Caregiving often exposes the origins of difficult behavior in aging parents, offering clarity and context without minimizing harm or requiring reconciliation.

Let’s talk about the guilt. That deep, nagging feeling that creeps in the moment you even think about asking for help. The voice that whispers, You should be able to handle this. The one that tells you good caregivers don’t need breaks, that asking for help means you’re failing somehow. That voice? It’s lying to you.

My world has become so small since I became my mother’s caregiver. I didn’t notice it at first—it happened gradually, the way water slowly erodes stone.

Looking after my mom takes a toll on me every single day—on my time, my energy, my emotions, my sanity. Some of it is obvious.

For the past two years, I have found myself in a role I never expected—sole caregiver to my mother. She is 81. For most of her life, she...