thoughts - but I get up and "go" help ... when you run out of fuel it's the love that keeps you going !
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Get help as soon as possible. At least you’re aware that you may be at the point. This is not easy for any of us. Big hug to you.
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I know how you feel. It's like a prison sentence with no parole.
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I agree with Zippy Zee 100%. Many get it pretty quick. I hope you can find ways to cope and get rest yourself.
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I also agree with ZippyZee. You don't give any details on your profile, like who you're caring for, what is their cognitive condition/physical health, how long, what state you're living in, if you're living with the person, etc.

If you are the DPoA for your LO and they have a medical diagnosis of dementia, I would start researching options.
- adult daycare
- facilities
- in-home agency aids

If your LO has meager finances, I would contact social services for their county (online at the Dept of Health and Human Services) to have them come and do an in-home needs assessment to see if they qualify for any help. It won't be full time but it'd probably be better than what's going on now. You can ask them about Medicaid for your LO.

If you're not the DPoA and your LO has dementia you can work with county social services for them to gain guardianship. This may be trickier if your LO lives in your home, but less so if you live in theirs (since you can leave).

If your LO requires a trip to the ER any time in the future you may have an opportunity to have them go directly into a facility but would require you being preemptive to insist they are an "unsafe discharge" and there's no one at the home to care for them.

These are just some very basic ideas of how you can rescue yourself from the caregiving burden -- we would need much more detail from you in order to give more specific and appropriate suggestions. There's a lot that can or can't happen based on what's going on in your situation.

You can also contact your local area's Agency on Aging for resources and information, or contact a large local church (any church) even if you're not a member, and ask if they have any programs for seniors and caregivers (like adult day care) or a Care Ministry, where you may be able to find some volunteers to come in to give you a break. However, do not rely on this as a permanent solution as all churches struggle with the revolving door of volunteers who are not as committed as paid staff.

May you find what you need and gain rest and peace.
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If you ask "How do I know if I have caregiver burnout?," then you are burn out. Start looking into respite options so you can have a little "time off" from caregiving. During your time off, evaluate if your loved one has reached the point of needing professional 24/7/365 care. The sad fact is that most caregivers don't realize that their have needs that must be met as well as the needs of those they care for.
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If you have been caregiving for so long, are very tired and don't want to do it anymore, then it's time to stop. But you may not be able to simply stop caregiving if you're doing so for a loved one. These matters aren't always so easy, or so cut and dried that you can just walk away. Since you don't provide any details, it's hard to give you advice, really.

You may be burned out, you may need a new job if you're caregiving professionally, you may need to get your loved one into managed care or respite for a few weeks if that's applicable.

Life is short, that much we know for certain. Try to figure out how to make YOURSELF happy and content, and what it will require, then set about doing it, if possible, one step at a time.

GOOD LUCK!
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Daisycat: Imho, as you are asking if you have caregiver burnout, you no doubt do.
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