Chronic Stress That Rewires the Body
Caregiver stress is not ordinary workplace pressure that lifts when you log off. A 2019 study published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry found that 58% of family caregivers of elderly patients in India showed clinically significant psychological distress, a number that rises sharply when the parent has dementia or a mobility-limiting condition. The body responds to sustained stress by keeping cortisol elevated around the clock. Over months, that means disrupted digestion, suppressed immunity, and a cardiovascular system running hotter than it should. Indian caregivers face a specific compounding factor: most are doing this without any formal respite care. There is no shift change. The stress does not pause.
