Caring for someone around the clock keeps your body's stress response switched on for months, even years. That is not sustainable, and it is not a character flaw. Burnout is physiology, not weakness.
Learn to recognize the warning signs before they reach crisis: exhaustion that sleep does not fix, dread before each day, a constantly short fuse, numbness or going through the motions, trouble sleeping or eating, frequent illness, withdrawal from people, hopelessness, or the feeling that you cannot go on. These are not signs that you are failing. They are signals from a nervous system that has been running on overload for too long.
There is also stigma to name and release. Many caregivers believe that needing help, or admitting they are struggling, means they love less or are not strong enough. The opposite is true. You cannot pour from an empty cup. A depleted caregiver cannot offer the calm, steady presence that, as you have learned, is the single most powerful tool in dementia care. Caring for yourself is not separate from caring for your person. It is part of it.
If hopelessness feels heavy, or you are struggling to cope, please talk to your own doctor. Reaching out is not giving up. It is exactly what a wise, devoted caregiver does to keep going.