Dementia Care Stress? Practical Steps To Stop Guilt And Sundowning Chaos
If you’ve ever caught yourself snapping after being asked the same question for the tenth time, only to immediately ask yourself, "Am I a terrible caregiver?"—you are far from alone.
In this episode of Dementia Dakota, host Jen Fink sits down with board-certified physician, health coach, advocate, and author Dr. Frank Spinelli. Together, they take a deep, compassionate dive into one of the heaviest and most unspoken emotional burdens in caregiving: the difference between caregiver guilt (I did something bad) and caregiver shame (I am bad).
Dr. Spinelli shares insights from his book, The Shame Compass, breaking down the neuroscience of shame, identifying the five hidden types of caregiver shame, and walking us through his actionable Compass Framework (Confront, Observe, Map, Process, Accept, Sustain, and Serve). Whether you're navigating sundowning panic, wrestling with the taboo around wishing the journey was over, or struggling to set boundaries without feeling like a moral failure, this episode offers the language, relief, and validation you need.
Connect with Dr. Frank Spinelli:- Book: The Shame Compass (Releases August 25th)
- Website: frankspinelli.com
- Instagram: @drfrankspinelli
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