If you're caring for a family member, this is for you. Carer burnout is real, it's common, and it's not a sign of weakness or failure. Getting help isn't giving up — it's doing the right thing for everyone, including yourself.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis right now, call Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24 hours). You deserve support too.
Carer burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that can occur when you are caring for a family member or friend without enough support for yourself. It often develops gradually, as demands increase and your own needs get pushed aside repeatedly over months or years.
Around 6.5 million people in the UK are unpaid carers. Many of them are providing substantial care with very little support. It is unsustainable — and it affects the person being cared for as much as the carer.
There is a reason airline safety announcements say to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. An exhausted, unwell carer cannot provide good care. Looking after yourself is not selfish — it is a practical necessity.
The person you care for needs you well. Your relationships, your identity and your own health matter. None of this is given up when you agree to care for someone.
Under the Care Act 2014, you have the right to a free Carer's Assessment from your local council — regardless of how much care you provide. This assessment looks at your needs as a carer, what support would help you, and whether you are willing and able to continue in your caring role.
Contact your local council's adult social care team and ask for a Carer's Assessment. Following an assessment, you may be entitled to respite support, Direct Payments of your own, or other funded help.
Respite care means someone else takes over — for a few hours, a day, or longer — so you can rest, work, socialise or simply do nothing. Ekvarta provides respite visits to give family carers a regular, reliable break.
Carers UK provides information, advice and emotional support to unpaid carers. Free helpline: 0808 808 7777 (Mon–Fri 9am–6pm).
Tell your GP you are a carer and that you're struggling. They can refer you to mental health support, arrange health checks, and flag you for local carer support services. Many GP surgeries now have a Carers Champion.
Local and online carer support groups offer something invaluable — people who understand. Carers UK, Alzheimer's Society (if caring for someone with dementia), and local councils often run groups.
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