Alleviating the distress of caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients: A rational-emotive therapy model

Caring for a person with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type places an enormous emotional burden upon the caregiver. Common responses of caregivers include denial, anger, guilt, self-pity and depression. These negative emotions exacerbate the difficulties of caring for the patient, as well as constrict the caregiver's ability to develop appropriate coping skills for his/ her own life. Rational-emotive therapy (RET) specifies the maladaptive cognitions which elicit and sustain maladaptive emotions and behaviors, and provides a model for cognitive, affective and behavioral change. Excerpts from therapy sessions are presented to illustrate the process.Rose Oliver, private practice; Graduate Fellow and Supervisory Faculty, Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, 45 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10021. Frances A. Bock, private practice; Adjunct Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11550; Graduate Fellow and Supervisory Faculty, Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy, 45 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10021.