When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient ― A Journey from a Mental Disorder to Recovery and Compassionate Insight

Examine a compelling account of a professional caregiver’s inspirational struggle with a mind/body illness and the renewed sense of compassion his recovery provides.

This uplifting narrative is the story of a caregiving professional stricken by panic attacks, a wounded healer desperate to be healed. When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient is the candid and compassionate first-hand account of Daniel Langford’s struggle with the anxiety disorder that signals a physical, cognitive, and emotional crisis that paralyzes him, despite his extensive background as a health care professional, social worker, and pastoral minister. His journey from the disorder’s horrifying onset to the understanding and acceptance of its roots, and finally, to an insight that evokes a renewed appreciation for the human spirit is an inspirational guide to healing and recovery.

The anecdotal form of When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient lends itself to a personal retelling of Langford’s struggle, detailing his sessions with family physician Dr. David Betat, and colleague and co-author Dr. Emil Authelet as they explore the biopsychosocial and spiritual dimension of Langford’s attacks. Their informal dialogues serve as a model of how a lateral relationship between colleagues can create an environment for healing and recovery that can be passed on to others. The book also critiques and reviews existing literature on panic attacks and anxiety disorders related to the author’s search for understanding.

When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient examines:

• panic attacks--cause, treatment, and recovery
• a critique of existing literature on panic attacks
• clinical and spiritual perspectives on anxiety disorders
• critical elements of the healing process
• effects on the caregiver’s relationship with his/her client
• a fresh model for the caregiver/patient relationship
  
  An essential resource for caregivers, counselors and therapists, educators, physicians, and health care and religious professionals, as well as those searching for an understanding of anxiety disorders, When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient reassures those who receive care that the care giver struggles with life as well. That understanding of the mutuality of pain and recovery creates a connection that helps ease the isolation that often accompanies suffering.