How to stop emotionally regulating an aging parent without withdrawing or cutting off contact. A grounded guide for caregivers navigating boundaries, guilt, and sustainable connection.

For those of us caring for parents whose behavior was difficult, selfish, controlling, or emotionally volatile, this realization can be disorienting. It doesn’t rewrite the past. It doesn’t erase harm. But it does offer a different frame—one that replaces confusion with clarity, and sometimes anger with steadiness.

Decision fatigue is common in caregiving. Learn why caregiving decisions feel harder than expected, how mental overload develops, and what helps restore clarity and confidence.