Is stress (from caregiving) making your body feel like electricity is going through it?

I enjoyed a free yoga class yesterday that helped release the stress of the last week.
I also imagined a new visualization: pack all your anger into a black ball. Now make the ball a black balloon. Sit peacefully, close your eyes and imagine the balloon is on a string outside and it rises higher and higher in the air. It gets smaller and smaller and you feel freer as you get the courage to release the ball into the universe and let go of the long string. Imagine the ball becoming a tiny black dot and finally it is completely out of your hands. Become aware of your face, neck, chest, arms, stomach, legs, feet. Welcome back! You can always do this exercise.

I have the exact same issue with drama creating siblings.
Do you know what, they are not going to change.
So what I did was learn to protect myself and get in a place where I was less susceptible to the drama and more able to handle the stress, which we carers do seem built to cope with.
The issues we face will not go away, but we can make ourselves stronger and less vulnerable to that awful feeling of overwhelment.

My doctor recommended hypnotherapy and meditation/practicing mindfulness.
And boy it is like giving your soul a hot stome massage!! I was cynical, and took me a bit of shopping around to find one I like, but I find Bob Griswold's Youtube sessions lovely. (There are loads on there, all free, try a few to find one that suits you.
Bob's are 10 min sections, but I also do a longer session every now and then.

I have a nice little app on my iphone for practicing Mindfulness... 'Mindfulness Daily', but I am sure Youtube has Minfulness clips freely available.

Look after yourself. Go for walks somewhere pretty, and accept things and people that you cannot change, once I did this I did seem to get less wound up. And my most dramatic brother seems to be less troublesome (maybe because I am less defensive and let him say his nonsense without reaction. I do think he'd often contact me expecting a fight. When I chilled out and didn't get frustrated he actually mellowed a bit. (Still p's me off, but I try to pause and smile now instead of getting annoyed.
(I don't think I'll ever be the Dalai Lama, but I'm less cranky after meditating/hypnosis. Friends have said I'm less 'brittle'.
Give it a go!

Do you mean that your mother mentioning the fact that your siblings called stirs up emotions? Or do you mean that your mother stirs the pot intentionally by citing how lovely it is of your siblings to call?

Pam-Unfortunately, it's not possible with my family. After 10 yrs of trying, they've only purposefully moved farther away (physically and mentally)... At this point, I have to accept this and remove myself from my worries. (however, when they call my mother, especially at a 'holiday' to make them feel better... it upsets me, because my mother mentions it which 'stirs' up emotions, etc for me) I wish I did have a 'somewhat' 'normal' family, but that will never happen now. Thank you for the suggestion... It may helps others, but not in my case.

Ombudsmen have been known to help referee family problems. Would it be possible to get everyone to a meeting and get on the same page?

I keep my head down and try not to engage in "drama". I don't have time. Or the energy. If I'm not willing to participate, don't care to defend my actions and decisions, where's the drama? I feel confident that I'm doing the right thing. That's the ONLY person I have to please in this 24/7 job. And that's all I worry about.

I am up and down with my coping, but for some reason each bad period is followed by a peaceful period with me. I don't know about others, but often I have stressful dreams right before I wake up. They stay with me for a while, like I'm trying to work through them. Maybe it is the working through daily and dream stress that leads to a sense of peace. I find myself saying "That's just the way they are" a lot when it comes to people. I know I'm not responsible for changing them. And I don't have to let them sink into me -- at least not for long.

We have so much control over the stress in our lives. It helps to write about it and hear the soothing remarks of others who understand. We can always walk away from it if it gets too bad. And we can find ways to self soothe. Some people do it by trying to understand and forgive. Others use exercise or music. Each person is different, but we all have the ability to soothe ourselves. I like coming up with mantras, like Feel the fear and do it anyway, This too shall pass, or That is just how they are. They are heartening to me. (Exercise and socializing are excellent for me, too. I'm just about to go do these things.)

It is really, really hard. Each week is different. For me, I try to stay healthy and I run. Running is my life saver. I have Addison's disease, compartment syndrome, and asthma, so it is NOT easy. I have brothers that add to my stress by their lack of involvement or understanding of how much my mom's Parkinson's and dementia (these are only two of her many problems) have progressed. I know it sounds like a line, but "one day at a time". Hang in there.